Going to the dentist

When we arrived in Australia, Australian dentists were acknowledged world wide as the best in extracting teeth (or so my parents heard). In fact we knew several people who had had all their teeth extracted as either a 21st birthday present or as a wedding gift. Current thinking was that you would then no longer have the bother of toothache and fillings. Dentists were feared and to be avoided at all costs!

Dr Brose ( I'll write about him in another blog) who lived above our flat was also German and he recommended a German dentist to us who believed in preventative care. So it came to pass that we became the patients of Dr Schweizer.

My mother took me to see Dr Schweizer EVERY school holidays, that is, 4 times a year as we had 4 terms in those days.

Dr Schweizer's rooms were in the MLC building in Sydney's CBD. We travelled first by ferry and then by bus to get there. As his rooms were on about the 6th floor, I think, we would get into the lift which was a cage-like construction, and as it shuddered and creaked its way to the 6th floor my heart and stomach sank an equivalent amount. We'd go down a dingy corridor, following the peculiar aroma of disinfectant and oil of cloves until we'd come to the dark tiny waiting room stuffed with uncomfortable brown leather chairs and ancient reading material.

You'd hear the unnerving whine of the drill, sloshing noises, clangs and the rumble of Dr Schweizer's voice followed by the weak mumble from a trapped patient. My mother would always chat brightly trying to distract me from the torture chamber I was about to go in. It didn't work.

The patient would leave and then it would be my turn.

Dentists didn't wear surgical gloves or masks in those days. Dr Schweizer did always diligently wash his hands, right up to the elbows, but the backs of his hands and fingers were covered in thick dark hair and when the chair was reclined, I looked straight up into the forest like growth of bristly hair in his ample nostrils. I wasn't used to seeing such things. That, plus knowing what was about to occur made me feel extremely queasy.

First he'd peer into my mouth and prod around with that little hooked tool until he was ready to scrape off the built up calculus. Scrape, scrape, oops sorry, as he stabbed the gum by mistake whilst he was having an animated conversation with my mother. Rinse. Gosh that water is red! Oh well, let's continue. Next all the teeth were tapped and he would decide if I needed a filling or if the decay wasn't too bad he would say that he'd do it next holidays. Something to be looked forward to - not!

If, however, the time to have a filling had come I'd grip the arms of the chair as the dental drill whirred into action. Dr Schweizer didn't believe in giving injections for minor procedures such as fillings. In fact he even extracted one of my father's molars without anaesthetic as it was apparently going to be a 'quick easy job'. Dr Schweizer said you could tell how close to the nerve you were working by patient reaction if you didn't give injections. My sister-in- law had a similar dentist and she indicated how close to the nerve he was by biting his thumb so that HE screamed!

A metal saliva sucker-outer was hooked in the corner of your mouth. It was a powerful gadget that would suck and slurp your cheek or your tongue with great force if it got in the wrong position. Next the drill would be fired up. In those days the drills were much slower and not water cooled so the enlarging crater in your tooth would be rinsed out. The increasing sensitivity to the cold water was awful. Finally the drilled hole would be declared decay free and the amalgam, an alarming mixture of various metals, trace elements and about 50% mercury would be stomped into the clean cavity. I'd be presented with a mirror so I could admire my lovely 'silver' tooth.

My bribe for going to the dentist was to have lunch in town - but we had to wait, an eternity it seemed to me, for the filling to set properly.

Dr Schweizer had heard all about fluoride and insisted I have fluoride tablets while my second teeth were coming through. I loathed them but put them in my mouth while my mother was watching and then sneaked them out and pushed them into a crack in the wall. Had I sucked all the tablets I would have ended up with mottled, though strong teeth. One of the girls I went to school with had been more obedient, took her fluoride tablets and suffered the consequences.

You would think I had perfect teeth, but no. Nearly everyone of my generation has a mouth full of fillings. Adding fluoride to the water supply along with fluoride toothpaste, flossing and using soft toothbrushes has made a huge difference to dental health. Only one of my daughters has one tiny filling.

When my wisdom teeth proved to be impacted Dr Schweizer referred me to an oral surgeon. My mother took me to the appointment and the first two teeth were removed without any great drama. Within a short while the other two teeth tried to erupt. I rang the oral surgeon in agony and after begging him he agreed to squeeze me in between two patients to do the extractions. My mother couldn't come for some reason but I assured her I'd be fine. I was last time.

I was rushed into the surgery, plonked into the chair, given two injections on both sides of my jaw and the extractions began. I could still feel everything! The surgeon hurriedly put in a few more anaesthetic injections, yanked the teeth out before shoving me out the door and welcoming his next patient.

I felt fairly peculiar but caught the bus home. The person beside me on the bus kept glancing at me so I looked back and smiled in what I thought was a friendly manner. A look of horror crossed that person's face, they stood up and got off at the next stop. What was wrong? I got out my hand mirror and discovered to my shock that my teeth were covered with blood and there was blood running down to my jaw from the corner of my mouth. No wonder I got that reaction. Of course with all that anaesthetic I couldn't feel a thing and had no idea about what a fright I looked like.

To cut a long story short I got an infection in the socket. By the weekend I was crying with pain so my mother found Dr Schweizer's private number in the phone book and asked what we should do. He insisted on coming into his surgery to have a look. Heading into the dim dark building (everything was closed on weekends in those days) had never felt so welcoming! Dr Schweizer removed pieces of bone, cleaned the wound and stuffed the socket with gauze soaked in oil of cloves. The relief was almost immediate and I loved him, for it, hairy nostrils and all! I was so grateful. Dr Schweizer was furious with the surgeon, said he would never send another patient there and refused to take any payment. What a champion!

I kept visiting Dr Schweizer until I moved to Canberra. My parents were
his patients until he retired. His techniques were old fashioned but probably thanks to him I still have all my teeth (minus wisdom teeth). My father lost most of his teeth over the years but he still managed with what few he did have until his death at 92. My mother, probably due to her deficient diet during hard times between the wars, lost her teeth and wrestled with dentures for the last 20 years of her life.

Yesterday I went to the dentist, or should I say hygienist. I go twice a year. What a difference to all those years ago! The chair is really comfortable, your neck gets a support and you are asked of you'd like a cushion for the back of your knees. You wear glasses so the lights don't bother you eyes and to protect them from any liquid being splashed. The hygienist has surgical gloves, a mask and glasses also. You rinse your mouth with an antibacterial mix which protects both you and the hygienist from any sort of bacterial contamination. The procedure of calculus removal is pain free and not unpleasant and the final polishing, though a bit ticklish, makes your teeth feel terrific afterwards. All in all a procedure not to be feared. Thank you Kristie, you did a great job.

If a procedure such as a filling needs to be done, you don't have to put up with any discomfort. You are actively encouraged to have pain relief.The injections are a mile removed from those administered by huge metal syringes with needles that needed regular sharpening. I shall continue going to the dentist to the end of my days and be grateful for the service.