I’m not ever seeing a dentist again.  I tried that for a while once a long time ago and it didn’t work for me.  It was a horrible experience.  I was about sixteen years old and I was told I needed to get a cavity filled.  This doctor told me that I probably could have my cavity drilled out without Novocain.  It wouldn’t be too much pain and since I was a football player and wrestler, I should be able to handle it.  Well, teenage testosterone-laden ego agreed, so he proceeded to drill sans painkillers.  I made it about four seconds.  He gave me the shot, finished filling the cavity and I realized that this guy was a little crazy.  Weeks later, the news reported that this dentist had been pulled over and arrested for drugs and drug paraphernalia in his car, thus he might be in dire need of services like cocaine addiction help.  My guess is that this dude was high on a regular basis and he probably couldn’t feel his teeth, so he assumed that everyone was like that OR he was stashing and selling anything he could find.  So that was it.  I swore off dentists.

Now, you may think, “Why not just find a different dentist? Surely, the entire profession of dentistry shouldn’t be written off because of one wacko.  Even if he wasn’t an addict and if it was only that this one particular dentist couldn’t help you in this case, there is still merit to the idea of dental hygiene and regular check ups so you don’t miss something big.  You only have one set of teeth, right?”  No way.  I say if one couldn’t help me, dentistry is obviously flawed and I’m done trying.  I don’t want to go to someone different who uses other techniques.  I don’t want to take a recommendation from my friend who was helped tremendously by their dentist.  It doesn’t matter that my bad experience was during a cavity filling, I don’t even want a cleaning.

Does anyone think I’m being a little nuts?   You’d be correct.  And OF COURSE I found a new dentist.  My dentist is awesome.  She (Dr. Amanda Donnelly for anyone in my region) helps my children and me keep our teeth and gums healthy.

So why does the above scenario play out in people’s opinions of the chiropractic profession and no one bats an eye?  Someone has a less than stellar experience with one chiropractor and suddenly the whole profession is worthless.  I’ve heard numerous stories about chiropractors that have done some stupid things I would never do.  I’ve seen poor diagnosis, poor treatment, and poor recommendations for future care.  But, guess what!  I’ve seen it in the medical profession, too.  I’ve seen it in dentistry, podiatry, psychology, and just about every other healthcare and non-healthcare related profession.   The moral of the story here is that if you’ve had a bad experience, question the individual, not the principle.  Chiropractic has been proven to be one of the most effective and safe forms of treatment for low back pain and headaches.  Research is always growing and showing chiropractic is a highly efficient method of musculoskeletal pain management.   Just because one doc couldn’t get the results you were after, don’t be afraid to try a different one.  Just like you have only one set of teeth, you only have one spine.  You can always get dentures, but once your spine is shot, there’s no replacing that!

(P.S. The story about my old dentist is true!)

-Dr. Craig