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What was dental care like in your childhood ?

(230 Posts)
Jaffacake2 Sat 23-Jan-21 12:33:28

It was interesting to read the thread on hygiene during our chidhoods and when we all managed to get a hot bath or not. I thought it would be enlightening to ask about the dental care,or lack of it,through our youth.
I can't remember having a toothbrush as a child but I do remember the trips to the dentist. In the 1960s I think dentists were paid to drill and fill teeth. Please feel free to correct me if I am wrong.
All my teeth seemed to be filled by the time of being a teenager. It was very painful with no pain relief and frightening. She seemed a sadistic dentist who managed to put the drill through one of my brother's tongue. The waiting room was full of old pictures of religious scenes although for me it was a gateway to hell.
Subsequently I now have had teeth where the enamel is breaking off from large fillings. I am also scared of dentists.
How did everyone else fare during their childhood ?

hussnainimran Fri 08-May-26 21:12:14

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crazyH Fri 08-May-26 21:34:02

Awful experiences with dentists - once, bled for over 24 hours after an extraction.
I hate going to the Dentist. As a result, I don’t have the best teeth.

swampy1961 Fri 08-May-26 22:02:01

My siblings and I used to have our dental appointments booked together - I don't remember a single occasion when we didn't all have at least one filling each. It was drill and fill back then.

Redcar Fri 08-May-26 22:03:27

My mum was terrified of dentists so only took me when I had toothache. It was a council or school dentist and she didn’t do fillings so any teeth with a cavity were taken out. By the time I was 6 I had had all my back teeth removed, a lot of them at once at Guys dental school. Yes I can still remember the gas mask!
When I was about 12 my older brother took me to his dentist who was much kinder. I went to him for years until we moved. I’ve been with my present dental practice for over 40 years and they are all lovely! Different dentists obviously!
I always took my children to the dentist every 6 months and in their forties they have few fillings.