What it feels like at the dentist

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I always found being at the dentist strangely pleasant. I just like the feeling of fingers and instruments poking around inside my mouth for some reason. Obviously, I don't like it when my lip splits open and bleeds because someone stretched them too far or when I am getting numbed.

I was very uncooperative in the past and needed to receive an oral sedative and nitrous oxide (laughing gas). That caused very unusual side effects and may have made me even less cooperative than before. I would not open my mouth to allow the anesthetic needle to hit my gums, so the dentist ended up stabbing my lip with it instead, causing injury and lip biting. I also attempted to leave the treatment room in a stupor, but failed to do so.

I am much more cooperative with my dental operators now than I used to and do not need to be sedated. However, an incident at my previous dentist traumatized me for a while. The dentist, who just so happened to be one of my aunts, told me she was going to use a CAVITRON (ultrasonic scaler) to clean my teeth. I was curious and waited to see what was coming. But then she shoved a wide, curved metal tube into my gums! I screamed loud enough to wake the dead before crying uncontrollably for over two hours. It turned out that the "CAVITRON" was actually the anesthetic needle, though it sure didn't look like a needle! This incident traumatized me and made me terrified of the dentist. I went to a different dentist to get three teeth pulled. Thankfully, they didn't screw with me and I actually saw the instruments and anesthetic needle.

Getting my teeth cleaned oddly feels pleasant for some reason. I am particularly fond of the scaling portion of the cleaning. I'm not sure why, but something about having my teeth scraped down just feels pleasant. The feeling of a scaler or curette stabbing my gums feels a little pleasant as well even though it hurts. I may sometimes giggle when I feel this, but it may appear to be a sign of pain or distress to the hygienist. I tend to shed a tear or two when I feel pain, but I actually like it. The lights do not bother me, but the smell of a dental office does a little (as with everyone).

I try to avoid eye contact with the hygienist or dentist while they're working. Something about the view of their eyes through their loupes (those little magnifying glasses they have attached to their glasses) is unsettling. Their eyes just seem to look way too large and it gets worse when they blink. The loupes in combination with a surgical mask makes them seem faceless. Otherwise, being at the dentist is somewhat pleasant.

hi!
i have always hated it. i stop talking, i don't watch her in eyes and i sometimes cry and it is very very embarassing because i am 15 and they must think bad things about me, but i hate being touched and i can't stande needles and have lot's of people near me. soooo sad story

I know how that feels and I've been through that before. When I had been traumatized by my aunt, I started wondering if the location she works at is really trained in treating autistic patients (probably not). The anesthetic needle hurt more than one hundred rubber bands hitting my gums at once and it felt like a wound was left behind. Eventually, I opted to get my teeth pulled without any additional local anesthesia. It hurt quite a lot, but I was completely used to that since I've pulled my own teeth before. As a result of the traumatizing incident, I became terrified of the dentist but did not develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

For all I could have known, I could have almost been strapped to a papoose board and/or sedated. I am very strong, however, so they would need to tighten the papoose board so tight it would strangle me. I could also bite the operator's fingers unless I have a dental dam or something is holding my mouth open. I could pretend to cooperate with them but report them later, but I could also manipulate them. I would honestly punch or manipulate an abusive operator if possible and run away. Thankfully, I am no longer being given nonsense about what is going to happen, so I do not resist at all.

feels nothing if you ask for much pain-killers. The needle is not a big problem, its just small pain for some seconds. If you dont take the pain-killers then you will have severe pain for 20-30 minutes.

the funny thing is, i know exactly what you're talking about and i've had it happen countless times to me there before, but just seeing it written down like that makes it seem absolutely f*****g brutal.

i don't know how anyone could enjoy having their teeth scraped down. it seems that's all they do to me when i go for my regular cleanings. the incredible friction of those cold steel tools against your enamel - the sound just goes right through you in the worst way conceivable.

you mentioned there was trouble keeping your mouth open wide enough. when they have trouble with me, they just put a foam block between my molars and leave it there to prop me open. it works.

i suppose i'll never understand the logic behind initiating a conversation with a person that has his mouth propped open and full of pointy metal tools.

It is pretty weird, but I do not need a bite block or mouth prop of some sort. Usually the operator's fingers or a dental mirror is enough pulling my lip or cheek away is fine. Vaseline was once applied to my lips to prevent them from splitting open and bleeding.

I no longer receive sedation of any kind during both check-ups and dental procedures. This is because when I'm sedated, rather unusual side effects or the complete lack of normal side effects may appear. When I received general anesthesia for a minor surgical procedure (not dental), I did not feel groggy or
lethargic from the sedatives.

Yes, it is rather bizarre that I find getting my teeth scraped pleasant. I also kind of like the feeling of a finger or dental mirror pulling my lip or cheek away.

Usually, when I avoid eye contact with the dentist or hygienist, I tend to focus my eyes on the wall in front of me away from them or I just watch their hands as they're in my mouth. I don't really care about the needle-like instruments poking my gums as they remove plaque and tartar from my teeth or a curette being used to tear the ligament holding a tooth in its socket when it is being removed.

Since I actually enjoy being at the dentist, I wonder what it will be like if I were one.

i passed out on the living room couch the second i came home from having nine (yes, nine) fillings done some months ago. i felt that way at least, but apparently my sister observed that i was conscious enough to flip her off when she tried to take a photo of me in my supposed torpor.

i was being wheeled out of the offices towards my ride on the wheelchair - i don't remember it but apparently i stood up, started to walk around and was urged to SIT down and they told my mom that i was to take the day off work because i was unfit

i...worked that day they may have thought i was spiting them, but i was alright, nobody died and they needed the help, as i needed cash monay.

i find myself staring at the ceiling when i'm under the knife there, looking at the repeating patterns of squares, or imperfections in the sterile light covers. it feels like those blasted chairs recline even more than 180 degrees.

my mouth looks like a murder scene after flossing, but i suppose that's my own fault for neglecting that part.

Hi everyone! I'm so sorry for the long delay in posting, but I've got some more input on this topic.

I noticed that some autistic people require modified treatment, from social stories to papoose boards (that board with straps they wrap your body with to immobilize you). This is not the case for me, however.

Although I like the pressure of the lead apron on my body while x-rays are being taken, I do not need it to comply. I oddly like the sensation of cold metal instruments in my mouth, but this is because I find the sensation of cold against my flesh pleasant. Even though I am sensitive to sunlight (both the heat and the light), I am not sensitive to artificial light sources unless I am staring directly at them. Usually the operator only uses the headlight attached to their loupes as a source of illumination. I think that the reason why they are not using the chair light is either because it is unnecessary or they believe it too bright for me (possibly stereotyping my autism). High-frequency noises coming from an ultrasonic scaler or high-speed handpiece (A.K.A. the drill) may agitate me slightly, but I usually do not express this at all. I find the taste of the polishing paste they usually use and the taste of the fluoride mouthwash strange, but not unpleasant. Sometimes when the doctor injects some lidocaine into my gums, the anesthetic drips into my throat. It tastes bitter, but has a stranger part of its flavor that reminds me of latex gloves. No, I did not eat latex gloves, but whenever the operator dons them and leaves their fingers inside my mouth for extended periods of time, they have a strange and unique taste similar to how they smell after being coated with sweat. Should a hygienist perform an extraoral exam on me, I would have to warn them that I do not like being touched on the throat if they examine my larynx and trachea.

Overall, I do not get very stressed when I go to the dentist and may even find it pleasant at times. That's all for today, folks!

The only thing that bothers me about the dentist is the teeth-scraping during cleaning. I have basically no enamel (it's a long story) so it hurts.

Hi guys, I’m going to take a break from posting anything for a while since nobody is responding to my posts. I will still be here at Wrong Planet, but I will not create new posts or reply until I see someone elses first. Thanks for cooperating.

sorry about that.

I don't mind the dentist, and I love brushing my teeth because it almost is like stimming, in a way. I tend to press way too hard on my toothbrush just to get that hard sort of sensory input in my jaw. As for the dentist itself, I always get sunglasses and I mostly just close my eyes, so that is pretty nice since I don't have to make eye contact. It would be better if the taste of the toothpaste was less horrible!

I’ve been through strange tastes and smells. When I get sealants, the material they use always has this strange smell that gets stuck in my brain while they put it in my molars. Whenever they drilled my teeth to help make adjustments for my braces, a spray would always come out (hence the masks and safety glasses). Since I wear glasses, they do not make me take them off and replace them with safety glasses. The pure smell and sensation of teeth being cut and chipped away is always too weird for me to handle. My teeth became hot and the spray coming out smelled like burning teeth (or just burnt stuff). Whenever I needed a loose baby tooth pulled, a burst of blood obviously came out. I’ve tasted my own blood before, so this does not bother me. It tastes like copper. The taste of the fluoride mouthwash they make be swish in my mouth after my teeth have been cleaned is bizarre and something I don’t want in my mouth at all.

I went to the dentist this last Tuesday. I felt better because I could ask questions and get them kindly answered. I brush well enough yet have four small cavities as I neglected my teeth.