Dental visits are not fun for me, either, but I'm not as phobic as I used to be about them. Still, it's been a long time since I've been to a dentist, so I'd probably be much more afraid than the last several times I went.

I've had good experiences (comparably) and bad experiences at the dentist. I've had several dentists, and some are definitely better than others. One dentist I had had a big sign outside his office, plus ads, that said, "Gentle Dentistry." Gentle my *****!!!!! There was a kid in there one time at the same time I was, and the room was separated by a partition, rather than having separate rooms, and he screamed! I felt awful for him.

That said, I have had dentists who really were gentle, and knew how to minimize pain. It's the needle I usually hate most, and I had a dentist who actually shook the lip in a way that you didn't feel the pain of the needle (or not much). The dentists I'd probably go back to now are a bit of a drive, but they were local when I lived in the area, about 35 miles away. They make sure you're numb, and numb enough, before drilling, and are very sensitive to their patients.

Some dentists have TVs in their offices, but I have never really been able to focus on the TV when I'm not at an angle to easily or comfortably see it. Those bright lights are awful! I know they need the light to see into your mouth, but my eyes water profusely, and sometimes even shutting my eyes isn't enough for me to stand it.