Re: Dentists

CKSwedberg (CKSwedberg(AT)aol.com)
Mon, 9 Mar 1998 15:19:19 EST

Val shared about some pretty bad experiences she's had with dentists and asked
us if we could describe our experiences. I'm lucky right now because my
present dentist's mother had polio and was w/c bound for the rest of her life.
He is very understanding and compassionate when it comes to my special needs
because of having had polio. He doesn't lay the chair back at all when he
works on my teeth. He's a very gentle, soft-spoken man and a good dentist. As
I said, I'm very lucky.

A year ago I left my other dentist because I just couldn't stand his arrogance
and phony ways. From Day One I knew that this guy was in the business simply
for the money! Period! While the dental hygenist respected my wishes to keep
the chair as upright as possible, the dentist always made a big deal about it.
If he ever had to fill a tooth or anything, he always complained that having
to stand and do the work instead of sitting made his back ache. I never let
him off the hook though! I always insisted upon sitting upright! My breathing
also made him really nervous, and this in turn made me feel self-conscious.
I'm grateful that I've finally found a really ideal dentist for me, and his
office is less than a mile away, to boot!

I take a lot of pains with my teeth, brushing and flossing every day. During
the past couple of years I've noticed that usually after brushing my teeth, I
have to suction myself. For some reason it causes some minor uproar in my
trach ... this is more true at night than in the morning.

This is my dental experience, Val. It is possible to find a good dentist ... I
did.

Carol in Massachusetts
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Sometimes it is necessary to reteach a thing its loveliness...until it
flowers again from within..."
--Galway Kinnell