Getting a Tooth Pulled? Read This. (a positive experience)

When it comes to dental work, I am a total baby. Even the thought of a cleaning make me weak in the knees. So when I was told that I needed to have a tooth extracted, I was less than happy. I got a second opinion. Same diagnosis.

I was scared.

My favorite endodontist referred me (with glowing reviews) to an oral surgeon. Swore he was the best. Friends who went to him said the same thing. I figured I'd meet him for a consultation.

This particular man was, hmmmm..., less than professional from the start. I went in, told him I was nervous about the extraction and didn't want to be put under. His response, "Your not gonna make this easy for me, are you?" Er, bad reply, doc. Rather than put me at ease, he proceeded (for 20 minutes) to try and talk me into it, saying patients that don't get knocked out have been "thrashing" and "flailing" (his words) in the chair, even "grabbing at his arms". I wondered, if he's so great, why are his patients having such a strong negative response?

He continued to try and convince me, and when I told him that I had friends who'd had extractions with just novocaine, he began asking who. "Give me names" he said. He couldn't recall the names I'd provided because he "sees so many people". Next, he said "I'm gonna break the law here and look at their files to see if they went under" and proceeded to do just that. My son was with me, and we both looked at each other, puzzled. Why did he want to knock me out so badly? He said "Yup, she had it," and so on.

In the end, I booked an appointment with him, mostly to just get out of there, and as we walked out of the office he said, "Don't eat 6 hours before, just in case you need to be knocked out." Ick.

I called my mother to tell her about my experience and her response was, "Why don't you go to Dr. Dimaira? She's great." I had had a procedure done by her once before, years ago, and it was a cake walk. So I called and scheduled the extraction. And today, my tooth was pulled. The following is a breakdown of my positive experience.

Smile. Everything is gonna be alright.

Dr. Dimaira is a calm, confident professional. I needed my molar (a big one) removed. I was nervous and expressed that, but she was very relaxed and easily calmed my fears. The novocaine that usually numbs my throat and bothers me, was super. It only numbed the area being worked on. She had nice music playing, and told me, as she went, what she was doing. I felt nothing. I knew what was going on, but was so relaxed that, rather than bracing myself for the actually pulling, I tried to imagine what was happening. My head was still (I expected shaking and pulling), and she sang while she was doing it. I didn't feel pressure or anything, but when the tooth released, I felt a gentle detachment. I can only describe it as yes. It felt accomplished.

I was so relaxed that I almost fell asleep. Before I knew it, the bone graph was done, and stitches were being put in. I watched as the string came up and went down into my mouth. It was almost hypnotic. All that worry for nothing. The whole thing was almost meditative.

Post extraction, with all the novocaine worn off, I have no pain or discomfort whatsoever. So great. I am very impressed with her.

If you are getting a tooth extracted, I highly suggest finding a calm, caring professional to do your extraction. I want you all to know that you do not need to get knocked out. Why take a medical risk for a super quick and routine procedure? It honestly was no big deal. And if you live in or near Morris County, NJ, go see Dr. Dimaira in Montville. She is the absolute best!