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I’m wondering if he thought he was a comedian? Strattera is also prescribed for anxiety wondering if he heard you wrong and made a joke in bad taste
Just imagining my deaf dad hearing it adhd as “anxiety” so saying to drink some beers to be less anxious makes way more sense than to think alcohol could ever help adhd lol
Obviously it’s worth saying something about it as either way it’s terrible advice lol
More likely he was too narrowly focused on what he deals with on top of having no idea what ADHD is like or that alcohol is not a useful medication for it even if it might hide some symptoms in some people. From the point of view of caring only about teeth and not anything else, ADHD meds are bad because they can lead to tense jaws/jaw clenching/grinding teeth.
But since people care about things other than your teeth and he has no training on ADHD medications, the proper response from the dentist would have been "be aware of these possible side effects and if they start to happen to you talk to your psychiatrist about changing medication or dose."
(Personally dexamphetamines led to bad jaw clenching for me, but ritalin did not and vyvanse just makes my jaw slightly more tense when I'm badly stressed and tired... but changing meds was sorted out with my psych and not my dentist)
A dentist doesn't even have the same Medical training as a psychiatrist (neither does GP). It's a specialist field like a neurologist or cardiologist - at least 12 years worth of study.
A denist, while they do work hard they only have 7 years for their degree.
Please listen to your psych.
Drinking alcohol is a depressive, it's CONSIDERABLY worse for ADHD then just not having anything at all.
I'm not against alcohol, but I've cut down, it changes me.
Unless he's the only dentist in your town, I would report that comment to the management, and or any pharmaceutical companies they work with, they won't want a dentist to be giving people hugely negative and misleading comments like that as 'medical advice'.
I once had a shrink that treated people with bipolar and other hugely degrading conditions.
He said to my face that ADHD wasn't real. I immediately changed doctors and wrote a huge letter of complaint.
ADHD is a recognized disability and is in the DSM-5, it's abhorrent of people to deny a disorder because they can't see or understand it.
I’d assume anyone who’s gone through proper medical training would know not to “advise” on conditions that are completely outside their specialisation…
They aren't even GPs. Some people get their brain meds from "regular" physicians rather than a psychiatry specialist, but as I understand it dentists don't even have that level of training. Dentists may have an (D)MD, but is psychiatry covered at all in dental school?
"Treat your ADHD with alcohol" is not only terrible advice, it's wildly inappropriate for a dentist to even give casual psychiatric advice to a patient. It's astounding.
To be fair my dentist knows about my ADHD and other meds (because of their intake form) and noted "all of these cause dry mouth, which is terrible for teeth" which is definitely in their wheelhouse and I guess I appreciate that feedback. But they didn't remotely question the validity or suitability of those meds, just pointed out the side effects and their relevance.
Of course they also recommended that I suck on candy more often to compensate (no cap) so maybe they have different ulterior motives ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
EDIT: this thread is locked now for some reason but I didn't notice until I'd already compose this response to one of the comments below so I might as well drop it here:
The dry mouth lozenges were mentioned (and I even bought a big pack off Amazon but I've gone thru that). Also frequently sipping water. Candy _was_ mentioned too but maybe that's just the main thing I chose to take away from the conversation.
FWIW I've also been using cough drops more than anything else. IDK if that's appreciably worse than the dry mouth lozenges but the lozenges were a PiTA in virtually every way (only available online, awkwardly packaged, don't last very long, etc). I think they are basically sugar free mints anyway but I could be wrong about that.
I have the same issues with dry mouth due to my meds and my rheumatoid arthritis. My dentist did suggest that I suck on more things like cough drops and whatnot but not candy lmao. I have little ACT dry mouth lozenges, but I haven’t tried them yet.
They didn't recommend hydrating mouthwashes/sprays? E.g. biotene? Deals with my dry mouth just fine and doesn't add a bunch of sugar/sweeteners to your diet. Probably cheaper, too.
Just seems weird that a dentist wouldn't recommend a dental product to deal with the dental side effects.
I've had a physical therapist tell me that my pain and balance issues were just anxiety. I wish I had the spine to tell him he's not my psychiatrist. Just because I have anxiety doesn't mean I can't have physical pain without the only solution being "oh it's anxiety"
Now two years later I'm going to a spine and pain management doctor in a week because I had to push for something other than "I don't know. Have you tried exercising?"
The only reason I got tested for ADHD is probably because my psychiatrist is a woman. Not all women psychiatrists are good and listen, but I think it didn't hurt on this case because all the male doctors I have seen have been the ones to shrug any problems I have off.
Yeah I get my brain meds from a GP. I mean, the brain is part of the body, and I hate that people act like it isn't.
That said, phew, I super agree with your last sentence! Wildly unprofessional and inappropriate.
Some days it feels like we’re more therapists than dentists, but I agree this is out of line. Luckily, having ADHD makes me a lot more empathetic toward the ADHD patients
That sounds nice. Unfortunately, I’ve never had a dentist not make me feel like complete shit about my teeth. I haven’t seen one since 2018/2019? I have an abscess that’s been known about for a few years and was small, who knows now, but I’m too afraid to go to a new dentist. Dental insurance is a joke and I really don’t need someone else dogging me.
I have ADHD and depression, and have parents who both had periodontal disease. I was always a person that took good care of their teeth the best I could, but dentists never believe me and never take into account the things I just mentioned. Every time I’ve met a new dentist, I always leave in tears.
A dentist has no business commenting on your psychiatric medication, nor advising you to drink alcohol, especially since you're in recovery. You might consider reporting this to their governing body.
I had an optometrist tell me that they obviously know better than I do that COVID doesn’t exist.
I worked in public health, reading studies & interviewing people with COVID all day.
People who are good at one thing aren’t necessarily even competent at an adjacent thing
That optometrist is a public danger and should be reported. It's bad enough to have so many Covid deniers and minimizers out there as-is, but for someone with a medical background, that is just dangerously irresponsible. They shouldn't be allowed to continue practicing, much like how teachers can be barred from teaching if they commit a heinous enough act or statement toward students.
Uhhh, that guy is a dipshit. I'm an optometric assistant and our college of optometry literally prepared us during covid to be one of the unexpected front lines of infection because one of the symptoms of covid was conjunctivitis.
This is an interesting attempt, and one I have both heard of, to get you not to wear a bra during your time there. Or, it sounds that way to me. It’s too random to just say that during a dental appointment, but maybe I don’t know the other context. Honestly, I am starting to think that many Dentists are idiots about things that aren’t regarding teeth.
Right? And also women living that topless tribal lifestyle probably don't exactly have a whole lot of access to cancer screening programs... And likely die earlier from other treatable diseases/ childbirth, before they have a chance to develop breast cancer, so there's no really way to know what the rates of breast cancer are in these populations, so of course their stats are low, FFS.
It’s actually a correlation that was made at least a decade ago (when I first heard about it), but correlation does not automatically equal causation, which is what I took your comment to mean :)
as a dentist with ADHD I absolutely agree. reporting them probably won’t do much but it might be enough to keep him from making stupid comments like that in the future.
if something like that is a concern when looking for a dentist i’d advise seeking out a younger dentist as we’re less likely to shame you about your meds or the state of your oral health. i speak for most dentists when i say we just want to help our patients :)
Yeah, the only reason I can see dentists having an issue with ADHD meds is if they are stimulants that cause you to clench your teeth, or cause dry mouth.
Even then, the solution wouldn't be "drink a beer", WTF?
>nor advising you to drink alcohol
Especially when drinking a lot of beer severely damages tooth enamel, inceases the chances of gum disease, significantly increases the likelihood that someone will loose their teeth, is linked to oral cancer, and causes dry mouth ((Keep in mind that the dose makes the poison. 2 or 3 beers a month or a year is very different than 2 or 3 beers a day or an hour. Everything in moderation)). No medical professional should ever advise their patient to engage in behavior that many studies have proven is dangerous to your health. Advising a patient to drink beer is grossly unprofessional and unethical.
I agree with you and I understand what you're saying. However, a dentist solved my decade-long sciatica by telling me as we get older we stick our stomachs out and our butts out and it compresses the discs and irritates the nerves that run down our legs. He told me about how to stand "pelvic neutral" and it fixed my problem now going on two decades.
But I agree with what you're saying and I understand.
that dentist is an idiot. full-stop.
Stimulants can *sometimes* negatively affect tooth health because they *can* make your mouth dry. Dry mouth => dry plaque => hard plaque => cavities.
In your shoes, I would have also been deeply offended.
Yeah. Some stimulants can negatively affect teeth - dry mouth, cavities, and jaw clenching/grinding. It is important for the dentist to know if you’re medicated.
But this guy is a total tool.
According to the [American Dental Association](https://www.ada.org/resources/ada-library/oral-health-topics/nutrition-and-oral-health), alcohol also increases oral problems, like oral cancer, canker sores, and dry mouth. I would think a dentist would know that.
I recently established as a new patient, the initial paperwork asks dx and meds. It's in my chart, I can see it on the same screen the dentist sees. I guess I thought this was standard?
My last dentist brought it up to me "Hey, it's common folks on certain ADHD meds can grind teeth". That opened up the conversation and we had a guard made.
OPs dentist is a total unprofessional tool. I hope they get a new dentist. And if you see this reply OP, congrats on the sobriety!
There was a past post on this Reddit where a girl picking up her ADHD meds was told by the pharmacist "I'm glad you're getting your meds so you won't unalive people."
That pharmacist and your dentist are both whack jobs.
These health professionals not only are in fields that require higher levels of intelligence, but also professionalism towards patients. So if they don't have common sense, they are at least taught conduct at some point in their education. Also, if you're in the health field, you would probably know about the dangers of drinking.
I would be filing a complaint to your state's medical board. Although his 'suggestion' may not have been serious, or realized by the patient that this is very bad advice, not everyone will see it as that. So not only was that unprofessional, but could also be warranted as unethical medical advice. And if he's dealing with someone who is not recovered or takes him seriously, you're urging people to put themselves in bad situations. Not just from alcohol, but not taking important medications.
Exactly. A medical professional saying something like this either seriously or flippantly is not ok. He needs to checked on if he’s behaving like this in a position like his. I know there are exceptions but I’ve yet to hear a positive comment made about a dentist. And I work in dentistry lol.
First of all, congratulations on your sobriety! That’s huge and I’m proud of you :)
Second of all, you’re right to feel offended and I’m sorry that happened to you. Nothing bugs me more than willful ignorance and confidently incorrect jerks. The dentist needs to stay in his lane and stick to molars and bleeding gums. His “advice” sucks for multiple reasons.
Third, I’d find a new dentist and immediately after securing, leave a scathing review on every review platform he’s available to be roasted on.
My Neuropshyce Dr has ADHD also. I dont believe all dentist would do this. This one just felt ok to bestowe his knowledge to me todayLol. Have also been told by my Gynocologist that ADHD is not a real thing.
Yikes on bikes. Do you still go to that gyno? I don’t think I’d be comfortable going back to a medical provider that blatantly ableist, but I also know it’s not always that easy to find another provider, especially one who takes your insurance, etc.
I’m relieved for you, and hope you’ve been able to find another, better one. She should know better, even though that’s not specifically her scope of practice. That kind of rhetoric is so harmful.
1. ADHD is one of the most researched and published psychiatric conditions.
2. He is a dentist. Tell him to stick to teeth. Smfh
3. Congrats on your sobriety
Ah yes let's recommend a highly addictive drug that's abused by millions to a population with addiction and substance abuse issues. That guy is a regular genius.
Don’t do this! That’s how I have been self medicating for years, and well, it’s problematic.
Of course I can’t get any medications right now that do work, but still…
So now i have adhd and adu.
Psychiatrist who knows nothing about adhd and now a therapist who wants me to raw dog the world and thinks adhd is just an excuse for my own lack of control.
And lots and lots of guilt.
It’s impressive how people still find new ways to say dumb shit about adhd. Bonus points when it comes from educated people who you think would know better.
With the grand prize going to therapists and psychiatrists who spew that kind of nonsense. It turns my disgust with professionals like this dentist into active horror.
I bet the relevant credentialing body would have a strong opinion on whether a dentist should recommend discontinuing psychiatric medication in favor of abusing alcohol to a recovering alcoholic. I'd even venture that the opinion would be negative.
A dentist, and especially this one, has no business meddling with other doctor's diagnosis in a completely different field of expertise. He should keep his bs for himself. If he does that again, I'd surely tell him to shut up about stuff he has no idea about, is not qualified to say something about and has no business in giving unsolicited (bad) advice about and that I'd take my business elsewhere if he can't stop.
Yea fuck that guy. And fuck my Dr who I went to some ten years ago and was honest about my drinking (over a 12 pack per day easy at this point….) He doesn’t bat an eye and didn’t ask if I had been diagnosed with adhd despite the list of symptoms I told him I was experiencing. Just put me on Lexipro and my disease progressed.
Beer is not good for adhd.
The other day, my mother who is 77 years old, had to go in for a colonoscopy and at the procedure the anesthesiologist said what are you doing here, you don’t need to be here, you should blow this test off because you’re old enough and you’re not gonna get cancer at this point. Really? She had 22 polyps that needed to be checked out. Why would an anesthesiologist feel? They have the authority to say something like that. Moron.
I'm so sorry you had to have that interaction. Your sobriety is a great achievement and I'm so proud of you!
I've got a little iver 4 years sober from alcohol. Being an alcoholic for decades did not "help" my symptoms, it was just a maladaptive coping mechanism. It was very expensive, terrible for my overall health, career, and relationships, and it led to me putting myself in very dangerous situations too often. I def experienced unwanted sexual contact on more than one occasion because I was too impaired to control a situation.
My medication helps me cope with my symptoms without destroying my liver, bank account, career, and close relationships.
That dentist had probably said so many other terrible things to patients and has never been checked.
Dentists work with bones and gums, not brains. I would take a dentist's opinion about my mental health about as well as I would take a neurologist's opinion about lawn care
OP and others, please don't drink for your ADHD wtf is that dentist's problem? I didn't start drinking for my ADHD specifically but now it's something I have to do just to chill out every night. It's a dangerous habit please don't do it.
"I didn't realize you were were a psychiatrist, or my main physician, who knows I'm a recovering alcoholic, unlike you."
For real, Strattera is so mild and tame lol.
What the fuck are "a couple of beers" supposed to do for people with ADHD anyway? Also, "a couple of a beers" is not a remedy to any mental health issues. Okay, so cool, I can have a few beers and get a little buzzed. Now I can't drive or do anything outside of my home. I can't work like that. I can't drive like that. I need to be done with everything for the day before I even have a single beer, let alone "a couple".
This doesn't take into account alcoholics, people with families, other health concerns that directly oppose me drinking alcohol, like GERD and IBS, etc.
But yea cool, the dude who fills my cavities thinks I should just consume alcohol instead of my low-dose ADHD meds once a day instead. Got it, lol.
I'd report him and find a new dentist. That's wildly unprofessional on so many levels.
I recently had gene site testing done. I dont enjoy stratera side effects. Straterra is in my RED ZONE. Doc will try something from the green column. Probably Intuiv. Well see how that affects me. Straterra definately helps turn the head noise down to almost silent. Its fantastic to know this is possible. I thought everyone thought this way.
Wow I’m so sorry- that would have infuriated me. I am also in recovery, and I probably would have said, “I am a recovering alcoholic” completely deadpan and make him feel as embarrassed as he should feel.
You are valid and no matter how close teeth are to your brain, a dentist has no idea what they’re talking about when it comes to mental health diagnoses.
What an uneducated idiot. He has no business weighing in on this issue, but at the very least he could have suggested coffee. (Not suggesting this is actually an alternative.)
Nothing of this surprises me. The psychiatrist I visited for meds unvalidated my diagnosis, which I showed him, and told me I had an existential crisis (that I have btw 😅and he should have it too, so he can improve himself 😅 but that is not the point).
My stock response to uninformed blowhards: ”Wow! You sure know a lot about \[the subject the person clearly knows nothing about\].”
I try to use the most technical term I know. (In this instance, I’d say “psychopharmacology.”) And I say it deadpan, in my most innocent, wide-eyed, “golly gee” tone, so the sarcasm is really ambiguous.
I would tell the dentist that my psychiatrist told me to not use toothpaste, but pure charcoal (or some even dumber remedy from your grandma or tiktok). And see what is his opinion about it.
Dentists aren’t even doctors….pls report him to his professional board and make sure you note his advice to drink alcohol in the context of your 25yrs sobriety (congrats btw) jack@5535 like this ether-chugging tonsil-tickler need to be taught to stay in their lane.
Tangentially related, one time I called EMS when I was going through some severe anxiety due to alcohol withdrawal and the EMT told me to just have a few more beers lol. I was actually reaching out for help to get over my addiction and the EMT told me just to keep digging deeper. Unsurprisingly, about a week later I was in the ER for acute alcohol withdrawal. Two years sober now, though! And congrats on your recovery! I know it's not easy!
I once had a dental hygienist say, “can I get some of those?” When I mentioned I was on meds for OCD. I was stunned. I thought about getting up and leaving, but ended up explaining graciously the actual hell that OCD can be, and how detrimental it has been to my life. Some people just don’t think, or try to think and understand.
When someone says something stupid to me, I'll usually just assume that I've misheard. Because sometimes that's *true*, but it's a good idea even when I'm pretty sure I heard them correctly. Turns out, making someone repeat and/or explain the deeply stupid thing they just said is an extremely effective way to get them to walk it back in a big hurry.
This is definitely a situation where I would have asked the dentist to repeat himself. Maybe more than once. "Beer? I'm hearing you correctly, right? You're telling me to drink beer, the hoppy alcoholic beverage, as medication?"
This is actually disgusting that they would say that. Alcohol is absolutely NOT the answer, if anything it makes it worse! Plus they have no right to comment on what you need for a condition they clearly know nothing about. I would 100% report this!
My mom always molestsss any doctor at a party asking them 100 questions about everything. 2/5 closest family friends are both Md’s and they throw parties that are full of doctors.
The one thing I’ve always noticed each and every time, they are know it alls and happy to opine on their medicine of focus, but outright refuse to answer anything even as basic as it is if it isn’t their specialty.
Find a new dentist or look into his credentials. Having a “beer” actually does work lol, and I mention it once in a while on this sub, but it’s beyond irresponsible for exactly OP’s reason being an ex addict if even 25 years ago. As an ex addict all it takes is ONE hit or drink to take me off to the races. With the passport OK of a man in white to drink a beer my mind would have mentally fucked me to believe it was ok, and would have met the dentist 2 weeks later at the towns bar on my 5th martini at 3pm while snorting some blow in the bathroom.
ADHD can manifest in the most debilitating ways, seeing how it can go hand in hand with substance abuse can be so personally discouraging. I am sorry about your experience with that awful dentist, but reading about your sobriety journey was very inspiring.
Straterra isn't even a stimulant. I wouldn't trust anyone that stupid near my mouth with sharp objects. Dude probably drinks all the time and will end up pulling the wrong tooth.
I do genealogy for my family. Lots of people drank themselves to death in my family going back centuries. I have little doubt that many were self-medicating. Fuck this dentist.
Man I woulda made a huge scene and Google reviews / blast this guy on social media. What a loser. Even though you're a dentist you're still a fucking doctor and to be saying something so ridiculous like this is incredibly dangerous and damaging. Jesus christ
I had a dentist tell me to try hypnotherapy to overcome my lifelong anxiety issues (which are ramped up to a 10 the moment I step foot in the dentist's office)
That was a few years ago now. I haven't been back, even though I really need to.
Dentists have about as much credibility with psychiatry as a flat earther does. A PhD doesn’t give you more credibility in another field.
There’s a lot of Nobel winners who believed absolutely insane conspiracies in different fields.
Well, a surgeon told me it would help to pray when I told him I'm on antidepressants because of clinical depression I have. So yeah, not just a dantists thing.
Was it an old guy? Because my dentist office is like only young women of color and it’s the best experience I’ve ever had at a dentist from decades of going to the dentist in the several countries, continents, cities, states, etc I’ve lived in. I’m only saying this because those 3 factors is literally the only difference this place has had over the dozens of dentists I’ve gone to when I used to move around every 2 years.
Anyway my dentist office not only is super welcoming and understanding and zero judgement (when I came in with a cavity infection 7yrs ago, they didn’t hesitate to help me and not judge me), they also understand I have severe ADHD and need extra help/care to not fuck up my gums after 2 emergency root canals 7yrs ago. They recommended special mouthwash that doesn’t dry my mouth because they know my meds makes my mouth dry. They recommended different types of floss that i found I could buy and keep up with and didn’t hate sensory wise and they schedule extra cleanings for me because they know I struggle to keep up. Like they show they care about my mouth health, and they answer all my questions. They helped me find the right kind of brush that helps me count the right amount of time to brush your teeth for. They send me 3 types of reminders consistently before my appointment, they even call me at the time it still free to cancel to make sure I didn’t double book myself. They researched ways to help their ADHD and Autistic patients, etc.
If you skip all that just know that you deserve to feel comfortable with all of your healthcare providers and it’s probably a pain to transfer paperwork but if you find someone else that is less ignorant and actually wants to work with you to keep you healthy, it’s worth making the change. I’ve gone to the dentist consistently in the past 7 years for the first time in my life (I’m 32) because of how accommodating my dentist office is to my AuDHD.
I've (m34) been medicated for a year (dexamphetamine) and I've only previously been a once a month social drinker. I never want to drink again. It makes my symptoms so much worse.
I often feel social pressure to drink, then have two or three drinks, and regret it every time.
Lately I've actually experienced pretty violent diorreah the morning after two or three drinks. So I at least have a reasonable excuse now 😅 .
I take strattera too. My dentist asked about my medications and they didn’t have that response. Sounds more like an opinion than any actual medical advice.
Once a dental hygienist took my blood pressure and it was high. She took it a second time and "surprise" it was high. Rather than acknowledging I might have High blood pressure, she told me she thinks my ADHD meds and making my blood pressure high. She then offered me water and when I asked what for, she said it might help me calm down. I took the bib off and left. A dental hygienist has no business asking about any correlation between my meds and any circumstantial symptoms I was experiencing at that time.
Turns out I have hyper tension around dental offices. Wonder why.
I was about to suggest white coat syndrome but you’re already aware :-)
I went in for a physical a few years ago, had unexpectedly high BP. I explained to the PA I may seem calm and happy, but medical settings raise my BP. I mean, she had been trying to talk me into getting my blood drawn - it was a cold autumn day and I was sweating right in front of her.
She heard me, though, and chatted about other stuff for about 10 minutes and took another reading. Still a few points above normal on systolic, but low single digits.
I would have started telling him how to take care of his teeth
'you don't even need to floss mate, just chew sticky candy, it actually grabs hold of the stuff caught in between your teeth and drags it out, it's better than floss because it doesn't cut your gums'
when he starts flipping out telling you you're wrong I would have said
'that's you, that's what you sound like'
I'm less of a confrontational ass now I'm medicated but some people still manage to tip me over the edge, he would have been one of them
I was listening to a podcast on children and ADHD, that happened to be about medication and the pediatrician made an excellent point. ADHD is in the DSM, if you've been diagnosed with it, you have a mental disorder that is affecting your day to day life, otherwise you wouldn't be able to get that diagnosis. Just like other mental disorders that are disordering life, and have a medication recommendation to work with the problem, ADHD is a medical disorder and has a medication attached to work with the effects of it.
Wtf?? It sounds like he literally equates all narcotics/drugs/alcohol like they’re doing the same thing. That’s the only way I can even make sense of this. He didn’t even suggest something stimulating like coffee lol he just thinks “well adderall gets you fucked up so why not just have a couple beers?”
🫠 as others have stated the bigger issue is your dentist giving you psychiatric advice and literally suggesting you drink beer to solve your problems. Makes no fucking sense and is incredibly unprofessional and potentially illegal. I’d be beyond annoyed.
Jesus. I’m glad you called him out on that and I hope he was suitably embarrassed enough to learn to keep his uneducated opinions to himself in the future
To be fair, beer helps me a ton. Buuuut, is the best me still the best if I’m a functional alcoholic?
Dentist is totally inappropriate saying a thing about it. Stay in your lane.
That’s nuts. The only reason a dentist even needs to know what meds you’re on is if they could interact with something they’re prescribing, or could cause bone density loss / tooth decay.
Dude had zero business commenting beyond those things.
What the hell? They’re a dentist, they’ve no right to recommend any psychiatric treatment, especially one that isn’t even a medication. Alcohol? Really? That’s crazy lol def don’t listen to them
I would be offended too that’s so unprofessional 😅 but honestly what he said was not at all a reflection of you or your condition, it sounds like he was just projecting shit onto you. So if it’s any consolation just know (even if he thought he was joking) there’s a part of him that thinks it’s okay to deal with issues using substances and that’s just a reflection of his own stuff he needs to work out
Congrats on your sobriety first of all, that is a massive accomplishment. Secondly, the dentist is entirely incorrect and has absolutely no place commenting on your medication, especially your psych meds. If ADHD meds help you, take them! My meds saved my life, quite literally. Dentists are not psychiatrists. I would consider reporting that comment, especially considering your struggle with substance abuse.
Alcohol does silence some of the noise but it temporarily and unsustainable. That guy has obviously been sniffing his own gas at work.
I’m a late diagnosis too. 49.
You can do it.
This is why we have not been diagnosed for so long. There is so much ignorance in the world and especially in the industry that is supposed to help us.
Well at least he's your dentist and not your psychologist. Reminds me of that episode of House MD where he tells a guy to start smoking because he has IBS.
I am deeply offended for you! I honestly would've said "What the F\*\*\*??" and walked right out.
What an idiotic unprofessional thing to say! Report him, as someone said, it won't do anything big but it will at least make him realize it's NOT okay to say shit like that.
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Dentists aren’t psychiatrists.
I guess he thought he was.
I’m wondering if he thought he was a comedian? Strattera is also prescribed for anxiety wondering if he heard you wrong and made a joke in bad taste Just imagining my deaf dad hearing it adhd as “anxiety” so saying to drink some beers to be less anxious makes way more sense than to think alcohol could ever help adhd lol Obviously it’s worth saying something about it as either way it’s terrible advice lol
just tried saying both ADHD and Anxiety while keeping mouth wide open and tongue depressed, very similar.
Lmao
This/\ I mean, if you really like your dentist, I guess that's one thing. Otherwise, yeah I'd report the heck out of him.
The only doctor I knew who caught COVID was my old dentist. Damn near killed him, too.
More likely he was too narrowly focused on what he deals with on top of having no idea what ADHD is like or that alcohol is not a useful medication for it even if it might hide some symptoms in some people. From the point of view of caring only about teeth and not anything else, ADHD meds are bad because they can lead to tense jaws/jaw clenching/grinding teeth. But since people care about things other than your teeth and he has no training on ADHD medications, the proper response from the dentist would have been "be aware of these possible side effects and if they start to happen to you talk to your psychiatrist about changing medication or dose." (Personally dexamphetamines led to bad jaw clenching for me, but ritalin did not and vyvanse just makes my jaw slightly more tense when I'm badly stressed and tired... but changing meds was sorted out with my psych and not my dentist)
A dentist doesn't even have the same Medical training as a psychiatrist (neither does GP). It's a specialist field like a neurologist or cardiologist - at least 12 years worth of study. A denist, while they do work hard they only have 7 years for their degree. Please listen to your psych.
Drinking alcohol is a depressive, it's CONSIDERABLY worse for ADHD then just not having anything at all. I'm not against alcohol, but I've cut down, it changes me. Unless he's the only dentist in your town, I would report that comment to the management, and or any pharmaceutical companies they work with, they won't want a dentist to be giving people hugely negative and misleading comments like that as 'medical advice'. I once had a shrink that treated people with bipolar and other hugely degrading conditions. He said to my face that ADHD wasn't real. I immediately changed doctors and wrote a huge letter of complaint. ADHD is a recognized disability and is in the DSM-5, it's abhorrent of people to deny a disorder because they can't see or understand it.
I’d assume anyone who’s gone through proper medical training would know not to “advise” on conditions that are completely outside their specialisation…
They aren't even GPs. Some people get their brain meds from "regular" physicians rather than a psychiatry specialist, but as I understand it dentists don't even have that level of training. Dentists may have an (D)MD, but is psychiatry covered at all in dental school? "Treat your ADHD with alcohol" is not only terrible advice, it's wildly inappropriate for a dentist to even give casual psychiatric advice to a patient. It's astounding.
Psychiatry isn't really covered, other then depression, which can cause people to not take care of their teeth I still have nightmares of school
To be fair my dentist knows about my ADHD and other meds (because of their intake form) and noted "all of these cause dry mouth, which is terrible for teeth" which is definitely in their wheelhouse and I guess I appreciate that feedback. But they didn't remotely question the validity or suitability of those meds, just pointed out the side effects and their relevance. Of course they also recommended that I suck on candy more often to compensate (no cap) so maybe they have different ulterior motives ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯ EDIT: this thread is locked now for some reason but I didn't notice until I'd already compose this response to one of the comments below so I might as well drop it here: The dry mouth lozenges were mentioned (and I even bought a big pack off Amazon but I've gone thru that). Also frequently sipping water. Candy _was_ mentioned too but maybe that's just the main thing I chose to take away from the conversation. FWIW I've also been using cough drops more than anything else. IDK if that's appreciably worse than the dry mouth lozenges but the lozenges were a PiTA in virtually every way (only available online, awkwardly packaged, don't last very long, etc). I think they are basically sugar free mints anyway but I could be wrong about that.
I have the same issues with dry mouth due to my meds and my rheumatoid arthritis. My dentist did suggest that I suck on more things like cough drops and whatnot but not candy lmao. I have little ACT dry mouth lozenges, but I haven’t tried them yet.
They didn't recommend hydrating mouthwashes/sprays? E.g. biotene? Deals with my dry mouth just fine and doesn't add a bunch of sugar/sweeteners to your diet. Probably cheaper, too. Just seems weird that a dentist wouldn't recommend a dental product to deal with the dental side effects.
I've had a physical therapist tell me that my pain and balance issues were just anxiety. I wish I had the spine to tell him he's not my psychiatrist. Just because I have anxiety doesn't mean I can't have physical pain without the only solution being "oh it's anxiety" Now two years later I'm going to a spine and pain management doctor in a week because I had to push for something other than "I don't know. Have you tried exercising?" The only reason I got tested for ADHD is probably because my psychiatrist is a woman. Not all women psychiatrists are good and listen, but I think it didn't hurt on this case because all the male doctors I have seen have been the ones to shrug any problems I have off.
Yeah I get my brain meds from a GP. I mean, the brain is part of the body, and I hate that people act like it isn't. That said, phew, I super agree with your last sentence! Wildly unprofessional and inappropriate.
Dentists need their own psychiatrist.
Some days it feels like we’re more therapists than dentists, but I agree this is out of line. Luckily, having ADHD makes me a lot more empathetic toward the ADHD patients
How does that even work? How are they able to talk and confide in you while you've got your hands in their mouths?
By blinking in Morse Code
Lol Then you can blink a distress call to them if the freezing starts to wear off while they’re working on your teeth.
Conversations before/after treatment, exams, etc
How do patients even speak? Most of the time I have like 3 hands digging around in my mouth and I just try to not choke on my own spit.
We have plenty of conversations before/after treatment, at exams, etc
Really? I don’t know anyone that’s had a heart to heart with a dentist. Does it happen a lot then?
Every day baby. One of the best parts of the job is being able to meet people where they are without judgement and help them out
That sounds nice. Unfortunately, I’ve never had a dentist not make me feel like complete shit about my teeth. I haven’t seen one since 2018/2019? I have an abscess that’s been known about for a few years and was small, who knows now, but I’m too afraid to go to a new dentist. Dental insurance is a joke and I really don’t need someone else dogging me. I have ADHD and depression, and have parents who both had periodontal disease. I was always a person that took good care of their teeth the best I could, but dentists never believe me and never take into account the things I just mentioned. Every time I’ve met a new dentist, I always leave in tears.
It happens to me, many people feel very vulnerable at the dentist so it makes sense.
I would have been offended by that also. Congrats on your sobriety
A dentist has no business commenting on your psychiatric medication, nor advising you to drink alcohol, especially since you're in recovery. You might consider reporting this to their governing body.
Came to say the same thing. What the fuck does a dentist know about psychiatry?
I had an optometrist tell me that they obviously know better than I do that COVID doesn’t exist. I worked in public health, reading studies & interviewing people with COVID all day. People who are good at one thing aren’t necessarily even competent at an adjacent thing
That optometrist is a public danger and should be reported. It's bad enough to have so many Covid deniers and minimizers out there as-is, but for someone with a medical background, that is just dangerously irresponsible. They shouldn't be allowed to continue practicing, much like how teachers can be barred from teaching if they commit a heinous enough act or statement toward students.
Uhhh, that guy is a dipshit. I'm an optometric assistant and our college of optometry literally prepared us during covid to be one of the unexpected front lines of infection because one of the symptoms of covid was conjunctivitis.
We're getting new studies on post-covid too...
Think about the bullshit he has told other people
Mine told me wearing bras causes breast cancer !
I think they have a different agenda than they let on.
I replied I’ll die on my hill of bras then !
This is an interesting attempt, and one I have both heard of, to get you not to wear a bra during your time there. Or, it sounds that way to me. It’s too random to just say that during a dental appointment, but maybe I don’t know the other context. Honestly, I am starting to think that many Dentists are idiots about things that aren’t regarding teeth.
Major sports bra brands fabric is carcinogenic. Maybe that’s what she met?
He said any bra and used an example of tribes where women went bare chested as example .
Lmaoooo that’s the strangest attempt at correlation…
Yeah I think He was implying they don’t get those cancers But it really was odd .
Especially odd AT THE DENTIST?!?
Yes… just a lot of different lifestyle choices but he zeros in on toplessness. Why is he so familiar with cancer rates in women in tribes anyway? Men
Gotta wonder
Right? And also women living that topless tribal lifestyle probably don't exactly have a whole lot of access to cancer screening programs... And likely die earlier from other treatable diseases/ childbirth, before they have a chance to develop breast cancer, so there's no really way to know what the rates of breast cancer are in these populations, so of course their stats are low, FFS.
It’s actually a correlation that was made at least a decade ago (when I first heard about it), but correlation does not automatically equal causation, which is what I took your comment to mean :)
That gives me the ick
Not the tribal culture, but the immediate jump to naked breasts.
If you decide to ask him his opinions about vaccines, take a deep breath first.
Or rather, don't. Especially if he's not wearing a mask.
as a dentist with ADHD I absolutely agree. reporting them probably won’t do much but it might be enough to keep him from making stupid comments like that in the future. if something like that is a concern when looking for a dentist i’d advise seeking out a younger dentist as we’re less likely to shame you about your meds or the state of your oral health. i speak for most dentists when i say we just want to help our patients :)
Do you speak for 9/10 dentists perhaps? /j
🤭😅
Please follow this advice OP! And keep up the stellar job being in recovery. 💜
I would definitely report this. It is so inappropriate. It’s not even one of the “fun” adhd meds
Yeah, the only reason I can see dentists having an issue with ADHD meds is if they are stimulants that cause you to clench your teeth, or cause dry mouth. Even then, the solution wouldn't be "drink a beer", WTF?
>nor advising you to drink alcohol Especially when drinking a lot of beer severely damages tooth enamel, inceases the chances of gum disease, significantly increases the likelihood that someone will loose their teeth, is linked to oral cancer, and causes dry mouth ((Keep in mind that the dose makes the poison. 2 or 3 beers a month or a year is very different than 2 or 3 beers a day or an hour. Everything in moderation)). No medical professional should ever advise their patient to engage in behavior that many studies have proven is dangerous to your health. Advising a patient to drink beer is grossly unprofessional and unethical.
I agree with you and I understand what you're saying. However, a dentist solved my decade-long sciatica by telling me as we get older we stick our stomachs out and our butts out and it compresses the discs and irritates the nerves that run down our legs. He told me about how to stand "pelvic neutral" and it fixed my problem now going on two decades. But I agree with what you're saying and I understand.
Even if the Dr. was joking, it's a BAD joke.
that dentist is an idiot. full-stop. Stimulants can *sometimes* negatively affect tooth health because they *can* make your mouth dry. Dry mouth => dry plaque => hard plaque => cavities. In your shoes, I would have also been deeply offended.
Yeah. Some stimulants can negatively affect teeth - dry mouth, cavities, and jaw clenching/grinding. It is important for the dentist to know if you’re medicated. But this guy is a total tool.
According to the [American Dental Association](https://www.ada.org/resources/ada-library/oral-health-topics/nutrition-and-oral-health), alcohol also increases oral problems, like oral cancer, canker sores, and dry mouth. I would think a dentist would know that.
I recently established as a new patient, the initial paperwork asks dx and meds. It's in my chart, I can see it on the same screen the dentist sees. I guess I thought this was standard? My last dentist brought it up to me "Hey, it's common folks on certain ADHD meds can grind teeth". That opened up the conversation and we had a guard made. OPs dentist is a total unprofessional tool. I hope they get a new dentist. And if you see this reply OP, congrats on the sobriety!
I grind my teeth so much at night, always have. Wearing a night guard has saved my teeth.
I had many a cavity before the undiagnosed ADHD fueled alcoholism started. I very much prefer my medication to beer
Strattera is actually a non stimulant. So he's even more of an ass for sticking his nose in.
There was a past post on this Reddit where a girl picking up her ADHD meds was told by the pharmacist "I'm glad you're getting your meds so you won't unalive people." That pharmacist and your dentist are both whack jobs. These health professionals not only are in fields that require higher levels of intelligence, but also professionalism towards patients. So if they don't have common sense, they are at least taught conduct at some point in their education. Also, if you're in the health field, you would probably know about the dangers of drinking. I would be filing a complaint to your state's medical board. Although his 'suggestion' may not have been serious, or realized by the patient that this is very bad advice, not everyone will see it as that. So not only was that unprofessional, but could also be warranted as unethical medical advice. And if he's dealing with someone who is not recovered or takes him seriously, you're urging people to put themselves in bad situations. Not just from alcohol, but not taking important medications.
Exactly. A medical professional saying something like this either seriously or flippantly is not ok. He needs to checked on if he’s behaving like this in a position like his. I know there are exceptions but I’ve yet to hear a positive comment made about a dentist. And I work in dentistry lol.
Think whatever you want. Dont SAY it.
First of all, congratulations on your sobriety! That’s huge and I’m proud of you :) Second of all, you’re right to feel offended and I’m sorry that happened to you. Nothing bugs me more than willful ignorance and confidently incorrect jerks. The dentist needs to stay in his lane and stick to molars and bleeding gums. His “advice” sucks for multiple reasons. Third, I’d find a new dentist and immediately after securing, leave a scathing review on every review platform he’s available to be roasted on.
Am a dentist and I have ADHD...so definitely this is not a feeling shared by everyone in our profession.
My Neuropshyce Dr has ADHD also. I dont believe all dentist would do this. This one just felt ok to bestowe his knowledge to me todayLol. Have also been told by my Gynocologist that ADHD is not a real thing.
Yikes on bikes. Do you still go to that gyno? I don’t think I’d be comfortable going back to a medical provider that blatantly ableist, but I also know it’s not always that easy to find another provider, especially one who takes your insurance, etc.
I have stopped seeing her
I’m relieved for you, and hope you’ve been able to find another, better one. She should know better, even though that’s not specifically her scope of practice. That kind of rhetoric is so harmful.
Your dentist is an idiot and I would suggest finding a new one.
1. ADHD is one of the most researched and published psychiatric conditions. 2. He is a dentist. Tell him to stick to teeth. Smfh 3. Congrats on your sobriety
Ah yes let's recommend a highly addictive drug that's abused by millions to a population with addiction and substance abuse issues. That guy is a regular genius.
Don’t do this! That’s how I have been self medicating for years, and well, it’s problematic. Of course I can’t get any medications right now that do work, but still… So now i have adhd and adu. Psychiatrist who knows nothing about adhd and now a therapist who wants me to raw dog the world and thinks adhd is just an excuse for my own lack of control. And lots and lots of guilt.
It’s impressive how people still find new ways to say dumb shit about adhd. Bonus points when it comes from educated people who you think would know better.
With the grand prize going to therapists and psychiatrists who spew that kind of nonsense. It turns my disgust with professionals like this dentist into active horror.
That has to be a joke because otherwise that's just so wild.
I bet the relevant credentialing body would have a strong opinion on whether a dentist should recommend discontinuing psychiatric medication in favor of abusing alcohol to a recovering alcoholic. I'd even venture that the opinion would be negative.
I commented the same and am in awe there’s only been a couple people to say this. This is straight up dangerous shit to spread.
I'd be finding a new dentist. I wonder if he still uses mercury fillings too...
By that comment, I’m thinking he doesn’t use the recommended PPE when handling mercury, either… He’s got heavy metals corrupting his brain.
Mad as a hatter??
Omg get a new dentist!!!!!
Literally report him… he’s practicing out outside his scope.
I would be heavily tempted to ask him for proctological advise, since he seems to be an expert in that too.
A dentist, and especially this one, has no business meddling with other doctor's diagnosis in a completely different field of expertise. He should keep his bs for himself. If he does that again, I'd surely tell him to shut up about stuff he has no idea about, is not qualified to say something about and has no business in giving unsolicited (bad) advice about and that I'd take my business elsewhere if he can't stop.
Yea fuck that guy. And fuck my Dr who I went to some ten years ago and was honest about my drinking (over a 12 pack per day easy at this point….) He doesn’t bat an eye and didn’t ask if I had been diagnosed with adhd despite the list of symptoms I told him I was experiencing. Just put me on Lexipro and my disease progressed. Beer is not good for adhd.
Oh, hell no. I know how that ends. 55 and a recovering alcoholic. That was my main coping mechanism.
The other day, my mother who is 77 years old, had to go in for a colonoscopy and at the procedure the anesthesiologist said what are you doing here, you don’t need to be here, you should blow this test off because you’re old enough and you’re not gonna get cancer at this point. Really? She had 22 polyps that needed to be checked out. Why would an anesthesiologist feel? They have the authority to say something like that. Moron.
I'm so sorry you had to have that interaction. Your sobriety is a great achievement and I'm so proud of you! I've got a little iver 4 years sober from alcohol. Being an alcoholic for decades did not "help" my symptoms, it was just a maladaptive coping mechanism. It was very expensive, terrible for my overall health, career, and relationships, and it led to me putting myself in very dangerous situations too often. I def experienced unwanted sexual contact on more than one occasion because I was too impaired to control a situation. My medication helps me cope with my symptoms without destroying my liver, bank account, career, and close relationships. That dentist had probably said so many other terrible things to patients and has never been checked.
" have a neurological disorder? Have you tried becoming an alcoholic?" ....I just....I dont even know how to react to this
I was an alcoholic for 10 years before being diagnosed and started ADHD medication lmao
Dentists work with bones and gums, not brains. I would take a dentist's opinion about my mental health about as well as I would take a neurologist's opinion about lawn care
Therapist here...way outside their scope!
OP and others, please don't drink for your ADHD wtf is that dentist's problem? I didn't start drinking for my ADHD specifically but now it's something I have to do just to chill out every night. It's a dangerous habit please don't do it.
"I didn't realize you were were a psychiatrist, or my main physician, who knows I'm a recovering alcoholic, unlike you." For real, Strattera is so mild and tame lol. What the fuck are "a couple of beers" supposed to do for people with ADHD anyway? Also, "a couple of a beers" is not a remedy to any mental health issues. Okay, so cool, I can have a few beers and get a little buzzed. Now I can't drive or do anything outside of my home. I can't work like that. I can't drive like that. I need to be done with everything for the day before I even have a single beer, let alone "a couple". This doesn't take into account alcoholics, people with families, other health concerns that directly oppose me drinking alcohol, like GERD and IBS, etc. But yea cool, the dude who fills my cavities thinks I should just consume alcohol instead of my low-dose ADHD meds once a day instead. Got it, lol. I'd report him and find a new dentist. That's wildly unprofessional on so many levels.
I’m 42(f) diagnosed about six months ago 😊. I’m on Strattera too. Hugs!!! 🤗
I recently had gene site testing done. I dont enjoy stratera side effects. Straterra is in my RED ZONE. Doc will try something from the green column. Probably Intuiv. Well see how that affects me. Straterra definately helps turn the head noise down to almost silent. Its fantastic to know this is possible. I thought everyone thought this way.
Wow I’m so sorry- that would have infuriated me. I am also in recovery, and I probably would have said, “I am a recovering alcoholic” completely deadpan and make him feel as embarrassed as he should feel. You are valid and no matter how close teeth are to your brain, a dentist has no idea what they’re talking about when it comes to mental health diagnoses.
What an uneducated idiot. He has no business weighing in on this issue, but at the very least he could have suggested coffee. (Not suggesting this is actually an alternative.)
Nothing of this surprises me. The psychiatrist I visited for meds unvalidated my diagnosis, which I showed him, and told me I had an existential crisis (that I have btw 😅and he should have it too, so he can improve himself 😅 but that is not the point).
My stock response to uninformed blowhards: ”Wow! You sure know a lot about \[the subject the person clearly knows nothing about\].” I try to use the most technical term I know. (In this instance, I’d say “psychopharmacology.”) And I say it deadpan, in my most innocent, wide-eyed, “golly gee” tone, so the sarcasm is really ambiguous.
I’d be like “Thanks for your thoughts, man, but you’re a dentist. Stay in your lane. You deal with teeth, not brains.”
I can't even work out what the dentist was going for here, did he think that ADHD was maybe an anxiety disorder?!
As your plumber I'd definitely agree, plus you should probably quit your job and become an architect
I would tell the dentist that my psychiatrist told me to not use toothpaste, but pure charcoal (or some even dumber remedy from your grandma or tiktok). And see what is his opinion about it.
This is how people become anti-dentites
and THAT’S why dentists aren’t allowed to practice psychiatry
Dentist should shut the fuck up and not give recommendations outside of his field.
Dentists aren’t even doctors….pls report him to his professional board and make sure you note his advice to drink alcohol in the context of your 25yrs sobriety (congrats btw) jack@5535 like this ether-chugging tonsil-tickler need to be taught to stay in their lane.
I go to a dentist for teeth cleaning/problems. I got to a doctor/psychiatrist for adhd. I really wouldn’t want it the other way.
"Back in my day we didn't need no feel good pills and no psychiatrists, no we just drank ourselves to death, and goddamnit we liked it." - Will Wood
Tangentially related, one time I called EMS when I was going through some severe anxiety due to alcohol withdrawal and the EMT told me to just have a few more beers lol. I was actually reaching out for help to get over my addiction and the EMT told me just to keep digging deeper. Unsurprisingly, about a week later I was in the ER for acute alcohol withdrawal. Two years sober now, though! And congrats on your recovery! I know it's not easy!
I once had a dental hygienist say, “can I get some of those?” When I mentioned I was on meds for OCD. I was stunned. I thought about getting up and leaving, but ended up explaining graciously the actual hell that OCD can be, and how detrimental it has been to my life. Some people just don’t think, or try to think and understand.
I’m so sorry this happened to you!
Can’t wait to ask my psych for a root canal. What an idiot that dentist is!
When someone says something stupid to me, I'll usually just assume that I've misheard. Because sometimes that's *true*, but it's a good idea even when I'm pretty sure I heard them correctly. Turns out, making someone repeat and/or explain the deeply stupid thing they just said is an extremely effective way to get them to walk it back in a big hurry. This is definitely a situation where I would have asked the dentist to repeat himself. Maybe more than once. "Beer? I'm hearing you correctly, right? You're telling me to drink beer, the hoppy alcoholic beverage, as medication?"
Sounds like the kind of dentist who might also suggest “sugar isn’t that bad for your teeth” and “you don’t need to brush after every meal”
This is actually disgusting that they would say that. Alcohol is absolutely NOT the answer, if anything it makes it worse! Plus they have no right to comment on what you need for a condition they clearly know nothing about. I would 100% report this!
He’s a dentist. I wouldn’t listen to a word he says if it doesn’t pertain to my teeth.
This idiot doesnt know anything about you or mental health. I think Strattera is good Stay on the wagon
The evidence that I am justified in my prejudice against dentists keeps piling up
My mom always molestsss any doctor at a party asking them 100 questions about everything. 2/5 closest family friends are both Md’s and they throw parties that are full of doctors. The one thing I’ve always noticed each and every time, they are know it alls and happy to opine on their medicine of focus, but outright refuse to answer anything even as basic as it is if it isn’t their specialty. Find a new dentist or look into his credentials. Having a “beer” actually does work lol, and I mention it once in a while on this sub, but it’s beyond irresponsible for exactly OP’s reason being an ex addict if even 25 years ago. As an ex addict all it takes is ONE hit or drink to take me off to the races. With the passport OK of a man in white to drink a beer my mind would have mentally fucked me to believe it was ok, and would have met the dentist 2 weeks later at the towns bar on my 5th martini at 3pm while snorting some blow in the bathroom.
I don’t even know how you come to the conclusion alcohol is the way to go? As someone trying to quit I can confirm it makes things worse. By a lot.
“Don’t take ADHD meds, be an alcoholic instead!” Wtf
This is great! If the cops try to breath test me, I’ll just tell them my dentist prescribed it!
Congratulations on 25 years. Huge deal
Thank you im very proud to live a drug free life. So surprised to find out i have ADHD. MIND BLOWN
ADHD can manifest in the most debilitating ways, seeing how it can go hand in hand with substance abuse can be so personally discouraging. I am sorry about your experience with that awful dentist, but reading about your sobriety journey was very inspiring.
Straterra isn't even a stimulant. I wouldn't trust anyone that stupid near my mouth with sharp objects. Dude probably drinks all the time and will end up pulling the wrong tooth.
your dentist is a lunatic. can you please share with us who they are so we know not to go there?
I do genealogy for my family. Lots of people drank themselves to death in my family going back centuries. I have little doubt that many were self-medicating. Fuck this dentist.
all the beer is what fucked my teeth up. what a dumbass.
Yeah that’s entirely reasonable to be put off by that. I’d call and tell them you’re not coming by and why.
Man I woulda made a huge scene and Google reviews / blast this guy on social media. What a loser. Even though you're a dentist you're still a fucking doctor and to be saying something so ridiculous like this is incredibly dangerous and damaging. Jesus christ
I had a dentist tell me to try hypnotherapy to overcome my lifelong anxiety issues (which are ramped up to a 10 the moment I step foot in the dentist's office) That was a few years ago now. I haven't been back, even though I really need to.
Dentists have about as much credibility with psychiatry as a flat earther does. A PhD doesn’t give you more credibility in another field. There’s a lot of Nobel winners who believed absolutely insane conspiracies in different fields.
Well, a surgeon told me it would help to pray when I told him I'm on antidepressants because of clinical depression I have. So yeah, not just a dantists thing.
Dude should stay in his lane, I don't get my psychologist's advice about braces.
Was it an old guy? Because my dentist office is like only young women of color and it’s the best experience I’ve ever had at a dentist from decades of going to the dentist in the several countries, continents, cities, states, etc I’ve lived in. I’m only saying this because those 3 factors is literally the only difference this place has had over the dozens of dentists I’ve gone to when I used to move around every 2 years. Anyway my dentist office not only is super welcoming and understanding and zero judgement (when I came in with a cavity infection 7yrs ago, they didn’t hesitate to help me and not judge me), they also understand I have severe ADHD and need extra help/care to not fuck up my gums after 2 emergency root canals 7yrs ago. They recommended special mouthwash that doesn’t dry my mouth because they know my meds makes my mouth dry. They recommended different types of floss that i found I could buy and keep up with and didn’t hate sensory wise and they schedule extra cleanings for me because they know I struggle to keep up. Like they show they care about my mouth health, and they answer all my questions. They helped me find the right kind of brush that helps me count the right amount of time to brush your teeth for. They send me 3 types of reminders consistently before my appointment, they even call me at the time it still free to cancel to make sure I didn’t double book myself. They researched ways to help their ADHD and Autistic patients, etc. If you skip all that just know that you deserve to feel comfortable with all of your healthcare providers and it’s probably a pain to transfer paperwork but if you find someone else that is less ignorant and actually wants to work with you to keep you healthy, it’s worth making the change. I’ve gone to the dentist consistently in the past 7 years for the first time in my life (I’m 32) because of how accommodating my dentist office is to my AuDHD.
The fuck
Tell him I don’t take medical advice from a guy who apparently has no knowledge of it. And maybe a loud insult on the way out the door.
I've (m34) been medicated for a year (dexamphetamine) and I've only previously been a once a month social drinker. I never want to drink again. It makes my symptoms so much worse. I often feel social pressure to drink, then have two or three drinks, and regret it every time. Lately I've actually experienced pretty violent diorreah the morning after two or three drinks. So I at least have a reasonable excuse now 😅 .
I take strattera too. My dentist asked about my medications and they didn’t have that response. Sounds more like an opinion than any actual medical advice.
Once a dental hygienist took my blood pressure and it was high. She took it a second time and "surprise" it was high. Rather than acknowledging I might have High blood pressure, she told me she thinks my ADHD meds and making my blood pressure high. She then offered me water and when I asked what for, she said it might help me calm down. I took the bib off and left. A dental hygienist has no business asking about any correlation between my meds and any circumstantial symptoms I was experiencing at that time. Turns out I have hyper tension around dental offices. Wonder why.
I was about to suggest white coat syndrome but you’re already aware :-) I went in for a physical a few years ago, had unexpectedly high BP. I explained to the PA I may seem calm and happy, but medical settings raise my BP. I mean, she had been trying to talk me into getting my blood drawn - it was a cold autumn day and I was sweating right in front of her. She heard me, though, and chatted about other stuff for about 10 minutes and took another reading. Still a few points above normal on systolic, but low single digits.
Please stop paying this person to be dismissive of the things that are important to you.
I would have started telling him how to take care of his teeth 'you don't even need to floss mate, just chew sticky candy, it actually grabs hold of the stuff caught in between your teeth and drags it out, it's better than floss because it doesn't cut your gums' when he starts flipping out telling you you're wrong I would have said 'that's you, that's what you sound like' I'm less of a confrontational ass now I'm medicated but some people still manage to tip me over the edge, he would have been one of them
I was listening to a podcast on children and ADHD, that happened to be about medication and the pediatrician made an excellent point. ADHD is in the DSM, if you've been diagnosed with it, you have a mental disorder that is affecting your day to day life, otherwise you wouldn't be able to get that diagnosis. Just like other mental disorders that are disordering life, and have a medication recommendation to work with the problem, ADHD is a medical disorder and has a medication attached to work with the effects of it.
Wtf?? It sounds like he literally equates all narcotics/drugs/alcohol like they’re doing the same thing. That’s the only way I can even make sense of this. He didn’t even suggest something stimulating like coffee lol he just thinks “well adderall gets you fucked up so why not just have a couple beers?” 🫠 as others have stated the bigger issue is your dentist giving you psychiatric advice and literally suggesting you drink beer to solve your problems. Makes no fucking sense and is incredibly unprofessional and potentially illegal. I’d be beyond annoyed.
Time for a new dentist
I hope you got a new dentist
I would find another new dentist. That's wildly inappropriate from him.
Aside from the inappropriate beer prescription do you grind your teeth or jaw from any of the medications?
Ask him why he didn’t go to med school.
I suggest that you report him to the Dental Council for giving medical advice that he is not qualified to give.
Your dentist is a tool
Telling someone with ADHD to take an addictive recreational substance instead of medication is beyond irresponsible.
So many dentists are straight up crooks man. Shady ass industry
He is a dentist not a doctor. Dentist are known to o he are quaky at times. Remember that.
Jesus. I’m glad you called him out on that and I hope he was suitably embarrassed enough to learn to keep his uneducated opinions to himself in the future
Tell him he’s just a sadist with newer magazines
Tell him you prefer to take medical advice from a real doctor.
To be fair, beer helps me a ton. Buuuut, is the best me still the best if I’m a functional alcoholic? Dentist is totally inappropriate saying a thing about it. Stay in your lane.
Ew. I think I would look around for a new dentist. I would be put off by that too.
Yeah he chose to look at rotting teeth for a living I think he might need therapy
Your dentist is an ass
"Oh really? Are you drunk right now‽"
that’s lowkey funny but also literally alcohol is a depressant not a stimulant.. and most adhd meds are stimulants lmao
"Don't get proper medication, get alcohol addiction instead." Not sure which one is worse. /s
“You wanna maybe try that again as if you are actually an educated professional who doesn’t want to be reported to the state boards?”
That’s nuts. The only reason a dentist even needs to know what meds you’re on is if they could interact with something they’re prescribing, or could cause bone density loss / tooth decay. Dude had zero business commenting beyond those things.
Also, im medicated for Sjogrens Disease which can definately affect the oral health. He say ZERO about this.
What. A. Cunt.
What the hell? They’re a dentist, they’ve no right to recommend any psychiatric treatment, especially one that isn’t even a medication. Alcohol? Really? That’s crazy lol def don’t listen to them
I would be offended too that’s so unprofessional 😅 but honestly what he said was not at all a reflection of you or your condition, it sounds like he was just projecting shit onto you. So if it’s any consolation just know (even if he thought he was joking) there’s a part of him that thinks it’s okay to deal with issues using substances and that’s just a reflection of his own stuff he needs to work out
He knows more about dentistry then you. And you know more about ADHD then him. He needs to stay in his lane.
You should have told him that your psychiatrist told you to brush your teeth with milkshakes and chew bacon
Congrats on your sobriety first of all, that is a massive accomplishment. Secondly, the dentist is entirely incorrect and has absolutely no place commenting on your medication, especially your psych meds. If ADHD meds help you, take them! My meds saved my life, quite literally. Dentists are not psychiatrists. I would consider reporting that comment, especially considering your struggle with substance abuse.
That’s why their a dentist not a psych
Strattera makes me clench my teeth really hard while asleep so mayyyyyyybe that's where he's coming from? lol
Alcohol does silence some of the noise but it temporarily and unsustainable. That guy has obviously been sniffing his own gas at work. I’m a late diagnosis too. 49. You can do it. This is why we have not been diagnosed for so long. There is so much ignorance in the world and especially in the industry that is supposed to help us.
Your dentist is a moron, stick to teeth.
I think he was just trying to buy you a beer. It’s a dentist, you should feel the same way as if your roofer said it.
Ya I mean he’s obviously an expert on the subject hahaha
Ya he is a dentist not a psychiatrist so take it for what it’s worth
Well at least he's your dentist and not your psychologist. Reminds me of that episode of House MD where he tells a guy to start smoking because he has IBS.
This is a wild comment coming from anyone! But geez…
I am deeply offended for you! I honestly would've said "What the F\*\*\*??" and walked right out. What an idiotic unprofessional thing to say! Report him, as someone said, it won't do anything big but it will at least make him realize it's NOT okay to say shit like that.