Coming from a family with serious genetic faults when it comes to teeth, I wasn't allowed candy or junk food as a young child. Even so, I ended up with several crowns on my baby teeth. I had the most wonderful, incredible "baby" dentist in Kansas City. He's the one who put those crowns on my teeth. His hands shook like leaves in the breeze and I never did know the cause of that. Didn't care. He never lied to me. He always told me when something was going to hurt and took the time to walk me through every procedure. He could control the shaking when he was working in my mouth. One cool doctor.
When I was 8, we moved to Lawton, OK. One of those crowned teeth was loose but not falling out. Mom took me to a new dentist to have it checked. One of those doctors whose SOP was no parents in the room. Not a biggie, my mom never went with me in the room at my "baby" dentist and I was a "big" girl of 8 or maybe 9 by then. That SOB decided that the tooth needed to be pulled and, without consulting my mother, without my consent, over my active and most vocal protests, proceeded to pull the tooth without any anesthetic. Mind you that this involved him literally crawling up on one arm of the chair and bracing himself on the other arm to get leverage while doing so. I do not for one moment regret flinging my saddle oxford right into his balls which were so conveniently available given his position as he climbed down from towering over me and having caused me excruciating pain. I'm sure he wanted to retaliate but I fled the room while he was doubled over.
My heart just aches for the child AND the mother, Deven Manning, in this story. "The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry says it doesn't recommend restraining children" WHAT? I'm horrified that all these decades later, that's the best they can do, not "recommend"? It should be banned unless there is absolute need, the parent gives truly informed consent, and pain relief is provided; preferably general anesthetic during the actual procedure. Pain relief should be virtually mandated! Mom says this child is now afraid of doctors and in therapy. Sadly, I can attest that no amount of therapy will probably ever do much more than allow him the ability to deal with doctors to some extent. Experiences like this simply cannot be erased from memory. Mom and Byron, trust your instincts from now on. Walk out in the middle of a procedure if you must and find someone else but, in my experiences, that's better than the alternative of staying to let someone like that twerp "finish" the job. I too have resorted to general anesthesia for dental work. It helps but one still needs a companion, a trusted advocate, present to act for you while you're anesthetized once this level of fear has been provoked by a BAD doctor.
Even now, I have to battle myself when dealing with doctors and this was one of the early experiences that created that issue for me. There were a couple less severe before that and several/many after. I probably never handled medical malpractice cases as a lawyer because of my bone level fear of doctors and that one too many or too severe cases that involved children or pets might well take my own PTSD involving doctors to that new level, that "going postal" level. Mostly, I now avoid human doctors as much as possible. Sadly, what they have to offer is rarely worth the damage I know they can cause. Less worth the stress and frustration of having to put up with their arrogance and incompetence.
Doctors: WTF is wrong with some of you? WTF is wrong with the rest of you who would permit such things within your professions?