A Needling Suspicion Of What Happened
Bad Behavior, Dentist, North Carolina, USA | Healthy | December 4, 2018
(Thanks to starting a new job, I am finally able to afford to go to a dentist for the first time in five years. After the x-rays, it is determined that I have a cavity in between two molars, so I’ll need to be numbed. My last dentist, who was a pediatric dentist, had a habit of practically stabbing the needle into my gums, so when the hygienist towards me with the syringe, I instinctively grip the chair’s armrests.)
Dentist: “Are you okay?”
Me: “Just fine; I just don’t have good experiences with dentists and needles. But I can deal with it.”
(The dentist and hygienist exchange a concerned look and administer the shot. Instead of a jab, I barely feel a pinch. While we wait for it to take effect, we just make small chat.)
Dentist: “[My Name], you said your last dentist was a pediatric dentist, correct?”
Me: “Yeah, I think I was 15 or 16 when I last saw them. I had to get sealants on my back molars.”
Dentist: “Did they numb you?”
Me: “Yeah, only on one side, though. When they numbed me on the left, I swore the needle nearly hit bone, so I begged them not to numb the other side.”
Dentist: “And they listened?”
Me: “Yup, it hurt less than the needle.”
Dentist: *pause* “Was your dentist, by chance, the one whose practice is at [Location Downtown]?”
Me: “Yes?”
Dentist: “Dear God, no wonder we got so many of his patients when we opened.”
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