I've taken a bit of a break from dental work, but I've got a mess in my mouth, too, and my dentist isn't particularly good at managing pain. Plus, I supposedly had an abscess cleared up and a root canal put in, but the flap of gum that was always filling with the abscess fluid is still filling with it! (No pain, but that tells me the infection wasn't cleared up.)

I've told my dentist I want WHITE crowns, even if they don't match my yellow teeth, because I plan to get all white crowns for the teeth that need them, and whitening for my real teeth, but he keeps insisting that I get darker crowns that match my teeth. I see the point of how it appears, but it's my mouth, isn't it? I'm the one paying?

As much as I love the modern technology and treatments used in the office (especially that TV; helps keep my mind off the work), I'm thinking of looking for another dentist. He's so horrible with that needle, and doesn't always prevent pain. On top of that, one time, I told him I still felt the drill, so he jabs me with more lidocaine or whatever the numbing medicine is, and that stuff makes me tremble, so the second dose actually had me frightened I was going to have a seizure. And my tooth still hurt, but a little less, and I didn't say anything, because I was scared to have more numbing medicine injected into me.

And today, I'm supposed to drive to a dental lab AGAIN because the crown they sent from my first visit is too light. However, I meant to cancel that appointment, which is today, because my bf won't be near in case I get panicky (driving that far away from home makes my anxiety jump); he's going to a family wedding in another state.

Not trying to make it all about me; just trying to let you know I understand your complaints!