Another Question

[Yinzer]

What's the worst that could happen? My poor husband won't go to the dentist, only time recently was 2 years ago when a tooth was so rotten and sore he had to get it pulled. I'm worried about him getting some serious periodontal disease. Can somebody please tell me some serious effects of this so maybe I can scare him into going (or maybe just scare me into beating him unconscious and dragging him there). He is afraid of dentists and says the only way he'll go is under complete anesthesia (even for just the initial diagnostic look-around). He has such a beautiful smile and I would like him to be healthy and to be able to smile for some years to come.

[thewillow]

Emphasise the distinct possibility of rotten breath.

[ICEMANSAV]

You could tell him that his teeth could get so rotten that the nerve endings become exposed making them painful and impossible to eat normally and that beer will hurt like hell! might be a white lie but could help!

[Octavius]

I sympathise (with your husband).  I hate dentists and avoid at all possible chance.  My g/f is a dental nurse as well!  There is no replacement for going to the dentist.

Having said that, I care about my teeth, and it is much better to go when they are not hurting - even though work may be required.  Many dentists are very considerate and can be very gentle.  I shopped around for ages trying to find a good one, who will even use the numbing cream when I ask her!!

[nicola_red]

I didn't go to the dentists for about 14 years (shameful, I know) and 2 months ago I cracked a tooth eating a toffee. As I wasn't registered with any dentist and was skint I had to queue up at the local university dental hospital at 8.15am on two mornings to get it seen (in the meantime it was so sharp it was scratching my tongue and I couldn't talk properly), and when I did they put a temporary filling in and I got an appointment for a month later to get it removed. I had that last week and it took half an hour of the nurse wrenching at it with pliers and a lot of bleeding. I've been in constant pain ever since and necking painkillers to little effect - I actually posted a question about it on here last week because I was worried about it still being so painful. I ended up going back to the dentists yesterday where they packed it with a dressing and gave me a ton of antibiotics and painkillers, so I'm now doped up to the eyeballs. If that's not a cautionary tale, I don't know what is.

[kookychant]

Dental pain is terrible and no pain killers can touch it. Having bad teeth is supposed to be bad for your heart. And then there's the cost of dental treatment - you won't be NHS anymore if you don't visit regularly.  My last root canal filling cost 123 quid. Although having a tooth pulled out is cheap, a replacement is not.  So just go and don't be a wuss. 

[Alej]

tease him into going by telling him how pathetic and childish he is being, say you want a real man.  If he doesnt divorce you he will go.