September 13th, 2025Just sayin’…

I went to the dentist last week. No big deal for most people but I have a huge fear of the dental chair.
It comes down to really crappy dentists as a child. I think they instilled fear that almost 60 years on is yet to settle.
Of course, there were good times. Like when I had to have a filling, but was so scared, the dentist gave me a full anaesthetic. Right out to the world. Just him and me. I think I was 10. No anaesthetist, no nurse and no parents on hand, which I think would be pretty much illegal these days.
Other fun visits included dentists starting to drill before the local anaesthetic had kicked in, one telling me I wouldn’t need any anaesthetic and just about having to peel me off the ceiling, and another who swore at the nurse when she dropped his tools on the floor.
He was a big bloke and it was a hot day but I still reckon he should have worn a tee shirt under that very small white coat. I said nothing. Not that I could anyway.
Why do dentists always wait until the cotton buds are in your mouth before trying to start a conversation?
Anyway, with a niggly, now and again pain, I decided to bite the bullet, or the x-ray pad and make a visit.
She was great. So nice, so kind and very prepared to listen and talk. She said lots of people my age have the same phobia and she also said some of the stories she heard were out of horror movies. Even her parents avoid the dentist and I imagine they get a family discount.
She showed me all the imaging and we decided on a plan. She pointed out a dark spot that was the niggly bit and then showed me where the nerve was. Quite close to each other.
I said: “I guess we don’t want them to meet.” And she said: “That would be what we call a root canal.” So we made another appointment for next week to fix that up sooner rather than later.
Another rough bit turned out to be a little bit chipped off a crown, which I have no memory of having done. Anyway, she is going to plane that down a bit. And do a clean. All next week.
Then I talked to her about getting veneers. I was quite the asthmatic kid and was given tetracycline quite a bit, a medication which was later found to discolour teeth in young kids.
When I turned 21 I was given $2000 by my parents and $1000 by my nan. To celebrate I got my top six front teeth crowned and my bottom four teeth veneered. The crowns were $600 each and the veneers were $100 each. Perfect.
Anyway, after 40 years (aghhh) they are looking a little shabby so I asked about getting them redone. Oddly the dentist said the top teeth were veneers and the bottom teeth had never been done. WTH?
I thanked her for telling me I had been ripped off by my dentist. I guess he just super cleaned the bottom ones? I really don’t know but I remember talking to the bloke who made the top veneers who said he preferred not to work with my dentist because he “preferred a simple life”. Hmmm.
Anyway, I got the quote for six top and six bottom veneers. Just a smidge over $20,000. You can always dream. Just sayin’…