It is never the most exciting appointment to keep – that one with the dentist. We scrub and floss and hope that when we do have a check-up the drill will be left in its high-tech sleeve and not venture into our mouth. I have been lucky and for the past 30 years I have had the same dentist – a family friend. I would walk in and get a hug we would catch up a bit on families and then get down to the dentsitry business. It was a very satisfactory arrangement but like all good things these must eventually end and at 70 years my dentist retired. Well earned. So to find someone new. I chose someone close I could walk up to the surgery it seemed an ideal arrangement. So I made the appointment for a six monthly check my first with the new person and walked to the surgery. I filled in a form detailing my health and circling that I did not want my teeth whitened or any other cosmetic activities in the oral area.
Out came the young male dentist. “In here Rae” he said. So no greeting ( I didn’t expect a hug) no introduction of himself to me but I, an obedient woman, trotted in behind him to the treatment room. I had no sooner settled into the reclining chair when he had me whisked out into another room to have some photographs taken of my mouth. A procedure I hadn’t experienced before and was not really aware of what he exactly wanted he did not explain. Back in the room with the recliner and there is my mouth in glorious black and white on a computer screen. I said “Well isn’t that interesting.” He said “You have a hole in your tooth did you know that?” Well I didn’t that was the reason I was there – for him to tell me those things. “When did you see your last dentist? Did you have an xray?” His next barrage of questions. “About 6 months ago.” I replied. ” I can’t remember if I had an xray but it should be in my notes which were sent to you.” I am starting to be a bit antsy with this bloke. “I don’t have any notes.” he says. “Did they email them to me?”
“I have really no idea.” I am getting even a bit more irritated – I am the client why suddenly does it seem many things are my fault? He leaves me in the recliner and goes out to the receptionist demanding the notes. There is a flurry and a flutter and he comes back with them. At last he takes up one of those little poker things dentists use to pick at your teeth and the tiny angled mirror and starts to poke around in my mouth. I understand this procedure. Then he says “You have a lot of tarter build up on the left side of your mouth don’t you clean that side properly?”
What? Now I am being told that I don’t clean my teeth properly. I sit up in the recliner remove the bibby things from around my neck and say: “I am not happy with what is happening here I think you need to look after first time patients better than this. I am leaving now and I will pay for what you have done today but that is the end I will not be back.”
A shocked silence and I walked out. I see the receptionist. By this time I am in a towering temper.
“That man needs some lessons on how to deal with new patients I will not be back I would like my records and I will pay for the work done today.” She looks a bit stunned and scurried off to talk to the dentist. Low noises from the surgery she scuttles back and tells me it will cost $150.00 pretty pricey I thought for about 10 minutes work but I pay and I get out of there and I hardly remember walking home I am still enraged.
Next day my husband calls into the dentist to pick up our records – he too was going to be a patient for this dental practice.
“Oh I didn’t know you were going to remove your records too.” The receptionist says. My husband smiles and waits for the documents.
Because of poor people skills this dentist lost two patients in the space of 24hours. He must have a wealthy practice to afford that loss. All he needed was to be polite, to greet me, to explain procedures and treat me as a human being. Very easy I would have though.
