I found Dr. Manunts while searching for someone that could repair a filling that broke after…read moreanother dentist "repaired" it a short while ago. (I wasn't willing to go back to that dentist - I take a lot of medication to get numb, but the previous dentist didn't really numb me all that much, plus provided what I consider to be a really subpar repair of a filling that had never bothered me before. I don't care if that filling would have been free; that dentist was not worth the trouble.) I didn't have dental care growing up, so dentists are a source of anxiety for me, but I can't avoid the fact that a massive chunk of one of my teeth was missing.
After an exam of the broken filling three weeks ago, Dr. Manunts told me that I'd likely need a root canal, because she was worried about the pain I was in and some swelling around the gums, and while I wasn't exactly happy with that, she calmed my fears, helped me set up an appointment, and then encouraged me to research the procedure, stressing to me how important it was to avoid the horror stories. I was asked to call with any questions and absolutely challenge her with hard questions if I needed to. I was able to find some pretty great resources that calmed me down a bit and demonstrated the procedure without showing me actual video of it. When I went in for the procedure today, I wasn't exactly looking forward to it, but she again put me at ease, suggested I put on an audiobook or some music, and just let her work. She asked me whether I typically need a lot of numbing for procedures like this, and I know that I do, so I told her that. She then told me that if I feel anything beyond the fact that she was there - meaning if I felt pain - to just raise my left hand, and they'd stop and numb me more. That was important to me. The previous nightmare of a dentist I had here in Ithaca did not listen to my concerns that I need more numbing than most, and when I tried to let her know that I felt it, her response was essentially to suck it up because she was moving forward anyway. I have a chronic pain condition. I can take pain. The pain of that dentist "repairing" that filling was so much more than necessary, to the point that I stopped going out of fear she'd find something else wrong and put me through that nightmare again. So if that dentist ever wonders why I never went back, it's stuff like that.
When Dr. Manunts started, I did feel it and did as she suggested, raising my left hand slightly to let them know that I felt pain. She then pulled out the more heavy-duty anesthetic, then tried again. I didn't feel it this time, so she proceeded, and I tried to relax and listen to my audiobook. When she got down to the point she'd need to go to perform the root canal itself, she realized that she was mistaken and told me that I would not, in fact, need a root canal, and that she'd be repairing the filling instead. That was a pretty pleasant surprise, so I of course let her proceed. I appreciate that she admitted that she made a mistake and that she didn't want to put me through an unnecessary procedure. A few minutes later, I had a shiny, new, repaired filling, and she told me that my teeth are actually in pretty good condition...I just need to get them cleaned more often to avoid the gum swelling she was worried about that caused her to think I needed a root canal (which I totally agree with! I was just so gun-shy after that last dentist). She also told me what to look out for in the future to determine whether it's standard sensitive teeth (which I know I have), sensitivity to heat or cold, or something more serious. Then she sent me on my merry way.
I'll be coming back next month for a cleaning before we leave the area for good. I'm sad that I didn't discover Dr. Manunts before, but I am more than happy to leave this here to hopefully save someone the same fears I've dealt with since visiting a less competent dentist. She and her staff are incredibly pleasant, low-pressure people who care about making sure everyone gets what they need when they need it, with as little anxiety or pain as possible. She is not afraid to answer questions, and more importantly, she's not willing to put someone through a procedure they don't need.
If you're new to the area, seek out Dr. Manunts first. You won't regret it, I promise.
