First dental experience - how old were you?

How old were you ? how did you feel ? what did you have done ?

I can't imagine many people remember their first experience, since a lot of people go to the dentist for the first time before they turn four years old, and it just so happens that people generally can't remember anything from before they were 3-4 years old.

My earliest memories are three occasions. The first is being laid in the chair, and the dentist was doing… Something. I was too young to know what was going on, but apparently I needed a filling. All I knew is that the dentist's gloves smelled really weird and they had this big orange plastic board in front of my face while they did what they did. The second is watching my sister have something done in the chair, and she was crying because they didn't give her enough anaesthesia. The night before my appointment, I had a nightmare that they were going to rip out all my teeth, so I refused to get in the chair and had to go into therapy for years. In fact, I distinctly remember lying to them, saying that I didn't like the smell of the gloves, when in reality, it wasn't that at all, it was the fear of what they might do once I was in the chair.

All of this was somewhere between four and five years old, because honestly, I have no idea when exactly it was, only the order of events.

First time for me was in first grade for a cleaning. I still dont like going to the dentist.

First exam was 4 or 5, very old dentist and equiptment. Remember water swirling in sink by the chair and cables running to drill head. Always hurt going there when he retired and got new dentist it was much better.

When l was 7yo, my mum's dentist gave me a check - though probably there had been earlier ones - and said that l needed to have some ‘milk teeth’ out under general anaesthetic. Soon afterwards, Dad drove me to a deserted building where l'd never been before. We went up a flight or two of stairs. In a dark foyer, a male dentist emerged from his brightly-lit surgery and ushered me inside (closing the door on Dad). The dental chair was in the middle of the room. Beside it stood another white-coated male assistant who grinned at me.

After the dentist had positioned me in the chair and had switched on his overhead lamp, he checked in my mouth and then nodded to the young assistant. That person turned out to be the anaesthetist. Quickly he sprang into action. He didn't actually rub his hands together, but he seemed keen. Again he grinned at me. Just before placing a close-fitting mask over my nose and mouth, he asked, ‘Have you had your tonsils out?’ l nodded feebly and said l had.

At this point, the dentist told him to get on with it. The anaesthetic gas quickly put me to sleep. The next thing l remember is waking up at home.

- Ken

Don't remember my first, but my earliest dental memories were ones of humiliation. I had a terrible gag reflex as a kid (much better now except for the x-ray thing), and often would throw up at the dentist because I couldn't handle all the stuff in my mouth. The pediatric dentist office was just this big open room with a bunch of chairs, and I'd show up and the doctor or hygienists would tease me about having thrown up before. And I hated it because it made it an unwelcoming place and also any other kids there could hear what they were saying.

I don't remember my first but I can remember navy all joining into 1. The latex gloves and tie on masks, plastic bibs all not really used anymore but miss them all the fear of having a cavity and hating the dentist back then. The cold if a cavity was found on a baby tooth.

I was 4 years old. 1940. Screamed like a banshee! Next visits, the same, but when I was five, the dentist said he would take me to see his airplane, if I shut up. I shut up! He took me to see it. It was a Piper J3 cub, on floats. I loved the plane, and that was the start of a 60+ year love of flying, and airplanes!! I soloed in a J3. probably flew 500+ hours in it. A joy to fly!!

My first experience with a dentist was terrible. Well, it wasn't a real dentist.

It happened almost 50 years ago. I think I was 4 or 5 years old. I ate a lot of sweets and of course had bad teeth.

One day I had a terrible toothache.

I lived in a rural area and there weren't many dentists yet.

I don't know what the real reason was, but my grandmother took me to her doctor rather than a dentist.

That man is long dead now, but he was a typical general practitioner. Very competent and he did a little bit of everything. He even had his own X-ray equipment and, if necessary, healed small arm fractures, etc.

Pulling a tooth was no exception for him. I saw clearly how he got everything ready.

They seemed like instruments of torture. The injection in my mouth was extremely painful.

I also know I saw a lot of blood. And the next few days my mouth was completely stiff. In short, it was a nightmare.

It was so bad that I would much rather have tooth pain for the next 2 years than go back to a dentist.

Until one day it really did hurt too much. But this time my mom took me to a real dentist.

He basically did everything behind my back. I saw nothing.

And rather than giving the anesthetic directly by injection into my mouth, he numbed my jaw a bit via a kind of spray. All in all a fairly painless experience.

Since then I am less afraid of going to the dentist. But I will never find it enjoyable.

I hope no one is offended. But having a dental fetish?

This is difficult for me to understand.

My first memory I was about 8 and walked into the room , the chair was brown leather 70s looking with a cream fleece part on the leg bit , I sat in the chair and had a big bib put on , then was reclined way back , a big light pulled over my face, open wide he said, then i felt the cold mirror and probe pulling at my mouth , the mirror stretching back my cheeks firmly as I lay there helplessly , he was saying numbers and charting , the door was open so people were walking past and glancing in.

Ok , cavity here , I heard , then as he probed deeper , cavity number 2 , cavity number 3 and cavity number 4 .

We have some work to do young lady ! You need 4 fillings , im going to do the smallest one now , then I felt my mouth pulled back tight as he placed the drill on my very back tooth and drilled away , I was in shock , I never had a filling before and i was then dreading the following appointments .

When I got home I opened my mouth to see silver filling , then the following week after more uncomfortable drilling I had 3 more , years later I had a lot of silver

I do not remember my first dental experience but my mother told me about it when I got older. Apparently I bit the dentist and told my mother that I was not invited to ever return. (he probably hurt me so it served him right!!! lol). I also do not remember the spanking when I got home. I guess I was quite young or I would have a vivid memory of that dental visit. Denise

Like @Denise , I don’t remember my first. But somewhere around twelve I had to have two teeth pulled. Rode my bike to the dentists office. Got one out, but I refused to let him pull the second. Dentist called my mother who called my father. They finally gave up, wouldn’t let him do it. Never went back again untill my sr year in high school, and a different dentist. Ever since, I’ve called dentists wannabe doctors. I have a hate fetish for them!

I was at first grade and it wasn`t easy, i had to go to the dentist every day for a week to fix the issue, that she`ve done at first time. Becouse of my age i really cant recall what exactly she did.

The first visit I remember is at 10 years old for a broken molar (chewing on old maids). The dentist was a very old man with shaking hands. Kind of scared the heck out of me. But he got the filling in place and it served me well...and no more chewing on old maids.

My first experience must have been at 4 years old. I had a lot of cavities and I remember the assistant opening the door and very nicely inviting me to enter, I was so afraid that I didnt even enter the room cause what I saw inside realle scared the hell out of me. I remember the room being dark and the vision of the chair was horrible. So my mom decided not to force me and we left.

The second time we went to another lady, and she could examine my mouth but I was not very cooperative so she couldnt do anything else. The only thing I remember was she told my parents not to give me milk from the bottle which really made me angry haha

I very vaguely remember it, the thing that stands out most to me is being terrified of the chair itself, and being so stubborn about it that eventually he did my exam in a small chair that he had in the room, presumably for this exact purpose as there were separate comfy chairs for parents/partners to wait in.

3, i fell and chipped my tooth. my parents took me to an abusive pediatric office and allowed me to be taken back alone by myself. i was abused sexually, physically, and emotionally by that same office for 12 years. i now age regress whenever i have to go, and put up a fuss.

My very first experience was when I was five. I had my first conscious appointment at the dentist, we were there together with the neighbor's children.

They went first, he was drilled straight away and screamed like a banshee.

Then I was called up and had to climb onto the big chair. The assistant put a plastic bib on me and then I had to wait for the dentist.

It was an old-fashioned practice with only one large treatment room. In the room was a large, light-colored treatment chair with large armrests.

After a quick check, he told me he had to drill. The chair tipped far back and I didn't know what was going on.

Then the drilling started and somehow I managed not to scream. When it was over, I was quite proud that I had held out and only my eyes got a little wet.

What I didn't know at the time was that I would have to get back in that chair in a week - for the next filling. This one was probably deeper, and this time I didn't get off so lightly.

I remember how I was allowed to choose one of those cheap plastic toys afterwards with completely teary eyes and happy to get out there.

My first time to the dentist was probably in 1st grade after we immigrated to the states. I actually still like going to the dentist

I was probably 3 or 4. I had a lot of cavities cause I drank milk from the bottle and didnt wash my teeth.

I remember being in the wating room with my mom, and the assistant opened the door and called me inside with a big smile. I remember she had short curly hair and big 80's glasses.

I remember looking at the dental chair from where I was and I saw the chair and a dark room and I didnt want to go inside. My mom didnt force me, so it wasnt a real first experience. I never saw this dentist that time, only the big smile lady.

Then we went to see this specialist in the big city. She was an older woman, I dont remember that much. Probably I didnt let her do anything. The only thing I remember was that she told my parents not to give me milk from the bottle.

I don't remember anything about the dentist or the treatment but I remember that the waiting room had an arcade game with free play so you didn't even have to put quarters in!

He also had a free skating party every year for his patients.

I can remember my first cavities. I was five. I had two from not flossing. I had no idea what I was in for. The smell hit me first, and the noise, then the pain. I was in shock. I cried and screamed but the doctor said to hold still and just a little bit more.

I remember when I was 4 I think,, back then I was terrified, and I also went to a school dentist. That always found cavities, and didn't ever use novocaine. so it was pure living hell back then. Not knowing I was into the scary stuff so much so many years later.

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I don't know exactly how old I was - somewhere between 8 and 10 years old - but I remember being terrified with the numbing injections and the drilling and the dust flying because he didn't have an assistant to flood the area with water and suction it out. I was gagging on the debris in my mouth and then he sprayed some water in my mouth and said, "Turn your head and spit" into what was a white porcelain bowl with swirling water that reminded me of a toilet. I couldn't spit because my mouth and tongue were numb.

It was a terrible experience, and no matter how much I brushed my teeth, I had to go back regularly for more fillings.

It wasn't untili I turned 21 with my own dental insurance that I had a good dental experience. I got a recommendation from someone at work for a really good dentist who cared about the patient's experience and wanted to minimize pain and discomfort and anxiety.

Oh, and he provided nitrous oxide and headphones with music and a TV on the ceiling and a young, pretty assistant who kept my mouth clean and free of gagging debris, and a partridge in a pear tree.

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Fortunately I have healthy teeth and keep them clean. Based on the experience I described in a previous post, and another I had with an asshole dentist, I avoid them as much as possible. I recently had a teeth cleaning, and they wanted the dentist to talk to me. I told them I never had a good experience with a dentist and didn’t expect that to change. Left before he showed up.

I was 5 years old I think, and I was simply terrified. I had cavities all my life, and I was terrified until the age of 13 or so. Then I found a dentist that helped me conquer my fears and from the age of 17 or so it slowly became a fetish

The first one that really sticks in my mind, was when the dentist visited school, we all had to go and see her and her nurse in one of the empty offices, she gave me a card to take home, two weeks later I had to visit her surgery, fluoride treatment to start with, then xrays, ending up with another appointment to extract some overcrowded teeth, hated it, but now it gives me tingles.

My first experience was when I was very very young and my mum took me along to her appointment. She wore a blue plastic bib and that was definitely the moment the dental fascination struck and has stayed with me forever! Don't remember much else about that appointment though, and was a good few years before I'd get an appointment myself, and no bibs then.