Watching dental treatements or being in the chair yourself?

I like them both. Enjoy treatment in the chair, especially thinking about the experience afterwards. One on one treatment is fun because it is just you and hygienist, but being surrounded by all of the staff looking down at you is quite enjoyable as well.

I like to watch others get treated, the more complex and time consuming the session the better. Maybe giving treatment or assisting could also lead to excitement. No preference on watching a male or female get dominated by the dentist.

I feel like a dental university program would be ideal.

I've been seen at a Dental Hygiene Clinic a few times when I was still in the Northeast, you'll get exactly that.

On my first trip I was leaving a dental office that I had been using through a DMO insurance program for about 4 years. My cleanings lasted about 20 minutes and were pretty lackluster. Noticed my gums were getting bad again so I cancelled my next appointment with them and made an appointment with a student at the clinic. I was there for over 6 hours. Had all kinds of exams, my student had her teacher stop by a few times and bring other students with her to show them what not to do, apparently the hygienist I had been seeing at the DMO office did a terrible job and left burnished calculus everywhere so they kept bringing people over to show them how to detect it.

It was a long and rough appointment. I had about 8 different people running explorers under my gums and then taking turns scaling subgingival deposits that the DMO office hygienist had been smoothing with awkward, ineffective strokes and adaptation. Learned a lot about proper grasp of instruments and tooth adaptation by just listening in the entire time. My gums were sore as all get out afterwards, definitely a great experience.

Absolutely being in the chair. I love the thought and am so scared of the thought that the mean dentist and nurse will be laying me down on my back. The nurse will put a mask over my mouth and nose and I’ll struggle just a little but let it come over me. Then, she’ll insert a nasal cannula and mouth spreader and hook a suction tube into my mouth. I want to take it all out and it looks humiliating but the gas is making my arms unable to move. Heavy. Then, the doctor stares down at me, drill in hand. Well, that’s two cavities, two crowns, and two root canals. He will place the drill on my molar and begin drilling away. The smoke gets into my nose and is nauseating. The drill boring into my tooth is agonizing. I’m begging and crying but the doctor says he has to fix my cavities and tells me how to brush and floss. I wet my pants.

My dentist is pretty routine for major dental work. They attach heart leads to the skin on my chest (Electrocardiogram (EKG)), a blood pressure cuff and a earlobe oximeter. A nurse(?) starts the IV line in the back of my hand, then the anesthesiologist, a real MD, she starts a mixture of Dexmedetomidine, midazolam, Ketamine, Fentanyl and a benzodiazepine I can't remember the name. Then the dentist starts work - well, I guess he does - I don't remember. For morning dental visits I usually remember waking up in the mid-afternoon, then nap several times.

They take their time working on my mouth. It isn't a bad feeling, although usually my mouth feels dry that evening. However, the dental office charges an additional $150 for four hours of anesthesia. It's a lot more pleasant than the dentists I had been visiting in upstate New York. It's worth it to me

I enjoy either but don't want to just be a passive observer. I want to be the dentist, delivering the news of what needs to be done.

As for being a patient, I'm open to most scenarios, including being put under for major oral surgery.

I love watching other’s treatments. Especially women in the chair. I’m not interested in being in the chair myself.

Watching or being the dentist absolutely! Prefer being the dentist, but if I ever met a dentist who performs like I do, then I'd be more than happy to watch as they make the patient squirm

I am an enormous lover of both

Being the patient 100%

Of course always being the patient but wouldn’t mind watching sometimes.

I enjoyed watching some procedures at my mom's surgery dental clinic. extractions (wisdom teeth. !!!! ) always hard watching her....

Why not both? Even dentists need to get regular checkups and cleanings themselves.

And I wouldn't say it's my favorite part necessarily, but that initial, "Open for me and let's take a look" after the chair and light have been positioned means it's getting serious. What work will need to be done?

Definitely being the patient.

If you are lying on the chair with metal tools in the mouth you can’t escape. You can just wait till everything will be done and let dentist work on your teeth. But dental cleanings and fillings take some time, so it means that you need to spend awhile in this helpless position.

I personally prefer to watch rather than be in the chair, but that's mostly because I have a low tolerance for discomfort.

Depends on the procedure lol. Something plain like a cleaning or a filling I prefer to be in the chair. But I prefer seeing people suffer through rtcs

I get panic attacks from dental treatment. You’re trapped in a chair, sometimes for over an hour, being subjected to painful procedures. Then you get a bill, which puts a financial strain on many people.

Treat.... like the gyno chair to take place in, not the dentalchair.

Personally, I like both but it definitely depends on the procedure. Like someone else said, if it's something easy like a filling or a cleaning then I'll be the patient. I definitely prefer watching the harder stuff like root canals over being the one in the chair.

I like being in the chair, personally. I like feeling all helpless and vulnerable. And knowing I put myself there but I couldn’t get myself out until everything is done because it’s out of my control at that point.

@AlanaT, that's exactly how I feel when I visit the dentist❤️

I love being in the chair. I want a strict female dentist and unfriendly assistant. I love the waiting room when you are just tortured with anxiety waiting for them to call your name. The drill can be heard from the treatment rooms and you know you are next. And the sonic scaler. Both. Especially if you know you need the drill or a scaling and root planning. Your heart jolts when you hear your name. You hear the sounds and distorted faces of patients getting drilled passing the rooms. Then you have to sit in the big chair. The plastic bib drapes over you and makes you feel trapped. The chair goes back and raises and you feel so much dread. Then the assistant puts the light in your mouth. All you can hear and see are metal instruments, treatments next door, and the faces of the dentist and assistant. Then the bite block goes in and you can’t even turn your head because of the U shaped headrest. Your neck is extended and your feet are higher than your head. The doctor gets out the drill and the wining reminds me that I deserve this punishment. Agony and electric shocks run through you. You cannot escape and you have to get this done. I love when they say, just a little bit more, just relax, almost done, and they’re lying. I love being told to open wide before the dentist inserts the bite block.

@Mebmbb what a wonderful, detailed comment, I feel this way too, such anxiety and also excitement❤️

@Mebmbb I know what you mean about being 'trapped' in the chair. I had an appointment a few days ago to get some cavities filled and the assistant wasted no time strapping the nitrous mask snugly on my nose and draping a heavy blanket over my arms and legs. Then the sweet smell starts to come through the mask comes while your lips are closed with the topical swabs sitting in your mouth and you have no choice to take in a few good whiffs of the sedative

I prefer being the patient in the chair.

I loooove both. But being in the dentist chair is more exciting.

@xokaty, same here, being in the chair is such a fab feeling, the vulnerable feeling, and being in a position that feels trapped❤️

@ExcessEnnui, being in the chair is so exciting, I've always enjoyed, more and more as I've got older ❤️

...and draping a heavy blanket over my arms and legs.

I wish more dentists had the option of a weighted blanket, including mine. I have seen ads online for dental spa's that have them for comfort. I have a 20 pound weighted blanket at home and they are nice.

Back in December I had routine X-Rays and had the lead apron as usual. Wished I could have left it on for the entire cleaning after the X-Rays were taken.

Hello there,

I would really enjoy chatting with someone about there dental experience and just how different it is around the world. I enjoy the older style dental visit with my dentist and staff. Have a great day.