Have you had an awkward experiences with a dentist?

[diene]

Because I am bored and December 1st is too far, I thought I would share one of my recent experiences with an OMS. If you have had any bad/awkward experiences, it would be fun to hear them!

My GP sent me to an OMS to extract a wisdom tooth because she thought she would break it, since it was angled. She had taken a single tooth x-ray and said that she would send it over to the OMS, so I would not have to do another x-ray. I go in to see the OMS..He comes in and says, "How are you? What's wrong?" I tell him about my tooth and he then looks at the x-ray and angrily says, "What is this? I can't use this. I will be needing another x-ray." His assistant comes and takes me over to the x-ray area. He tells me that he will be doing a panoramic x-ray and it will cost be $85..and asks if that would be okay with me. I go ahead and get the x-ray done. Obviously, an OMS has to see all my other teeth to be able to extract one, while my GP was satisfied with the one tooth x-ray. He then comes back, glances at the x-ray, and explains the situation. He then numbs my teeth and extracts the tooth. "You okay?" He then wraps up the procedure and leaves. His assistant comes in and explains the post extraction procedures. Oh and the assistant was nice enough to have a casual conversation about the current weather, which I really appreciated after the awkwardness with the doctor.
When I had first agreed to go to the OMS, I was pretty excited to have an opportunity to ask about shadowing him. By the end of the visit, I was intimidated by his demeanor and the four phrases he had spoken to me. While he was a very capable dentist and did a good job with the extraction, I am not sure if I want to pay him for my other wisdom teeth. He clearly lacked communication skills (at least with me).

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[diene]

oopsies..typo in the title
*Have you had an awkward experience with a dentist?

 

[Kahr]

On the bright side, he at least performed the procedure without fault. 😳

In a similar vein, I went to a dentist in Kew Gardens, a neighborhood of Queens NY a few years back when I still living there. Mostly I went to see the dentist and the office and inquire about shadowing, but I also needed a cleaning. As someone inconsistent with flossing my gums bled a little bit, as they almost always do after my dental visits. Usually the doc asks me if I floss. So this time I pre-empted and said outright I only floss 1-2 times a week at best.

The dentist, a 6'5"-ish man in his 60s with long white hair down to the middle of his back, looks at me puzzled, as if what I was suggesting for the gum bleeding was ludicrous. He then confidently announced that I must have scurvy, and was in need of a Vitamin C supplement or a change in diet.

I'm still not sure if he was serious or just screwing with me... (I eat plenty of foods with Vitamin C by the way).

 

[diene]

On the bright side, he at least performed the procedure without fault. 😳

In a similar vein, I went to a dentist in Kew Gardens, a neighborhood of Queens NY a few years back when I still living there. Mostly I went to see the dentist and the office and inquire about shadowing, but I also needed a cleaning. As someone inconsistent with flossing my gums bled a little bit, as they almost always do after my dental visits. Usually the doc asks me if I floss. So this time I pre-empted and said outright I only floss 1-2 times a week at best.

The dentist, a 6'5"-ish man in his 60s with long white hair down to the middle of his back, looks at me puzzled, as if what I was suggesting for the gum bleeding was ludicrous. He then confidently announced that I must have scurvy, and was in need of a Vitamin C supplement or a change in diet.

I'm still not sure if he was serious or just screwing with me... (I eat plenty of foods with Vitamin C by the way).

did he continue on to suggest that you would be needing an x-ray or several other procedures? -__- Dentists are notorious for doing that. My family thinks that dentists are ripoffs, but I am on a mission to prove them wrong 😀
P.S. I hope as a dental student, you floss more often 😉

 

[finchy86]

I have always been irritated when seeing any health professional that never looks at me but somehow manages to communicate. It is also annoying when they are so hurried. I don't know if I would call these too annoyances awkward but it is certainly unprofessional in my opinion. I know that not everyone has the time to discuss their hopes and dreams but at least give me the time of day to look at me and have some discussion or communication.

Diene, I know how ya feel. And Kahr what a bizarre experience haha.

 

[doc toothache]

My GP sent me to an OMS to extract a wisdom tooth because she thought she would break it, since it was angled. She had taken a single tooth x-ray and said that she would send it over to the OMS, so I would not have to do another x-ray. I go in to see the OMS..He comes in and says, "How are you? What's wrong?" I tell him about my tooth and he then looks at the x-ray and angrily says, "What is this? I can't use this. I will be needing another x-ray." His assistant comes and takes me over to the x-ray area. He tells me that he will be doing a panoramic x-ray and it will cost be $85..and asks if that would be okay with me. I go ahead and get the x-ray done. Obviously, an OMS has to see all my other teeth to be able to extract one, while my GP was satisfied with the one tooth x-ray. He then comes back, glances at the x-ray, and explains the situation. He then numbs my teeth and extracts the tooth. "You okay?" He then wraps up the procedure and leaves. His assistant comes in and explains the post extraction procedures. Oh and the assistant was nice enough to have a casual conversation about the current weather, which I really appreciated after the awkwardness with the doctor.
When I had first agreed to go to the OMS, I was pretty excited to have an opportunity to ask about shadowing him. By the end of the visit, I was intimidated by his demeanor and the four phrases he had spoken to me. While he was a very capable dentist and did a good job with the extraction, I am not sure if I want to pay him for my other wisdom teeth. He clearly lacked communication skills (at least with me).

Your oral surgeon may have been rude, but he clearly deemed that the pa sent by your GP was not of any value for his purpose. Moreover, neither the patient nor the referring dentist is in a position to dictate to another professional what is or is not an acceptable x-ray. Your oms may also have been distraught at your decision/gp's recommendation to extract the 3rd M on a piece meal basis. Since you were unhappy with him, he may have saved himself having to write an lor.

 

[KittySquared]

While he was a very capable dentist and did a good job with the extraction, I am not sure if I want to pay him for my other wisdom teeth. He clearly lacked communication skills (at least with me).

That's sort of the stereotype of oral surgeons. They want to be in and out. Not much of talkers. If you want to shadow, you can always ask around and call up offices. Surely you'll meet some more talkative and personable specialists who'd be happy to take you under their wings.



I don't really have awkward/bad experiences with dentists overall, but in the old country, I was strapped in chair without dental anesthesia during restorations and extractions. I don't really have words to describe my experiences. It is what it is.

 

[Kahr]

I don't really have awkward/bad experiences with dentists overall, but in the old country, I was strapped in chair without dental anesthesia during restorations and extractions. I don't really have words to describe my experiences. It is what it is.

😱😱😱

 

[doc toothache]

I don't really have awkward/bad experiences with dentists overall, but in the old country, I was strapped in chair without dental anesthesia during restorations and extractions. I don't really have words to describe my experiences. It is what it is.

What country would that be?

 

[KittySquared]

What country would that be?

I'm sorry, but I'm not comfortable giving up this information. I also lived in a really remote area of the country and had to be rushed to a vet's office for some stitches once because the hospital was way too far and I was bleeding too much. The vet sewed me up with a needle for mid-sized farm animals (goats and sheep) . Also done without anesthesia. I have the scars for it. At least it's not on my money maker.

 

[ushaseos]

I'm sorry, but I'm not comfortable giving up this information. I also lived in a really remote area of the country and had to be rushed to a vet's office for some stitches once because the hospital was way too far and I was bleeding too much. The vet sewed me up with a needle for mid-sized farm animals (goats and sheep) . Also done without anesthesia. I have the scars for it. At least it's not on my money maker.

That sounds horrible...well you're stronger for it I suppose.

Not a dentist experience but I had this old primary care physician who asked me about my undergrad since his grandson was a senior in high school. Due to my "over-represented minority" complexion, he said "your types get into Berkeley easy". Needless to say he heard an earful from me and I never went back to him . And I got into Berkeley as an International student since I only had a visa at the time (2% quota for us foreigners!) so he was doubly wrong.

 

[Msmouth]

Yikes Kitty!

I've been working in dentistry for a long time.....
One akward moment was an interview. The doctor talked the entire interview and did not ask me a thing. From the moment he started blabbing I figured the job wasn't for me but I did a working interview anyhow. There were many issues with his system of working etc (too much to get into) I knew I wouldn't come back. At the end of the day his office manager hands me a check. It was for much less than I usually work/temp for (temp going rate is well known), so rather than walk away defeated I told her to ask him to write me another check for the 'correct' amount and how dare he assume I would work for less when we didn't discuss money in the first place.
Another office I worked in, the dentist asked me out on a date. LOL now that was akward!

 

[Stacker]

one time when i was volunteering at a mission of mercy event, the dentist was pulling the plastic cover over the seats and he said to me, "this is how you put on a condom."
I'm a dude and i kinda got to know the guy so it was less creepy and more funny.

 

[dymm]

OP, if I were you I would keep going to this guy, because he's good at what he does. I wouldn't really care about him trying to small talk to me about the weather outside 😎

I'm sorry, but I'm not comfortable giving up this information. I also lived in a really remote area of the country and had to be rushed to a vet's office for some stitches once because the hospital was way too far and I was bleeding too much. The vet sewed me up with a needle for mid-sized farm animals (goats and sheep) . Also done without anesthesia. I have the scars for it. At least it's not on my money maker.

😱 what a savage. Guess I have a story...


I once went to my neighborhood dentist back in the olddd country (hah). The dental chairs were set up next to each other without partitions. I was there for a baby tooth extraction, and this supposed "celebrity" happens to be next to me- waiting to receive treatment. I started being a difficult patient when my dentist picked up the syringe (yes I am guilty of being a bad patient when I was young 😎) so the assistant lady said something along the lines of "aren't you ashamed of youself? you're embarrasing yourself in front of 'this celebrity' " in our native language. I replied to her, "I couldn't care less about this guy! can't you see I'm going through a huge ordeal Ma'am?!!???". The celeb dude and the dentist just laughed, but I think that lady got mad though (she stopped talking to me after that) 😎😎😎

 

[diene]

hahahaha you guys all have hilarious stories 🙂

I don't really have awkward/bad experiences with dentists overall, but in the old country, I was strapped in chair without dental anesthesia during restorations and extractions. I don't really have words to describe my experiences. It is what it is.

Oh no, that sounds horrible..most people's nightmare lol

Yikes Kitty!

I've been working in dentistry for a long time.....
One akward moment was an interview. The doctor talked the entire interview and did not ask me a thing. From the moment he started blabbing I figured the job wasn't for me but I did a working interview anyhow. There were many issues with his system of working etc (too much to get into) I knew I wouldn't come back. At the end of the day his office manager hands me a check. It was for much less than I usually work/temp for (temp going rate is well known), so rather than walk away defeated I told her to ask him to write me another check for the 'correct' amount and how dare he assume I would work for less when we didn't discuss money in the first place.
Another office I worked in, the dentist asked me out on a date. LOL now that was akward!

How did you deal with that, since you were already working for him?

one time when i was volunteering at a mission of mercy event, the dentist was pulling the plastic cover over the seats and he said to me, "this is how you put on a condom."
I'm a dude and i kinda got to know the guy so it was less creepy and more funny.

hahaha super awks

OP, if I were you I would keep going to this guy, because he's good at what he does. I wouldn't really care about him trying to small talk to me about the weather outside 😎

Well, I probably would have gone back if my dentist had not been able to extract the rest. I just got the last wisdom tooth out by my gp today 😀 All went well...minus getting a mini shower while getting cleaning done. The poor hygienist felt so bad that the dentist got water all over my clothes..she kept apologizing lol

 

[Msmouth]

Diene....
I just told him I had a boyfriend.....he was persistent though, LOL I should have added he was an employee at this office, so not my actual boss. But still!
By telling this story I got curious and looked him up and it turns out he opened an office in the town I currently live in! At that time I he and I worked about an hour away from here in a different county. How strange is that???