My dentist is NOT doing it for the money.

My mouth was in horrible shape when I first saw her. My teeth were cracking because the amalgams had been done so badly. I had infections in several teeth, my gums were always red and inflamed (and probably infected) I had/have a severe dental phobia because of my two previous dentists were both jerks.

My first dentist, when I was a small child was the worst. He was putting fillings in my mouth for money. My parents never went into the exam room with me when I was little. I was always alone. Big reason I have a dental phobia and claustrophobia is because that putz TIED me into a chair to do dental work on me. More than once. I have nightmares now of being tied down that still scare me to death.

Second dentist was just a jerk, kind of verbally abusive to his techs, and to some children that were his patients. Never tied me down like the first guy, but he also never waited more than about 20 seconds after injecting the novocaine before he'd start drilling. (my current dentist gives me about 15mins or more to get numbed) He was halfway competent in that he wasnt putting needless amalgam fillings in me, he was just fixing the crappy fillings that my original dentist screwed up. (not doing the greatest job of it either. He was cheap, used high mercury amalgam in his fillings too. Did one composite filling for me tho...which is failing now)

Since going to my current dentist, my mouth is no longer in pain. My gums are FINALLY healthy, and I dont have weird nightmares about my teeth falling out any more. She isnt doing it for the money. She's doing it for my health. I finally can go to a teeth cleaning without my gums bleeding all over the place.

Plus, she uses digital x-rays. Which I love, because the old dentist still uses film that has to be developed. Apparently the smell of developer is one of my triggers for my dentist/claustrophobia phobias. (my dad still uses my old dentist. I took him to an appt once, and had to leave because the developer smell was freaking me out.)

I'm just glad to finally have a dentist that doesnt scare the crap out of me (unless she's about to stab me in the gum with a needle of anesthetic. That scares the heebie jeebies out of me still)