If you are possibly thinking about getting a root canal, run far, far away from Dr. Davis. Perhaps out of state.
The setup: I'm having pain in my back top molar, my regular dentist refers me to an endodontist, and I find Dr. Davis's name on a list from my insurance company. So far, so good. But during the consult he springs so many awful things on me: all my wisdom teeth need to come out (one of them is pressing against the root of the molar, thus the pain), then, if I'm lucky, I can have a root canal (if I'm not lucky: extraction), oh, and did I know that I grind my teeth? Something will clearly need to be done about that, too. (My regular dentist said this last diagnosis was bullshit, so who knows what he was trying to do there.) And all of this was said to me with the patience and compassion of an automaton who could not understand why hearing all of this at once might possibly be upsetting.
Ok, fine, I got the wisdom teeth out, and I'm lucky, so I get a root canal. I show up for the appointment, wait an interminably long time in the waiting room, finally get shown to the back and have the Novocaine administered. And then I wait. And wait. And wait. I'm waiting so long that I'm freaked out the Novocaine is going to wear off. I'm waiting so long that I finally tell myself that he has five minutes to reappear before I grab my stuff and leave. (And let me tell you, I'm normally a very patient person, loathe to make a scene.) But he does appear, being gruff and monosyllabic as normal (it turned out they had double-booked appointments, so I guess we all had to pay the price for that), and thus commences what was probably some of the most unpleasant hours of my life. My jaw was stretched open so uncomfortably, for so long, that at one point, my eyes started tearing up. Dr. Davis said this was because the tooth was so far in the back and hard to get to. And then he proceeded to try to stretch my mouth open wider. (Let me tell you, having now done another root canal -- don't ask -- on the back top molar on the other side, this claim is a complete fabrication. The other endodontist was able to give me a plastic grip to bite down on, allowing my jaw to completely relax and making the experience totally different from what I got from Dr. Davis.) After the root canal with Dr. Davis, my jaw was really sore for at least four or five days.
But at least I'm done now, right? Unfortunately, no. I had to go back for the follow-up appointment, which was scheduled for 8 in the morning. (I'm a busy person with a job -- I just want to get in and then be on my way so I can get to work.) Well, yet again, I'm in the waiting room for a while, so long that I finally ask if he's running late with other patients, which might possibly explain why they haven't called me back yet. No, the reply is that he doesn't normally get to the office until around 8:15 (which has already gone by). Why, then, you might ask, do they schedule appointments for times when he's not actually in the building? Because, of course, I came to see, my time is not actually that important. (And, of course, during this appointment, after he finally shows up, he continues to press the claim that I grind my teeth. Sigh.) Thank God I will never have to go back. read more