On my first visit with Dr. Zabiegalski for a tooth extraction I initially spoke with his assistant, telling her that I wanted a local anesthetic for the procedure, stating that I had no one to drive me home if he put me out. She had offered me a choice between a local and a general. I next met with the doctor, and he did not ask me anything about it. When I came in for the procedure, we briefly discussed this and he gave me an injection and said it would take 4 minutes to take effect. After that, he began pulling my molar, rocking it back and forth. It came out during the procedure, which I screamed through the entire time (I was heard in the waiting area), that an abscess can severely limit the effectiveness of a local. Three times I begged him to stop, and he did not until I grabbed his arm and made him. At one point he asked me "why stop now, we're almost done?" and he kept going. It was savage, and my new oral surgeon told me that this may constitute assault. I am 65 years old and tough but never have I gone through anything like this. I likened it to the way the former Soviet Union extracted information from enemy spies. Yesterday I had a crown removed from a molar right next to the extracted tooth and the dentist took about an hour and 3 injections to get the area numb, though much of the delay was due to her being with other patients. She told me the first injection was basically to prepare for further ones, but she ensured the area was numb. Dr. Z gave me but one and waited just four minutes before an extraction and didn't check for numbness. It was one of the most painful things that I have ever experienced. He could have insisted before we started that I find a driver, but did not. read more