What was dental care like in your childhood ?

I can’t remember the frequency regime of teeth cleaning, I think only on the morning. However my Brother and I were taken regularly to the Dentist who was very friendly and after our examination always took us over to his desk where in a drawer was a box of candy-type sweets (can’t recall brand). We were allowed to choose one to take home. Springs to mind he was inviting damage to our teeth to ensure further work on us in the future.
I wore a brace for several years to correct my forward pushed teeth due to thumb sucking! My Mother had to take me on a Midland Red Bus to Birmingham to the Orthodontist, almost a days outing. But, as a “Baby Boomer” I still have all my own teeth, albeit with a few gaps.

Jaffacake2, thank you for starting this thread off. I had a lot of fillings in childhood too (born in 1960s), no pain relief. I also thought it was because I wasn’t looking after my teeth properly. We rarely had sweets. My teeth are now in an awful state but I’m too frightened to visit the dentist.

I had a mouth full of fillings before I started secondary school. My parents did not enforce teeth-cleaning and I was allowed as many sweets as I liked. When we had our children I was fanatical about teeth-cleaning and sweets were rationed. As a result out of three adult women one has one small filling. My dentist, Mr Gulati, was a nightmare figure and I dreaded going to him. Drill and fill was the order of the day. My metal fillings have all been replaced by white ones and I have a much nicer (though horrendously expensive) dentist now.

Jaffacake2 I had similar experiences and now reaping the ‘rewards’, my teeth are breaking up around the huge amalgam fillings and are difficult to fix. My last dental visit resulted in the dentist accidentally ‘drilling’ under my tongue and I understand this isn’t that uncommon (although he was mortified). A nightmare all round.

I actually feel sick reading this thread! I loathe going to the dentist after childhood experiences in the 1950s.

The dentist was a horrible man who smoked constantly and had nicotine stained fingers that he thrust in your mouth (no gloves!). The taste was dreadful and he smoked while he worked!

Like other GNs I went to the school dental clinic alone, which was the norm then. Talk about hands-off parenting.

I never minded going to the dentist as a child in the 50s, he used to give us a little plaster house gift for not making a fuss. My daughters also happily had regular dentist visits, to the extent one daughter trained as a dental therapist.

I was seen periodically by the school dentist, which was always scary. I was brought up to clean my teeth regularly, but was never taken to a dentist by my parents. They never went either, as far as I can remember. The first time I went to a dentist of my own accord was when I had left home and was about 17, for a check up, clean and polish. I always go for yearly check ups now. Mind you, I am lucky enough to still have all my own teeth in very good condition and no fillings at age 64.

Remember having what looked like a big rubber round door stop put between my teeth to stop me shutting my mouth if he hurt me or didn't like what was happening. Smelt and tasted of rubber and disinfectant.

Our mother made sure we cleaned our teeth twice a day and took us to the dentists every 6 months. Going to the dentist never really bothered me, although I once swelled up something awful when I was given cocaine (!) for a filling or extraction - I was about 9 or 10. I must have been allergic to it.

We were due to go to a party and I have pictures somewhere of me in my lovely party dress that she had made, with the swollen lip.

At about puberty I was developing a distinct overbite and my mother asked the dentist if I shouldn't get braces to correct it. He said it would sort itself out, and she wasn't the sort to insist, so I never got braces and my teeth edged their way outwards over the next decades.

When I was about 40, I was delighted when I tripped and broke my front tooth - well, it did stick out a long way, so that was no wonder - and I got new teeth in the front for free!

I was always as attentive to my children's teeth as my mother was to ours. Whilst our side of the family had a history of bad teeth, my DH had extremely good genes and all our DS have inherited good strong teeth which they have always cared for.

I went to a 'private dentist who was horrible. I was held down to have teeth out and his own breath stank. His hands always shook as he gave injections which never seemed to work. I've since learnt it was usual for the dentists to use the cocain themselves and use very dilute stuff on patients, especially children. I had loads of fillings and extractions and didn't go for a long time. I spent a fortune at a lovely lady and now I'm not bothered about going. Both my children had good teeth but far too many....ds had a complete extra set and I moved heaven and earth to get a kind dentist.

Urmstongran
I can see your ? from here!

Thinking about it - and not wanting to hex things - I’m lucky really because despite my fears and past history, my teeth are fine. All my own, no bridges, palates, crowns or root canal treatments etc. at the age of 66y.
?

70s child here. Brushed teeth once a day. I have a mouthful of fillings although I’m convinced there was probably nothing wrong with them!

Had orthodontic treatment as a teen which resulted in problems later on in life and resulted in further orthodontic treatment and surgery.

After everything I’ve been through I don’t actually mind dentists, although I did get a bit arsey with one Polish dentist who refused to believe I’d had surgery and couldn’t understand why I couldn’t open my mouth any further - it was her last week at work before returning to Poland as she hated this country so I guess she was trying to take her anger out on her patients!!

Absolutely dreadful memories. No pain relief and fillings every time, and the smell of the gas mask. I also remember a rubber cube thing which he put in one side of my mouth to keep my mouth open. And we always went on our own. Put me off dentists for years, and by the time I plucked up courage to go again untold damage had been done. What a difference now. Still get nervous going, but I think dentists nowadays acknowledge our fears and are kind and patient.

My parents didn't bother about my teeth (They'd both had hideous experiences with army dentists during the war and never went to one again) the school dentist came when I was 5 and I had to have several teeth out with gas which terrified me. Why were they even removing what must have been milk teeth?

When I was about 12 my mother found a Polish lady dentist who was "good with children". She was awful and used to say helpful things like "If you move this drill will go right through your cheek"

I am so happy now with my lovely Indian dentist who knows that some of the things he does are horrid and goes out of his way to make it all as easy as possible.

Yes, fillings all over and remember the black gas mask, I still detest the dentist, at my last check about 6 months ago she said ‘you don’t want to be here do you?. I wish I was braver, if I was I’d have implants, rather than the part denture and cosmetic work that’s looming in the ever closer distance.

I wasn’t taken to the dentist as a child as my mother had a fear of dentists.
When I was 15 I asked her to take me as I had badly decayed teeth.
The wonderful dentist sorted me out over a period of two years and I still have my own teeth with a lot of crowns.
Despite this I have no fear of dentists.

My school dentist was awful he just pulled ones out without trying to save them, my new dentist today says he is picking up these early day errors (bet he’s loads of work)I remember getting gas and cocaine and a horrible mask to wear at the time

one time I wasn’t fully unconscious and felt the tooth being extracted And managed to move my big toe while in severe pain.

Oh I remember these days very well I’m thankfully no longer afraid of the dentist I’ve even gone as far as to have implants in order to get rid of my false upper and lower teeth best move ever

One word Barbaric!
So so different nowadays thank goodness. I’m happy to go now.

We all had toothbushes at home and cleaned our teeth twice a day. I have very little memory of dentists until I was about 10 when I was taken to the army dentist in Singapore about the possibility of ortodontic treatment for my very prominent front teeth. He did nothing as we were due to return to England withn 6 months.

Like most peripatetic army brats I went to boarding school at 11. It wasn't far from home, so I was taken to the dental practice that served the school. The dentist there, after examining my teeth and taking impressions, referred me to the Royal Dental School in central London, because my case was so complicated. I continued to see this dentist for ordinary dental care for the rest of my school years. I remember him as a kind nice man, who was aware that dental care could be painful and was scary.

I spent 5 years under the care of the Royal Dental Hospital. I had the Professor superintending my treatment and had extractions as well as having to wear all kinds of different dental plates to try and sort my teeth out. My teeth were eventually straightened, but I was left with a poor dental 'bite'. Thankfully all this treatment was all covered by the NHS

I had a playground accident in primary school and most of my front teeth were broken or chipped a wee boy swinging a rounders bat above his head I believe...I dont remember it at all.I was knocked out .The dentist wouldn't touch them,He said I had to wait until I had matured,I think he meant growth wise .Ihad no pain from them so I wasn't unduly worried ,until I developed an abscess under one and the dentist didn't offer antibiotics ,in fact didn't say anything ,just sat me down and pulled it out .No anaesthetic ! I've been pretty scared of them ever since.
I was in my mid twenties when I eventually got more than the gold filling he put in my front tooth when I was 15 ,I had them crowned,but not the bottom ones which are pretty much like they were when I was 9 .They still dont cause pain which is the main thing and my dentist still sticks with the if they dont hurt we'll leave them route.Luckily they aren't very visible .Like most who had teeth issues my children had perfect teeth and I was religious about them my 33 year old still hasn't had a filling ,my 43 year old only had fillings after her 3rd pregnancy and she says she was told that happens a lot as the pregnancy leeches the calcium.

Like others on here, I remember awful experiences at the hands of a dentist in the 50s. Fillings galore with no pain relief. Absolute torture. They certainly wouldn't get away with that nowadays.

I can remember walking by myself from Primary school to the dentist, my Mum died when I was 3 and my Dad was at work, I can even remember the smell of the waiting area now. Like everyone else I think all my teeth were filled by the age of 12 or so.
All my life I have hated going to the dentist, and in later life I had extractions rather than constant bigger and bigger fillings. At least once they are out they can't hurt anymore.
I was so pleased that I got both my children to the age of 18 without a single filling and now in their 30s they have had very few problems with their teeth.

I’m still terrified of the dentist aged 64
Horrid pink Dentifrice, horrid loud drill, horrid smelling gas masks, horrid thick black goo stuff to make impressions out of being rammed in your mouth making you gag.
The only upside of 2020 was that I had to miss my annual check up. My current dentist is kind and gentle but I think that he is getting slightly fed up of me being so anxious after being his patient for 20 years!

A yes from me. Dentist ruined my teeth I never took my own children to the dentist unless absolutely necessary. Luckily they have good teeth.

In fact it's no better now. I lost a filling after having a replacement I left in pain and after a few trips back doing goodness knows what it finally settled down. To go in with no pain and came out with pain is a first for me.