Dear Literary Loves,
Folks, there has not been too much to shout about in terms of memoir releases as of late. And since we are bringing 2019 to a close, I have been busy getting any remaining health appointments completed that needed to be checked off for the year. Thus, I have discovered in my diligent pursuit of optimal health that there is a first time for everything including firing one's dentist.
Initially, when I move to a new city and state I review all dental offices and dentists in a three mile radius of my address. Once that's accomplished I begin looking at the education and experience levels of dentists. I'll be straight, there are some dentists I pass on because the school where they studied is not ranked highly. I have always had male dentists and I am noticing that quite a few female dentists make up the profession now. So when I selected a dentist upon moving to North Carolina, I went with one who had been trained by and studied under an oral surgeon I utilized for a skin grafting surgery in my 20s with many moons of experience under his belt and who did such an outstanding skin grafting procedure on my lower gum that no dentist has ever been able to tell I have had that type of oral surgery done.
I even went to visit the dental practice of the new dentist. You can tell a lot by just sitting in a medical office waiting room. Are patients fidgeting because their appointment time has already come and gone and they are still waiting to be seen? If the office staff answers a call from someone needing to be seen for a dental emergency, is that person able to see the dentist the same day? How professional is the dental hygiene staff? How long does it take the front office staff to notice that someone is sitting in their waiting room that did not check in for an appointment? How clean is the office? Is the dentist whose name is on the front door the actual dentist that sees patients for an exam after a dental cleaning? Are there dental patients who are calling or present in the office complaining about the cost of a prior dental procedure and the lack of the practice's willingness to work with them regarding payment?
So the dentist I selected scored outstandingly well for the first two years my husband and I received dental care from her/him. But then I heard that he/she was opening a second office elsewhere in the city. RED FLAG. SIRENS START BLARING IN MY HEAD. Though this means more revenue for the selected dentist, it also means she/he is spreading him/herself too thin. Then the dental hygiene staff started coming and going. My husband was able to get an appointment with the next most experienced hygienist after our original hygienist left; however, it took three appointments before the office staff could get me correctly booked with that same hygienist.
Additionally, I had been informed by my selected dentist that one of my crowns would need to be redone because it was not fitted properly at the base causing food and bacteria to be trapped in the gap between my gum and crown. During my next two dental visits, my selected dentist said absolutely nothing about the crown needing replacement?? Did he/she forget about the problem? Was the problem not marked as an ongoing issue that needed to be addressed in my future dental visits? Would my dentist not be liable if some major dental impairment resulted due to him/her not replacing the crown? I am a stickler about meticulous dental hygiene so naturally all these red flags were causing anxiety in terms of being assured my dental care was of the highest quality.
Then the straw that broke the camel's back occurred. My husband went for a dental cleaning one Monday morning at 7:30 a.m. Later that evening he came home to tell me he thought the dental hygienist was "pushing" for him to agree to fluoride treatments. Then our selected dentist appeared for the dental exam, showed him an x-ray and proceeded to tell my husband that a small pencil dot of darkness behind one of his upper front teeth was indicative of dead tissue which would indicate the necessity of a root canal in the future. My husband is an electrical engineer who has not had even a cavity in fifteen years. He demanded to examine the spot on the x-ray himself. As he informed me, there was no dark pencil dot behind the front tooth exhibited on the x-ray. There was a fuzzy spot, but there was definitely no darkness to it or shadowing. He mentioned this inconsistency to the dentist and said he wanted a second opinion before he would ever consent for a major dental procedure such as a root canal.
Thus, we have decided there are too many incidents whereby our selected dentist and his/her dental office staff have been inconsistent with our dental care. From the time I learned of our dentist opening a second practice, I made sure to make it known that I did not want any other dentist conducting my dental examinations or procedures. At times, I have been called the day before my appointment and told the dentist would not be there during my scheduled appointment. This is not adequate time for me to rebook the appointment as it may take another two months before I can secure an opening for a dental cleaning with my preferred dental hygienist. And I do not want to go in for my dental cleaning and play musical chairs when it comes to the dentist who is conducting my dental exams. That is not fair to me as a patient. It reeks of unprofessionalism and neglect of care. Remember, dentists must have malpractice insurance as well as any doctor.
So yes, I fired my dentist and have now found one that meets my standards in terms of educational background and experience. The new dentist has a partner so if I have a dental emergency I am assured if my dentist is not on call to assist me then his dental partner most definitely will be. And my new dentist has a dental partner with at equally optimal education and experience level so I feel assured my dental care could be handled judiciously and in an expert manner even if my newly selected dentist had to be away from the practice for a given period of time. Plus, these are the only two dentists that will be following my dental care. I will not arrive for an appointment and suddenly have a "substitute" dentist who I have never met suddenly present him/herself to conduct my dental exam.
If you ever feel your doctor or dentist is giving you subpar or second rate care do not hesitate to look for a new provider. Sometimes doctors and dentists are attracted to money over quality dental or medical care and that is just the reality of the world we live in today. I know that I do not have to settle for any doctor or dentist who does not have their priorities straight; therefore, I can take my business elsewhere to a doctor/dentist that values quality dental care over the almighty dollar. Having a choice in who conducts my medical and dental care is my fundamental right and I never take it for granted. Neither should you.
Best,
Grace
(Amy)
