Makes me think about the film “How to kill your boss” where one guy works in a dentist clinic, and they do a global anesthesia of the patients.
When I saw this I was very surprised, because in France the dentist only anesthetizes the gums. I wouldn’t trust a dentist in my mouth if I had to be under global anesthesia…
When I was a kid I had dental work that required laughing gas. Doesn’t knock you out but just makes you all giddy. Later in life I had a wisdom tooth removed with just a local anesthetic. (I didn’t even realize he was removing a tooth until he actually pulled it out!)
I guess anesthetic has improved in recent years to where actually knocking you out for dental surgery is rarely necessary?
I don’t know what kind of needle they used, but at my dentist the local anaesthetic injections hurt worse than the dental work so, with the exception of one wisdom tooth extraction about eight years ago, I haven’t had any dental numbing since high school.
My dentist’s dad was my mom’s dentist when she was growing up, and apparently the old man was pretty rough – she almost kicked a shoe through a plate-glass window while on the chair, something about braces-prepartory rough straightening of a tooth by hand with pliers. Mugged indeed.
In the United States, different dentists do different degrees of anesthesia, based on the preferences of the patients and the expertise of the dentist in question. My wisdom teeth were so messed up that they had to be … well, I’m not going into details, but it was clear that I didn’t want to be even remotely conscious for it, so my dentist referred me to the dentist who had a full-fledged anesthesiologist on staff. There aren’t a whole lot of dentists who do actual needle-in-your-arm, hooked-up-to-heart-monitors-in-case-you-start-to-die level anesthesia, and the vast majority of dental work doesn’t need it.
Mostly, though, you can do just fine with a topical anesthetic on the gum before the injection, then an injection of novocaine to numb it. And occasionally some laughing gas or such relaxant so that the sound of the drill and smell of burning bone doesn’t bother you as much.
I had 4 molars and 2 wisdom teeth pulled at the same time. I remember was walking up to the check-in desk, where the receptionist asked “so are you staying awake for this?” I ended up panicking, I had no idea that was even an option but I sure as heck knew I did NOT want to be awake for that. So I ended up with the needle, which was slightly less terror inducing.
I can identify with the “freshly mugged” feeling. I broke off a piece of my tooth earlier this month (on a french fry…don’t ask). I went to the dentist, figuring he’d fit me for a crown. After the exam, he said “root canal with crown, $2000. Or since it’s the wisdom tooth, I can pull it for $150.” I left 20 minutes later, numbed, gauzed, minus one tooth, and a freshly mugged wallet.
I have the song from Little Shop of Horrors going through my head now …
o/~ You’ll be a dentist … you have a talent for causing things pain/
Son be a dentist … people will pay you to be inhumane/
Your temperament’s wrong for the priesthood/
and teaching would suit you still less/
Son be a dentist, you’ll be a success! o/~
My dentist is retiring at the end of the year and his replacement/intern is some young guy who doesn’t quite understand that you can’t, in fact, open your mouth and touch your chin to your nipples. Though, he shoves his hands in far enough to get you to try.
By the way — just as a piece of advice. So, one of my cousins is a dentist. One works in IT.
When I need help rebuilding a computer system, Mike, the IT guy, is more useful for the operating system and software stuff, but Todd is actually better at the connecting up the cables and power and stuff inside the case. See, he can actually use a mirror and tools to do very difficult, fiddly work in a tiny little area , connecting cables and jumpers, and setting dipswitches, backwards in a mirror, correctly.
The skill of “manipulating small fiddly things in a poorly-lit, cramped area, often in mirror image” is the primary skill set of the dentist and dental hygienist, and it is a skill set that transfers over to other things. If you are friends with dentists or hygienists, ask them to help out with that sort of thing, too.
Plumbing and auto repair are also in this category, but they often use more wrist and elbow motion than dentists are used to. But electronics repair is right in their wheelhouse, even if they’re not aware of the fact.
When I was in college, I had a dentist who was about 70, who could do an injection straight into the most sensitive part of your mouth… and you didn’t feel a thing.
No idea how he did it. No swabs with some sort of local, he just grabbed that horse-size needle, I braced myself, and nothing happened.
Went to him 3 wonderful times… then HE RETIRED! THE GALL OF THAT MAN!
My grandfather, a dentist who was influential in teaching other dentists how to use magic tricks and humor to make kids comfortable with pediatric dentistry, did this thing where he’d sort of wiggle and shake the cheek near the gum where he was going to do the injection, and the sensation would distract you enough that you didn’t even notice the needle. Exact thing you’re describing — you’d see the needle come closer, you’d see the needle leave, and the area would be numb, and you really didn’t notice anything in the middle.
He taught his son — my uncle — and grandson — my cousin — the same technique, and they both do it pretty well, but not as well as he did. Them, the needle doesn’t HURT, but, thinking back on it, you can sort of remember that the injection happened. With Papa, not even a clue that it HAD happened.
Boy, I’m quite positive that Lemming of the BDA would never tolerate such unbecoming dental practice.
Makes me think about the film “How to kill your boss” where one guy works in a dentist clinic, and they do a global anesthesia of the patients.
When I saw this I was very surprised, because in France the dentist only anesthetizes the gums. I wouldn’t trust a dentist in my mouth if I had to be under global anesthesia…
Depends on what exactly they have to do. French too and I had a global anesthesia when they removed four of my teeths in one go.
When I was a kid I had dental work that required laughing gas. Doesn’t knock you out but just makes you all giddy. Later in life I had a wisdom tooth removed with just a local anesthetic. (I didn’t even realize he was removing a tooth until he actually pulled it out!)
I guess anesthetic has improved in recent years to where actually knocking you out for dental surgery is rarely necessary?
I don’t know what kind of needle they used, but at my dentist the local anaesthetic injections hurt worse than the dental work so, with the exception of one wisdom tooth extraction about eight years ago, I haven’t had any dental numbing since high school.
My dentist’s dad was my mom’s dentist when she was growing up, and apparently the old man was pretty rough – she almost kicked a shoe through a plate-glass window while on the chair, something about braces-prepartory rough straightening of a tooth by hand with pliers. Mugged indeed.
In the United States, different dentists do different degrees of anesthesia, based on the preferences of the patients and the expertise of the dentist in question. My wisdom teeth were so messed up that they had to be … well, I’m not going into details, but it was clear that I didn’t want to be even remotely conscious for it, so my dentist referred me to the dentist who had a full-fledged anesthesiologist on staff. There aren’t a whole lot of dentists who do actual needle-in-your-arm, hooked-up-to-heart-monitors-in-case-you-start-to-die level anesthesia, and the vast majority of dental work doesn’t need it.
Mostly, though, you can do just fine with a topical anesthetic on the gum before the injection, then an injection of novocaine to numb it. And occasionally some laughing gas or such relaxant so that the sound of the drill and smell of burning bone doesn’t bother you as much.
I had 4 molars and 2 wisdom teeth pulled at the same time. I remember was walking up to the check-in desk, where the receptionist asked “so are you staying awake for this?” I ended up panicking, I had no idea that was even an option but I sure as heck knew I did NOT want to be awake for that. So I ended up with the needle, which was slightly less terror inducing.
“Dentists, what is best in life?”
“To drill one’s cavities, to see them filled before you, and to hear the emptying of their owner’s wallet.”
LOL. I suspect that Gengis Khan studied dentistry in Mongol Horde U.
I can identify with the “freshly mugged” feeling. I broke off a piece of my tooth earlier this month (on a french fry…don’t ask). I went to the dentist, figuring he’d fit me for a crown. After the exam, he said “root canal with crown, $2000. Or since it’s the wisdom tooth, I can pull it for $150.” I left 20 minutes later, numbed, gauzed, minus one tooth, and a freshly mugged wallet.
The up side of dentures. However, I do think the guy who did my extractions was inspired to the field by the torture scene in “Marathon Man.”
Is it safe?
I was at the dentist for just a cleaning last week and even that was killer to my teeth.
“The Lamentation of your root canal”. #Winning
“Lamentations” line… Nice…
I have the song from Little Shop of Horrors going through my head now …
o/~ You’ll be a dentist … you have a talent for causing things pain/
Son be a dentist … people will pay you to be inhumane/
Your temperament’s wrong for the priesthood/
and teaching would suit you still less/
Son be a dentist, you’ll be a success! o/~
Well, you were drugged, battered, and a significant part of your monthly allowance is now far, far away from you. So, sort of the same thing.
My dentist is retiring at the end of the year and his replacement/intern is some young guy who doesn’t quite understand that you can’t, in fact, open your mouth and touch your chin to your nipples. Though, he shoves his hands in far enough to get you to try.
I get my permanent crown in place next Tuesday.
I work at a dental office, so this is extra funny to me. Gonna make sure I get my boss to see this. And maybe all our patients.
By the way — just as a piece of advice. So, one of my cousins is a dentist. One works in IT.
When I need help rebuilding a computer system, Mike, the IT guy, is more useful for the operating system and software stuff, but Todd is actually better at the connecting up the cables and power and stuff inside the case. See, he can actually use a mirror and tools to do very difficult, fiddly work in a tiny little area , connecting cables and jumpers, and setting dipswitches, backwards in a mirror, correctly.
The skill of “manipulating small fiddly things in a poorly-lit, cramped area, often in mirror image” is the primary skill set of the dentist and dental hygienist, and it is a skill set that transfers over to other things. If you are friends with dentists or hygienists, ask them to help out with that sort of thing, too.
Plumbing and auto repair are also in this category, but they often use more wrist and elbow motion than dentists are used to. But electronics repair is right in their wheelhouse, even if they’re not aware of the fact.
Oh, boy. I remember that scene from American History X. *shudder*
Son, be a dentist! You have a talent for causing things pain!
When I was in college, I had a dentist who was about 70, who could do an injection straight into the most sensitive part of your mouth… and you didn’t feel a thing.
No idea how he did it. No swabs with some sort of local, he just grabbed that horse-size needle, I braced myself, and nothing happened.
Went to him 3 wonderful times… then HE RETIRED! THE GALL OF THAT MAN!
My grandfather, a dentist who was influential in teaching other dentists how to use magic tricks and humor to make kids comfortable with pediatric dentistry, did this thing where he’d sort of wiggle and shake the cheek near the gum where he was going to do the injection, and the sensation would distract you enough that you didn’t even notice the needle. Exact thing you’re describing — you’d see the needle come closer, you’d see the needle leave, and the area would be numb, and you really didn’t notice anything in the middle.
He taught his son — my uncle — and grandson — my cousin — the same technique, and they both do it pretty well, but not as well as he did. Them, the needle doesn’t HURT, but, thinking back on it, you can sort of remember that the injection happened. With Papa, not even a clue that it HAD happened.