Five Things I Can't Stand About Going to the Dentist: part 5 of 5

My last thing I can't stand about going to the dentist….Well, I have to be honest in that the following only happened once, but I was so annoyed about it that I mind as well list it here. When I was in graduate school, I was going to a dentist who I thought was pretty good. The first time I saw him, he identified a cavity where I was having pain, which no other dentist was able to find. Each time I went to him though, he always found another cavity. No matter how much I brushed, flossed, or used mouthwash, he ALWAYS found a cavity. I couldn't understand it. When I moved from grad school and on to internship I needed to find a new dentist because I was in another state. The new dentist told me I had THIRTEEN cavities. Of course, I thought he was lying and trying to rip me off. So I went for a 2nd opinion. Thirteen cavities. And a 3rd opinion. Thirteen cavities. I didn't want to believe it, but it must be true.

Frustrated, I called the original dentist and told him about the situation. His response? "Oh yeah, I knew about all those cavities. But I didn't tell you about them because I figured you didn't have the money to pay from being a student and all. So I just figured I would tell you about a new cavity each time and focus on the worst one."

Excuse me, but…."WHAT???!!!!" I literally could not believe what I was hearing. It took years and put me in a lot of debt when I had no money at the time, but I got the cavities taken care of. Too much soda drinking, but that's a story for another day. Anyway, these decisions should be left to the patient, not the doctor. Well, that raps up my series on the dentist. If anyone has any dental stories they would like to share, I would love to hear them.