I think my dentist is ripping me off.

[Scott DeWar]

The problem was that the doctor did it wrong.

He missed with the needle of Novocaine. Numbed part of my face and jaw, but that tooth still had sensation.

He ignored me when I tried to tell him I could feel everything and it HURT. He said I was faking it and being dramatic, and when I tried to resist, he had his hygienist physically hold me down while he drilled one of my molars and filled it.

He thought because my tongue was numb and I was talking funny from the novocaine having numbed part of my face, that the tooth had to be numb too and I was lying about feeling it all as he drilled in.

That was a quarter century ago. Still remember it vividly. It's why, aside from mandatory dental checkups in the Army (where they said they saw no issue requiring treatment, my last one being about a year before I went to this dentist who was making such a hubbub about me needing all this treatment) and having my wisdom teeth cut out in the Army (because they're fanatical about that) I didn't see a dentist for around 20 years.

He sounds like he needs a visit from the state medical board.

 

[Eltab]

In other news, I have never heard of a dentist who would do a filling without a local anaesthetic.

Steve Martin's Sadistic Dentist - was that just in Little Shop of Horrors, or an independent comedy routine he worked up?

 

[Zardnaar]

You get fillings done without novocaine or anything similar? Just letting the dentist drill into a tooth without any numbing agent whatsoever?

That's a little higher on the Fort Save DC than I'd like like to repeat. I had a dentist do that to me once as a teenager, that was enough for a lifetime.

Last one used nothing. Got some nerve damage 5 years ago teeth drilled doesn't do much by comparison. I didn't like the painkillers the doctor gave me so stopped using them.

When we were kids dental work at school was free but no pain relief was used. Turned out the dental nurse didn't believe in it her replacement used it though.

Last time dentist used this fast acting filling which set in 30 seconds or something. Skipped the drugs and had lunch right after it.

Kebab/souvlaki addiction.

 

[Zardnaar]

Zardnaar watched Marathon Man’s torture scene and thought “I can do that!”

In other news, I have never heard of a dentist who would do a filling without a local anaesthetic.

Haven't seen it stopped using painkillers a few years back. Didn't like the side effects and most pain fades quickly.

 

[Dioltach]

Did you offend the Dentist Illuminati?

The Tooth Fairy is real, and secretly runs the world.

 

[Morrus]

Haven't seen it stopped using painkillers a few years back. Didn't like the side effects and most pain fades quickly.

[video=youtube;kzw1_2b-I7A]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzw1_2b-I7A[/video]

 

[Scott DeWar]

The Tooth Fairy is real, and secretly runs the world.

so the tooth fairy is the high master general of the dental Illuminati?

 

[Blue]

The Tooth Fairy is real, and secretly runs the world.

Once I feel asleep with my head under my pillow and I awoke with no teeth and a mouth full of quarters.




(Monty Python voice: "I got better.")

 

[Blue]

The problem was that the doctor did it wrong.

He missed with the needle of Novocaine. Numbed part of my face and jaw, but that tooth still had sensation.

He ignored me when I tried to tell him I could feel everything and it HURT. He said I was faking it and being dramatic, and when I tried to resist, he had his hygienist physically hold me down while he drilled one of my molars and filled it.

He thought because my tongue was numb and I was talking funny from the novocaine having numbed part of my face, that the tooth had to be numb too and I was lying about feeling it all as he drilled in.

That was a quarter century ago. Still remember it vividly. It's why, aside from mandatory dental checkups in the Army (where they said they saw no issue requiring treatment, my last one being about a year before I went to this dentist who was making such a hubbub about me needing all this treatment) and having my wisdom teeth cut out in the Army (because they're fanatical about that) I didn't see a dentist for around 20 years.

This sounds like criminal charges and a lawsuit. Too bad it's likely far past the point you could do that.

While this is very believable from 20 years ago when it happened to you, luckily I have a hard time picturing this happening in the US now. Malpractice insurance is hideously expensive compared to other countries and no medical professional I know would dare risk something like this when the alternative is just administering more Novocain, which they have handy. Sure it's a few minutes lost for it to take effect, but much better then a lawsuit.

 

[Blue]

Yeah, that's basically my suspicion on this, that it's something that this dentist is doing to maximize his take, to engage in bill padding.

I'm planning on seeing a second dentist, getting a second opinion. If a second dentist says I don't need this 4x a year schedule with bigger, more expensive appointments, I'll trust the second opinion on that.

The fact that every visit after the first one has involved the dentist saying there are no problems, no issues, everything's looking good ect. . .makes me very suspicious about this.

Tell your dentist you need the normal cleanings covered by insurance, that it's a hardship. See if you get at least 2 of the 4 covered, and the others cheaper.