Hello all,

After my old dentist, who treated me for over fifty years, retired at the age of 85, I was referred to a much younger dentist.
At my first appointment, I realized that there was a big change in the way dentistry was practiced. The new dentist placed the patient chair in an almost horizontal position, while he worked sitting down with my head between his legs, or so it seemed.
My old dentist always worked standing up, and with me placed at the most at a 45° angle in the dental chair. For me, this was a much more comfortable position because I am now obese, have congestive heart failure, and have trouble breathing in a reclined position.
My old dentist had no chairside assistant, and I could rinse and spit in the cuspidor next to the chair, whenever I needed to do so. I didn't see any spittoon where I could rinse at the new dentist's office. The chairside assistant was always at the ready with a suction hose to remove any saliva or debris during my cleaning. The entire appointment took half the time and cost twice as much as it would have with my old dentist. I miss my old dentist. Where can I find another good dentist like him to take care of my teeth in my senior years?

I want to warn you against old dentists and old dental techniques. My old dentist who just retired, and i thought was the best of the best, left me with a mouth full of undiagnosed periodontal disease and now i need to get many of my teeth pulled. Of course not all old dentists would miss this disease but it is something many older dentists did not learn about in school.
But i do think that even younger dentists vary in their techniques so if you look around your town you might find someone else who uses upright chairs and spittoons. I like the old fashioned sinks too.

It would seem that if you've informed your new dentist of your heart condition and your discomfort at being prone during treatment, that he could elevate your head and still treat you. We had a patient get really sick from being too far reclined. She never told the Dentist about her problem, until she was gasping during the procedure. If you've told him and he refuses to elevate your head to a comfortable position for you both, you need to find a new Dentist who puts your health ahead of his 'technique'.

I am sorry you are not comfortable with your new dentist, but from what you describe, it was a very normal visit. First, you need to inform your dentist about your needs health-wise. But most dentists do not work standing up - even the older ones I know. But you and he should be able to come to a solution that you both are comfortable with. Assistants are much much more widely used as it is safer for the patient and assistants really do offer an extra pair of hands that are needed for today's more complex proceedures. The continuous suction keeps the field much cleaner and much more visible than taking "spit" breaks, so the dentist is much more able to work more efficiently. Technology has sped up the treatment time of dental work, and has also increased the ability to treat conditions by leaps and bounds. Today diagnositic tools and treatment recomendations are MUCH better than they used to be. But all of this advancement does come at a cost. High tech equipment, tools, and materials are much more expensive than they used to be. Not to mention the rise in cost for insurance, staff, rent, and schooling. It is now quite expensive sometimes to get good dental work. All of this kind of reminds me of something I heard once and thought it was so true - "People are always saying cars are not made like they used to be, and I say its a damn good thing." I can't remember who said this, but it came from someone I trust and respect. We are now much more safer in our cars, get much better gas milage, and can travel faster than in the past. But because of this, cars ARE more expensive...

But I can imagine how you must feel - you have done just fine and have been happy for so many years and now that has all changed. I cannot recommend someone who may be able to treat you in the mannor that you are used to, but I really hope you can find a solution you are satisfied with. The best advice I can give you is to find a dentist that you trust and can communicate with and then form a bond with that dentist so that you can discuss these matters.