Did anyone else have their teeth 'ruined' by health board dentists?

woodoo · 10-12-2013 04:08PM

Our old health board dentist was an alcoholic and i'm convinced he hated children. Nobody from my generation around here has a good word to say about him.

MurdyWurdy · 10-12-2013 04:11PM

Was it where the crap, bitter dentists ended up?

Had it been replaced by the medical card now?

Plek Trum · 10-12-2013 04:13PM

Isn't it funny how a significant amount of this could / should have been avoided if everyone took responsibility for their own teeth and took good care of them?

Not in all circumstances, but certainly if people needed so so much work done then it could have been avoided? Just saying.... I see it everyday in work - everyone else is to blame for your own lack of effort. *rant over*

Edit: Not everyone but definitely SOME!

dazberry · 10-12-2013 04:14PM

Because I was low in iron as a child, the awful medicine I had to take rotted my teeth, and in the end I had to get 9 baby teeth out. The last 8 were under gas in James Hospital so I slept through it and it wasn't a bother (beyond puking up afterwards because of the gas).

The first tooth however was taken out by a local health board dentist - and I will never forget that mans angry face - leaning over me threatening me to shut up, pushing me back down into the chair, and me screaming my head off - as an anemic 4 year old I could cry for Ireland. Finally they let my mother in, and I calmed down and he took the first tooth out. Thing was he dropped it and while he and the nurse were looking for it on the floor I was choking on it. Luckily my mother spotted this and grabbed me, ended up swallowing it - tooth was never seen again!!

D.

SEPT 23 1989 · 10-12-2013 04:15PM

Plek Trum wrote: »

Isn't it funny how a significant amount of this could / should have been avoided if everyone took responsibility for their own teeth and took good care of them?

Not in all circumstances, but certainly if people needed so so much work done then it could have been avoided? Just saying.... I see it everyday in work - everyone else is to blame for your own lack of effort. *rant over*

Edit: Not everyone but definitely SOME!

we were kids ffs

walshm800 · 10-12-2013 04:16PM

yes- I had a similar experience and am only 25 and have had to have a root canal!

sullivlo · 10-12-2013 04:17PM

The health board dentist told me one of my baby teeth wasn't falling out and that it was causing crowding in my gum so he pulled it.

Roll on 20 years and the tooth that supposedly couldn't come down never did. He pulled one of my adult teeth.

Now I am left with a missing tooth. It's not that noticeable, except that I have a gap in between all of my upper teeth. I can't get braces to close the gap without getting an implant in the place where the non-baby tooth was pulled.

Aestivalis · 10-12-2013 04:18PM

I think those primary school dentists we were all sent to were the absolute worst. They're the #1 reason why I have a fear of dentists. they were so rough and just wanted to get you in and out the door as fast as possible.
I had so many painful experiences.

But not all dentists are like this. I went to a private dentist a few years ago and it was a wonderful experience. It was such a relaxing and calm environment and they were so gentle.

Compare that to the dreary grey cold office of the primary school dentist....I'm getting upset just thinking about it

Unfortunately, Its too expensive for me to go to a dentist these days.

username123 · 10-12-2013 04:23PM

Plek Trum wrote: »

Isn't it funny how a significant amount of this could / should have been avoided if everyone took responsibility for their own teeth and took good care of them?

Not in all circumstances, but certainly if people needed so so much work done then it could have been avoided? Just saying.... I see it everyday in work - everyone else is to blame for your own lack of effort. *rant over*

Edit: Not everyone but definitely SOME!

Yes youre right. At 5 years of age I should have been taking responsibility for my own teeth!

You are aware that some people have genetic predispositions that cause dental problems, or that some medicines do too?

And that plenty of bad work is done by dentists that sometimes doesnt have effects til years later?

MurdyWurdy · 10-12-2013 04:23PM

Aestivalis wrote: »

I think those primary school dentists we were all sent to were the absolute worst. They're the #1 reason why I have a fear of dentists. they were so rough and just wanted to get you in and out the door as fast as possible.
I had so many painful experiences.

But not all dentists are like this. I went to a private dentist a few years ago and it was a wonderful experience. It was such a relaxing and calm environment and they were so gentle.

Compare that to the dreary grey cold office of the primary school dentist....I'm getting upset just thinking about it

Unfortunately, Its too expensive for me to go to a dentist these days.

In NZ they have school dentists and everyone calls them the murder house. Very apt

Also, some people naturally have worse teeth than others. I'm sure we all know someone who eats loads of sweet things and doesn't care for their teeth well but has never had a filling. Growing up my brother and I had the same diet and teeth cleaning routine but I had terrible teeth and his were always perfect.

Gummy Panda · 10-12-2013 04:29PM

Eastern Health board was alright. It was the private dentists afterwards who ruined my teeth.

One did a rear upper filling without the help of a dental nurse. A year later i went to a really good dentist and he said the tooth was severely damaged as it was sealed properly. He tried saving it with a filling but I ended up with a root canal. I found out the previous dentist had caused the same issues for others and destroyed their teeth.

Stepping Stone · 10-12-2013 04:41PM

Yeah, one decided to replace my fissure seal which meant drilling it out. She gave me anaesthetic, it didn't work, told her this, she tried again, still didn't work, then she started drilling. Cue crying with pain, she decided to inject me directly into the root, so she drilled some more.

It never took, I ended up with a filling. Ended up getting a root canal because of her butchery. Dentist couldn't believe what I was telling him.

She was notoriously **** though. She managed to stick a syringe through a child's cheek one day. His mother reported her to the HSE but I doubt anything was done. The screams you would hear while you waited... She was obsessed with pulling teeth suddenly without parental consent/ knowledge.

My current dentist is lovely, such a gentle and kind man. He specialises in children and terrified adults.

On a side note, I lived with a dent student. She said never to go to a female dentist. They simply don't have the upper body strength for the job. Not just pulling but if you need a filling and they have been working all day, it may not end well. I have horrific memories of a female dentist, so it will be a cold day in hell before I go near one again.

Plek Trum · 10-12-2013 04:50PM

username123 wrote: »

Yes youre right. At 5 years of age I should have been taking responsibility for my own teeth!

You are aware that some people have genetic predispositions that cause dental problems, or that some medicines do too?

And that plenty of bad work is done by dentists that sometimes doesnt have effects til years later?

Yep - I am well aware of it. Thing is that maybe your Mum or Dad (parents in general) should have been keeping a closer eye on kids diet & teaching good oral hygiene habits to their five year old. Would help avoid a whole number of issues down the line.

Im aware yes, too that medical conditions and genetics can determine the quality of peoples teeth.

Not having a go at anyone personally but the amount of times I hear parents complaining about the cost of dentistry yet leaving the practice they are happy to treat small Johnny to a can of coke and sweets for being 'such a good boy' despite the fact he has 3 fillings and maybe extractions required too. :eek:

I wont say where I am located but I constantly listen to parents who swear blind their child doesn't drink fizzy drinks, or eat horrendous sweets, they cant fathom why their small childs teeth are in such a bad state. I meet them in the supermarket, 3 year old slugging from a bottle of lucozade with a gobstopper in the other hand.

Sometimes to me, it boarders on child neglect. Why would you subject your small child to avoidable dental treatment all because you have neglected to control their diet or care for their teeth properly first at home.

As before, not all - but definitely a significant amount of people like to complain and give out. Truth be told, if they were taking responsibility for their own mouth and that of their children there wouldn't be any issues in the broad general scheme of things. Its not rocket science. :rolleyes:

Rant definitely over now!

Gatling · 10-12-2013 04:51PM

username123 wrote: »

I believe I was one of his victims. Where was he based?

Millbrook lawns across the bridge from HWilliams at the time

username123 · 10-12-2013 04:53PM

Plek Trum wrote: »

Rant definitely over now!

Yay, my parents were probably too wrapped up in my fathers alcoholism to be worried about our teeth

username123 · 10-12-2013 04:54PM

Gatling wrote: »

Millbrook lawns

Yep - that was him. We lived in Walkinstown then, I can remember the Greenhills Road (the cigarette factory - think its gone now) on the route to him.

MurdyWurdy · 10-12-2013 04:54PM

Stepping Stone wrote: »

Yeah, one decided to replace my fissure seal which meant drilling it out. She gave me anaesthetic, it didn't work, told her this, she tried again, still didn't work, then she started drilling. Cue crying with pain, she decided to inject me directly into the root, so she drilled some more.

It never took, I ended up with a filling. Ended up getting a root canal because of her butchery. Dentist couldn't believe what I was telling him.

She was notoriously **** though. She managed to stick a syringe through a child's cheek one day. His mother reported her to the HSE but I doubt anything was done. The screams you would hear while you waited... She was obsessed with pulling teeth suddenly without parental consent/ knowledge.
.

Where was this dentist? It sounds like the one I had. In Loughlinstown, South Dublin.

ShaShaBear · 10-12-2013 04:56PM

Yup, went for braces when I was 14 - 3.5 years I had to wear them! The glue they used on the brackets meant I had to get a total of 11 fillings, all of which were black, despite me being promised white ones by the HSE. They then gave me a retainer which hadn't been moulded correctly, so my teeth started to move, and by the time I realised it, I would have needed braces again to fix the damage.

Gatling · 10-12-2013 05:12PM

Wonder if you could be entitled to compensation for pain and suffering at the hands of a HSE dentist ,seems so many have suffered or still suffer the effects of poor dentist's

Holsten · 10-12-2013 05:15PM

Yep, they gave me a great fear of dentists for years.

Thankfully my teeth are perfect now.

10-12-2013 05:17PM

Plek Trum wrote: »

Isn't it funny how a significant amount of this could / should have been avoided if everyone took responsibility for their own teeth and took good care of them? !

The whole point was that they didn't necessarily need the work in the first place
They were trying to get at me to put fillings in for no good reason thankfully stopped by my mother. Went to an ortho years later for braces, never a filling yet. Nothing wrong with my teeth
chancers

MonstaMash · 10-12-2013 05:25PM

My teeth are like the stars in the sky at night...not all sparkling & white, they just come out at night

Note to self...do not go over handlebars of motorcycle again

:rolleyes:

username123 · 10-12-2013 05:41PM

MonstaMash wrote: »

My teeth are like the stars in the sky at night...not all sparkling & white, they just come out at night

Note to self...do not go over handlebars of motorcycle again :rolleyes:

Is your quality of life substantially impaired by this?

I often wonder because dentists place such great stock in not losing a tooth but in getting an expensive root canal and crown - but do people who wear false teeth have terrible oral experiences??

The health board dentist used to frighten me with a pair of dentures that he said I would need to wear when I got older and while I would be crying my little eyes out, himself and his nurse would glare at me and hold up the dentures.

JONJO THE MISER · 10-12-2013 05:49PM

I remember them alright, scared me from going to a dentist for years.
Remember the dentist shouting at me once for not keeping still, really rough pulling the teeth as well.

MonstaMash · 10-12-2013 06:17PM

username123 wrote: »

Is your quality of life substantially impaired by this?

I often wonder because dentists place such great stock in not losing a tooth but in getting an expensive root canal and crown - but do people who wear false teeth have terrible oral experiences??

The health board dentist used to frighten me with a pair of dentures that he said I would need to wear when I got older and while I would be crying my little eyes out, himself and his nurse would glare at me and hold up the dentures.

Not a bother with them...limited sometimes by food choices, can no longer enjoy a toffee etc & I can no longer bite people, other than that they are perfectly functional

JONJO THE MISER · 10-12-2013 06:19PM

MonstaMash wrote: »

Not a bother with them...limited sometimes by food choices, can no longer enjoy a toffee etc & I can no longer bite people, other than that they are perfectly functional

Why what would toffee do? What other foods are hard to eat with them?

username123 · 10-12-2013 06:20PM

MonstaMash wrote: »

Not a bother with them...limited sometimes by food choices, can no longer enjoy a toffee etc & I can no longer bite people, other than that they are perfectly functional

Does your jaw bone disintegrate into oblivion?

Thanks for sharing btw, this is something Ive always wondered about!

SEPT 23 1989 · 10-12-2013 06:22PM

JONJO THE MISER wrote: »

Why what would toffee do? What other foods are hard to eat with them?

steak

MonstaMash · 10-12-2013 06:25PM

username123 wrote: »

Does your jaw bone disintegrate into oblivion?

Thanks for sharing btw, this is something Ive always wondered about!

Not in my case...I had most of my front upper/lower teeth knocked out in a motorcycle accident...

As I was getting into the ambulance, I was picking them up off the ground & the ambulance guy said, " I don't think you're gonna need them mate", to which I replied, "they're my fookin teeth"

If you lose your teeth due to gum disease etc., I believe it can be detrimental to bone density but am open to correction on this

MonstaMash · 10-12-2013 06:25PM

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

steak

Not a bother, medium rare & chow down

Did anyone else have their teeth 'ruined' by health board dentists?

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