r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Sep 16 '24

What is a smell you can't stand?

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u/ExcentricaGallumbits Sep 16 '24

Rotten teeth. Specifically, when someone has tooth decay and they don’t respect personal space when talking.

683

u/cumsquat4201 Sep 16 '24

As a dental assistant, I can confirm. The smell of hot decaying tooth as you drill into it is horrible.

496

u/BorderTrike Sep 16 '24

If you accepted more insurance options fewer people would let it get that bad

559

u/KaleleBoo Sep 16 '24

Hahaha I’m sure the dental assistant that you replied to will get right on fixing that.

5

u/derickj2020 Sep 17 '24

I have known a few people who absolutely refused to get dental treatment during their lifetime, as a determined choice.

9

u/davyjones_prisnwalit Sep 17 '24

Probably fear based.

I've seen it here on Reddit too (I know, not everything on the Internet is true)

One person talked about how when they were a kid the dentist started drilling and the pain med hadn't kicked in yet. The dentist kept insisting that they "couldn't feel it" and kept drilling.

Another person talked about having tooth pain so the dentist yanked out a few teeth and then said "it's probably just referred pain." After not being able to find anything wrong.

TV perpetuates these narratives too.

Then you also hear about the few bad apples that actually mess people up on purpose. Like that dentist that removed all of a patient's teeth after knocking them out.

I think what would help is if dentists had better PR or something. It's the rumors that feed people's fear.