I spent over a year in the hospital because of a hit and run. After I was released, the pain was hard to deal with and I developed an opiate addiction. I’ve since been working hard to get past that and am in an outpatient treatment program that uses methadone maintenance as I learn to deal with the pain that I will have the remainder of my life. One of the things I wanted to improve was my appearance and the health of my teeth. I need a lot of work thanks to the time in the hospital and recovery afterward. The appointment I went to required a root canal treatment that was excruciating and he refused to give me any pain medication due to the fact that I’m an “addict”. I had offered to give him the number to my program counselor and let him discuss my progress in depth, but he treated me like I was unworthy of his time. I do want to get my oral health in order and would love to have a smile I am proud of, especially since so much of the rest of me is scarred from the accident. Do you know how I can find a dentist with enough compassion to not expect me to suffer?
Andrea
Dear Andrea,
I am so sorry for all you have been through. I am equally sorry for the way you were treated at the dental office you went to. It sounds like he’s had bad experiences in the past and is taking it out on you. You are in a tough spot. One of the things you will run up against is the fear many dentists have of the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration). An overzealous agent can destroy a dentist’s career and practice. Some dentists have been closed down simply for being compassionate. As other dentists hear these stories, it makes them wary of ending up in the same boat.
Your best option is to call around to different sedation dentists. They tend to run more on the side of compassion. Explain your situation as you did to me. I feel certain you will find someone willing to help you. If your counselor okays it, you will find that you can get more work done at each appointment with oral conscious sedation. That would be my recommendation to you because you can get caught up on your dental care faster.
This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.
