TEETH OUT AT THE CLINIC

[Williamstreeter]

Secondary school was where the dentist caught up with me ,the school hall was the designated examination room . A chair with cards on cards also on the floor . The visiting dentist can never be forgotten while examining your mouth I could see his tobacco stained teeth as he seemed to be grinning with mouth open . Then the dreaded words "take a card of the floor " that was it either an extraction or a filling dental at clinic Gt Charles St , after one particular extraction on a Friday morning my gum bled all night so much so I had a clot of blood at back of my mouth by my cheek . Dental hospital next call ,they removed the clot and I had to stick cotton wool swabs in between the hole and my cheek . Later on in life I developed an abcess which had to be removed at the dental hospital under gas, when the job was done coming round the dentist asked was I in a pub in my dream yes I answered , I thought you were he said you told me to get the fffffiiiiiin beer in under ananesthetic . What an embarrassment

 

[wendylee]

Secondary school was where the dentist caught up with me ,the school hall was the designated examination room . A chair with cards on cards also on the floor . The visiting dentist can never be forgotten while examining your mouth I could see his tobacco stained teeth as he seemed to be grinning with mouth open . Then the dreaded words "take a card of the floor " that was it either an extraction or a filling dental at clinic Gt Charles St , after one particular extraction on a Friday morning my gum bled all night so much so I had a clot of blood at back of my mouth by my cheek . Dental hospital next call ,they removed the clot and I had to stick cotton wool swabs in between the hole and my cheek . Later on in life I developed an abcess which had to be removed at the dental hospital under gas, when the job was done coming round the dentist asked was I in a pub in my dream yes I answered , I thought you were he said you told me to get the fffffiiiiiin beer in under ananesthetic . What an embarrassment

It's a wonder any of us go back to the dentist year after year

 

[Johnbell]

About 8 years old, taken to dentist just off Alum Rock, up Belchers lane a little way.9
Drilled and hit a nerve, or some very sensitive bit! I pushed him away and fled! Mom caught me outside with the napkin thing still around my neck and dragged me back in, i made so much noise he threw me out. The tooth had broken off in the melee and it stayed like that for the next 35 years. Next dental trip at age 43, most of them out, dentures, and never a ptoblem since . always pain free these days, and seemingly , nicer dentists!

 

[sospiri]

I guess you get out what you put in as a dentist. Be uncaring and fringeing on the brutal, and the patient will be awkward, will scream the place down , and endeavour to hit you. Be caring and the job is done a lot easier. But I remember my Uncle Albert, only in his 40s when he died of a heart attack, always saying "Damned teeth - always a problem from the minute you're born till the minute you die". I remember his graphic descriptions every time he went to visit "that butcher", Mr Lacey. That put me off going to the dentist until I was in my 20s, and then followed another bad experince described elsewhere on this Forum.

Maurice

 

[Williamstreeter]

It's a wonder any of us go back to the dentist year after year

Wendy the point I forgot to mention last night was , I had to have a couple of fillings at different times , it seemed to me though the more they drilled in to the nerve after me grunting once or twice they still continued to bear down . Then much later in life dentist again , what a difference . I kept to the same dentist , no white coats shirts and trousers to put patients at their ease . I told him about my earlier experiences , he agreed that he'd heard the same story umpteen times , hence the casualwear he said we are trying to get away from that "nasty dentist appearance " . Needless to say nowadays it's not such an ordeal to go.

 

[wendylee]

Wendy the point I forgot to mention last night was , I had to have a couple of fillings at different times , it seemed to me though the more they drilled in to the nerve after me grunting once or twice they still continued to bear down . Then much later in life dentist again , what a difference . I kept to the same dentist , no white coats shirts and trousers to put patients at their ease . I told him about my earlier experiences , he agreed that he'd heard the same story umpteen times , hence the casualwear he said we are trying to get away from that "nasty dentist appearance " . Needless to say nowadays it's not such an ordeal to go.

Oh it is more relaxing even in the waiting room....a little low background music and magazines scattered around.
Wendy

 

[Mike Bond]

Reading all the threads relating to the School Dental Clinic I can truthfully say, BEEN THERE AND DONE IT.
When I played rugby for Sutton Coldfield one of my team members was a Dental Surgeon. He once said that it was the only profession where you spend all day meeting people who don't want to meet you, don't want to be in your company and who never want to see you again. Mike.

 

[Williamstreeter]

Reading all the threads relating to the School Dental Clinic I can truthfully say, BEEN THERE AND DONE IT.
When I played rugby for Sutton Coldfield one of my team members was a Dental Surgeon. He once said that it was the only profession where you spend all day meeting people who don't want to meet you, don't want to be in your company and who never want to see you again. Mike.

That's very true Mike , I've never thought of it like that

 

[Mike Bond]

Hello Williamstreet,
The Dental Surgeon in question was a smashing bloke and he shared a seat with me on the coach from an away match. I thought it was a good one and it still makes me smile to this day. I wish I could say something like that that people would remember for the rest of their life. Regards, Mike.

 

[suemalings]

I remember going to the School Clinic in Sheep Street. I don't remember a lot about the actual procedure but I do remember afterwards being put in a room with a row of small enamel sinks, each one with a child leaning over spitting! What a terrible experience. Next came the dentist in Alum Rock, that big leather chair and gas. Horrible. No wonder I was 16 years old before I plucked up the courage and went to see a lovely man called Dr. Gawthorpe by the Pelham. Ended up having to have must of my teeth drilled out, re-filled and two removed. (There was a "boutique" near by that was owned by a B'Ham City footballer, I remember buying a "cat suit" from there)

 

[BOBJ]

I remember going to the School Clinic in Sheep Street. I don't remember a lot about the actual procedure but I do remember afterwards being put in a room with a row of small enamel sinks, each one with a child leaning over spitting! What a terrible experience. Next came the dentist in Alum Rock, that big leather chair and gas. Horrible. No wonder I was 16 years old before I plucked up the courage and went to see a lovely man called Dr. Gawthorpe by the Pelham. Ended up having to have must of my teeth drilled out, re-filled and two removed. (There was a "boutique" near by that was owned by a B'Ham City footballer, I remember buying a "cat suit" from there)

I attended the School Clinic in Sherborn Road, Balsall Heath in the late 50’s at about the age of 10. This was an old Victorian ex school building not far from home. This clinic delivered all sorts of treatment to the local poor kids, as you entered you were hit by two things, the sound of crying kids and the smell of Dettol. They treated kids with scabies and impetigo identifiable by purple patches all over them, kids with eye problems, with thick lenses and patches over one eye and kids with leg irons and pale skinny kids who went for Sun Ray treatment, there was also the dental clinic, where I was headed

The dental clinic was housed on the second floor of the large old building and was a most uninviting place. The patients would enter the reception area which was staffed by unfriendly “nurses” who took your name and told you to “sit down until your name is called”. The dreaded moment arrived when your name was called you then went alone into the surgery, no parents allowed. What a place this was, tiled floor, all white and chrome with all sorts of equipment and the Boyles machine for gassing you. “Sit here” said the nurse pointed to the chair and put a bib around my neck. Then I saw him, like something from a horror film, an unsmiling large fat man in a tight white overall, bald head and rimless glasses. He approached without a word and peered at me and then at a brown folder. He mumbled some technical instruction to the nurse who rearranged some instruments on a trolley. “open wide” said the ogre, as I did he pushed a cold Dettol smelling spring loaded metal clamp into my mouth, which was very uncomfortable, without a word or ceremony the gas mask was pressed to my face and the last thing I remember was the smell of rubber and throbbing in my head. I came around in another room, which looked like an ex toilet, with a row of sinks, over most of the sinks there were crying, bleeding children spitting blood and vomiting into the basins, I did the same and then after a while, staggered out to re-join my mother, little fuss was made and out we went for the walk home and salt water mouthwashes.

 

[wendylee]

I attended the School Clinic in Sherborn Road, Balsall Heath in the late 50’s at about the age of 10. This was an old Victorian ex school building not far from home. This clinic delivered all sorts of treatment to the local poor kids, as you entered you were hit by two things, the sound of crying kids and the smell of Dettol. They treated kids with scabies and impetigo identifiable by purple patches all over them, kids with eye problems, with thick lenses and patches over one eye and kids with leg irons and pale skinny kids who went for Sun Ray treatment, there was also the dental clinic, where I was headed

The dental clinic was housed on the second floor of the large old building and was a most uninviting place. The patients would enter the reception area which was staffed by unfriendly “nurses” who took your name and told you to “sit down until your name is called”. The dreaded moment arrived when your name was called you then went alone into the surgery, no parents allowed. What a place this was, tiled floor, all white and chrome with all sorts of equipment and the Boyles machine for gassing you. “Sit here” said the nurse pointed to the chair and put a bib around my neck. Then I saw him, like something from a horror film, an unsmiling large fat man in a tight white overall, bald head and rimless glasses. He approached without a word and peered at me and then at a brown folder. He mumbled some technical instruction to the nurse who rearranged some instruments on a trolley. “open wide” said the ogre, as I did he pushed a cold Dettol smelling spring loaded metal clamp into my mouth, which was very uncomfortable, without a word or ceremony the gas mask was pressed to my face and the last thing I remember was the smell of rubber and throbbing in my head. I came around in another room, which looked like an ex toilet, with a row of sinks, over most of the sinks there were crying, bleeding children spitting blood and vomiting into the basins, I did the same and then after a while, staggered out to re-join my mother, little fuss was made and out we went for the walk home and salt water mouthwashes.

Hi Bob, It was so scary for kids and the memory of it never leaves you as we can see from the number of members recalling their stories of school dentists. Its a wonder we ever managed to attend a dentist ever again
Wendy

 

[Williamstreeter]

Hi Bob, It was so scary for kids and the memory of it never leaves you as we can see from the number of members recalling their stories of school dentists. Its a wonder we ever managed to attend a dentist ever again
Wendy

Wendy the old dentists have a lot to be sorry for , it may have been ok back then to have been heavyhanded to child submission but as you can see we have never forgot

 

[wendylee]

Wendy the old dentists have a lot to be sorry for , it may have been ok back then to have been heavyhanded to child submission but as you can see we have never forgot

Sadly that is so true William.
Wendy