Hygenists-Who-Suck

**lynnzop**[$] · #1 06-12-2007, 01:18 AM

Argh.

I am FINALLY over my total complete, have to be freaking sedated, fear of the dentist. My dentist is a nice man...in his 50's, who is just kind and sweet, doesn't poke too much, and tells me I have nice teeth.

BUT.

Today I had the Hygenist From Hell. I swear to God, her only goal in life was to accost my gums and make me miserable. Nice enough gal, talked and talked about her granddaughter (why do they always expect you to respond with more than "uhhuh" when they have their fists in your mouth????) so I felt bad about complaining.

I could not eat dinner. I swallowed some leftover pasta salad because it's soft. No chewing.

I have poured two shots of vodka just so I can sleep. My teeth and gums freaking HURT. I feel like there is a migrane in my mouth.

I always ask for my next cleaning at my appointment and literally whispered to the appointment gal "Please...I'm not trying to be rude, but DO NOT assign me to her again."

She smiled and said "You're not the first to complain. I'll put a note on your chart too."

So why is she still there????? If she likes to inflict pain, or is just oblivious to someone totally tensing up and going "ow" with their mouth wide open periodically???

**hadassahchana**[$] · #2 06-12-2007, 01:31 AM

Yeow! i hate when I get a bad hygenist. My dentist used to have your hygenist's twin sister, I swear. Have another shot, and hopefully it'll be better tomorrow.

**lynnzop**[$] · #3 06-12-2007, 01:34 AM

I swear Cindy, you can have the nicest dentist in the world, but if the hygenist is a Steve Martin wannabe, you are in for more pain than can be imagined.

I don't know why I've been subjected to this state of Hell. I didn't got to the dentist for many years, but I've since paid my pennance and even floss regularly.

**mjfrombuffalo**[$] · #4 06-12-2007, 01:43 AM

I have the hygenist that everyone else complains about. I like her. She's brusque, but when the dentist did a drive-by diagnosis of what needed to be done that made me cry, she yelled at him and made the other dentist come in and be nice and recheck the first guy and reassure me.

**theworm**[$] · #5 06-12-2007, 08:58 PM

my favorite hygenist retired.
They're more important than the dentist. Sorry you had a butcher.

mtbat · #6 06-12-2007, 10:14 PM

I agree with Wormie, the hygenist is more important, and probably spends more time in your mouth than the dentist.

Hopefully after a couple more shots your pain will go away.

**lynnzop**[$] · #7 06-13-2007, 12:27 AM

LOL, I'm done with the shots now. It's been a day, and while my mouth is still tender, it's not raging pain like it was before.

And I agree. The hygenist is way more important than the dentist.

**thinkerlady**[$] · #8 06-13-2007, 01:55 PM

We have one like that. I like it when my son gets her. He is miserable afterwards, but it gives me ammunition to harass him into brushing more.

My dentist finally hired one I like. I try to get her all the time. I won't tell my son how "comfortable" she is. I want him to suffer.

*emeleel* · #9 06-13-2007, 02:34 PM

**mjfrombuffalo**[$] · #10 06-13-2007, 02:41 PM

Bad experience with a dentist here. As soon as I was old enough to make my own dentist appointments, I didn't. For years. I think suffering is highly overrated.

**mtomm**[$] · #11 06-13-2007, 04:49 PM

Back in the old days when the dentist did the cleaning (maybe not so long ago but mabe because I am rural) I had a top gum that was numb for several months afterwards. I never went back.

**Helen_B**[$] · #12 06-15-2007, 01:11 AM

I have a really great dentist. Her hygenists vary, but usually they're great. It took me years to get over being nervous to go to the dentist, and there were several reasons for that. 1. Fillings done with not freezing when I was a child 2. Locals that made me jittery because they contained epinefrine 3. Having such a tight jaw that it was torture keeping my mouth open wide enough. Lucky for me, those problems are all gone. My oral sleep apnea device stretched out my jaw muscles, and I can open wide, no problem. And I can't grind down on my fillings when I wear it, so less wear and tear.

**pippadaisy**[$] · #13 06-15-2007, 01:33 PM

I'm with MJ. I'm petrified.

**mjfrombuffalo**[$] · #14 06-15-2007, 01:42 PM

Oh, I go to the dentist now, and willingly - it's just the bad dentist of my youth. The experience did not lead me to take better care of my teeth, it led me to avoid going to the dentist. Now I've got a good dentist and a good hygenist and I take really, really good care of my teeth. Hubby and I have contests to see who's gum measurements are better (that little probing thing they use with the 3-4-5 depth measurements).

jenninca · #15 06-15-2007, 08:41 PM

I'm so sorry. My hygienist is just ditzy. She calls me Kathy. Which is what I've been called all my life because it's my mom's name, but now my mom is half a freakin' country away. She and the dentist discuss Britney Spears over my open mouth.

I have no fear of the dentist after four years of braces, 10 years total of monthly orthodontist appointments, 17 teeth extractions, and 3 oral surgeries. Doctors, especially ones with needles, are another story, but I think I almost got over that after childbirth.

**mjfrombuffalo**[$] · #16 06-15-2007, 08:51 PM

I loved the orthodontist and I could deal with the jaw surgery guy. The dentist not so much.