Anybody else hate dentists?

[642mx]

A couple days ago I noticed a very small hole in one of my front teeth, no big deal, called the dentist, got an appointment to get it fixed and get a cleaning, yada, yada, yada....

So today I went to the dentist (first visit to this dentist, my insurance changed so did my dentist). Got some x-rays and then they told me that I have a small hole in my tooth and its a cavity.... I said, "no crap! thats why I'm here, fix it!" (they also found another cavity in a molar)

They explained to me that they couldn't fix it right now and I'd have to reschedule.... I just about flipped out. I told them on the phone I wanted it fixed, I already knew what it was and I only get one week day off every 2-3 weeks. After a few minutes they told me to come back about 2:45 p.m. and it was 11 a.m. I had already been there for almost 2 hours.

I went back and they cleaned my teeth and fixed the 2 cavities, and I got nothing done today because I was either driving home from the dentist or driving to the dentist or I was at the dentist. Now I'm sitting here with a sore jaw....

Just needed to vent..... I feel better now. 6 more months until I have to go again.

 

[JB]

Re: Anybody else hate dentists?

I hated Dentists in my youth and avoided them like the plague for most of my life. Only went when I was in real pain. No dental insurance.

Then my teeth started crumbling. . .breaking off in great chunks.

Went to a fairly young recent grad. Now I have mostly crowns, but it is like having a whole new set. Best obscenely expensive investment I ever made.

I now love my Dentist.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Anybody else hate dentists?

i hated dentist as a kid, then my mom put braces on me for 4 years with monthly tightening, painful. when they came off, i did not go for years, till i need wisdom teeth out. got that done, and still avoid the dentist, only when necessary. now missing 6 teeth due to negligence. soon to have to go to dentures.

 

[akmoosehauler]

Re: Anybody else hate dentists?

Yes i hate our local dentist very much. All they want to do pull teeth and not fix them. Last time the pulled a tooth they did not give enough numbing shot so i felt it the whole way out.

I have tried to get our 2 daughters in to get teeth worked on for 2 yrs with no luck. I had to go to Anchorage to get the oldests teeth fixed.
We get brand new dentists that are here to pay off their debts.

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: Anybody else hate dentists?

I have a dentist that I don't hate, I love him, but he sure makes me mad sometimes. Actually, he no longer does dentist work since he's an orthodontist. He's my son.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Anybody else hate dentists?

i don't hate my dentist. not that i've seen him for years though. i'm not insured either. i can't afford it...
i do hate the way the medical field, dentists included it appears, have gone to this pass the patient around like a pingpong ball. guess they want to make sure that their buddy docs all get a cut too. the rich get richer, the poor get poorer....
i'm about priced out of med. insurance too. in 2000, i got passed around till they found a doc that entered into my record that i'd be dead of something, i don't know what in 2 years.... well, that's obviously not true, i'm still here. only now i'm uninsureable thanks that that one doc. since then, i've not seen a doc of any kind, for anything.
i surely hope something changes in the way business is done in the medical field... as of now.. the rich are covered as they can afford it, the really poor are covered as they go to the emergency room for a cold, and anyone else is left to fend for themselves.... which they can't of course.... what's next i don't know.....

 

[timdan94]

Re: Anybody else hate dentists?

I hate dentists but I also hate eye doctors. I just went to a new one seeing that I moved and don't have time to drive 120 miles to see my old one. Two weeks ago I ordered 6 pair of contacts they never called that they were in. Today I called oh they are here they called and left a message on the 12. I never got a message and my cell phone is never off. I get there and they only ordered me a trial pair. I already paid the $36 for them and they charged the insurance company for the six pair. Then they go to tell me I have to wear these for a week then come back for a check up. IDK if they are gonna charge me for the check up but they are the same contacts that I've been wearing for 9 years the only thing that changed was the strength. GRR I hate doctors...

 

[aspeck]

Re: Anybody else hate dentists?

I have a pretty awesome dentist ... when I go in we generally BS about hunting (archery and firearm) since we both love to do that. He is rather gentle also. We have no dental insurance, so it is all pay ... but he does give a discount and then another 10% off if you pay that day. For a teeth cleaning by the hygienist, x-rays, exam, etc, two times a year ... I am out of there for about $150 a year. Supplies me with tooth brushes, tooth paste, floss for the year, etc. Yep, he ain't so bad.

 

[mthieme]

Re: Anybody else hate dentists?

I have no problem with dentists as long as they are good.
I have fired two in the past.

If you wanna pis 'em off...eat a bag of Oreo's just before going in!

 

[NelsonQ]

Re: Anybody else hate dentists?

If you wanna pis 'em off...eat a bag of Oreo's just before going in!

That's hilarious. I'm sure the dental hygienist cleaning your teeth would love you for that

I've had the same dentist for over 12 years. Really like the guy and the service is great. And the dental hygienist who does my cleaning isn't hard on the eyes either.

 

[642mx]

Re: Anybody else hate dentists?

LOL. I wouldn't provoke the dentist with oreo's. They would probably whip out the mother of all picks and dig every piece out of your gums.

My jaw is still a little sore from the shot. I don't think I'm going back for awhile, maybe once a year cleanings instead of every six months. Can't really complain much about the price, insurance paid for everything but $42.

 

[ToothDocNick]

Re: Anybody else hate dentists?

Ok, let me chime in from my end.....and from my nick you can tell what I do for a living.

1. Just because you insurance changes doesn't mean you have to change dentists. Just means you may have to pay up front and then wait to be reimbursed by your ins. company. You, like many others out there, choose not to do this so you found someone who participates. Nothing wrong with it, but you are not guaranteed a good dentist......just one that will work with your ins.

2. I have "new" patients call all the time who know exactly what is wrong with them, and mysteriously when they get into my chair it is either more simple than they stated or "usually" more complicated than what they stated. It is not good business to set aside an hour for a 20 minute fix, nor is it good business to set aside 20 minutes for an hour procedure. I usually will eval on a short visit, get them out of pain, fix if I can, or schedule when I can take the necessary amount of time to fix the problem....and do it right.

3. For a patient who comes in regularly and follows through with care I will go above and beyond, but for someone who comes in "when it hurts" and that is it.....you will have to come back and make an appointment. I am not going to run my good patients behind so that I can fix a patient that does not value the care. Not being mean....just the way it is.

4. I hate to say this, but you can scammed for all they could do that day. When a patient calls to tell me they have an emergency or an urgency I get them in ASAP to assess the problem....not take a crap load of x-rays and then a cleaning, yada, yada, yada. They had a schedule fall apart and guess what.......you filled that schedule for the day.

5. You have insurance and choose not to use it. Can I ask why you even have it then? Most companies pass the costs onto he employee and you will end up paying more in premiums than you use. If you are getting it for free....take advantage of it and use it. Preventive care is better than no care. I hear all the time I cannot afford it. I charge $153 for a cleaning, x-rays, and an exam. The first time you come in for an emergency visit $225 (that is just the visit and an x-ray, not the fix). Coming in once a year at less than $15/ month is more affordable than coming in when it hurts. It is also cheaper to catch it when it is small rather than when it gets large and needs more work.

6. As for the costs of treatment, let me tell you....I have been out of school 7 years, pay $1200/ month for student loans, $7000 in mortgages for my office, and then the other costs of owning a business. There will be a time in my life where I am living nicely, but for now.......there are months where the checks don't come in. Don't assume all dentists are raking in the cash. It takes a considerable investment to get there (unless you were born into the ranks of the wealthy and do not have loans). I love what I do, and if I could do it for free I would in a heartbeat!!

8. As for Oreos.....won't **** me off one bit, just makes you look like a jerk. Might make you cleaning a little more uncomfortable. If you think it will **** off the doc you are wrong, but just imagine what the girls who clean your teeth are saying when you walk out of the office. Let's just say your dating life will tank. Women are 10 times meaner than men will ever be.

 

[NelsonQ]

Re: Anybody else hate dentists?

Nick, I think what you're saying is teeth are like boats. Preventive maintenance can save costly repairs down the road.

Dentists are like mechanics. Some are good, some bad. Some rip you off, some don't. Find the one that's right for you.

I think it applies to all walks/professions in life.

 

[mthieme]

Re: Anybody else hate dentists?

That's hilarious. I'm sure the dental hygienist cleaning your teeth would love you for that

I've had the same dentist for over 12 years. Really like the guy and the service is great. And the dental hygienist who does my cleaning isn't hard on the eyes either.

I had stuck with one guy for many years. He retired and left me to one of his four associates. I stayed for the hygenist. She was excellent. Eventually, she had twins and then stayed home.
Next!


Doc, you're a little tense. Loosen up.
The cookies were a joke.
I'm a civil servant...hear all the government worker jokes...and laugh (usually fuel the fire).

 

[642mx]

Re: Anybody else hate dentists?

I knew we would have a dentist in the crowd...lol.

No disrespect, I admire what you do. I personally don't have the stomach to pull teeth, see blood, or smell everybody's breathe all day.... Maybe thats why I sell ATV parts for a living?....

I guess I should have said that I got married, moved to a different town & changed insurance companies. I didn't want to drive 45 minutes to my old dentist. My old dentist lived 4 houses down from where I used to live and I still hated him..(but I think the hate was mutual)...hahaha

But, good for you ToothDocNick. I hope your practice does well. With everybody using meth, you should have no shortage of patients.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Anybody else hate dentists?

I don't hate my dentist, but I don't have a family dentist, so it doesn't matter who I see. I went for years (ever sense I was 7) with a broke front tooth, I had a bicycle accident and landed face first on cement. I finally had that tooth pulled a few years ago, been going around with a partial.

I smoke so that isn't helping my teeth any but sure helps the nerves. I use to consume hard candy while at work (when I was working). Then one day I noticed I broke one of my bottom mollars. Just before I set off to the dentist to have that pulled I seen that the other side same area tooth was broke as well. Then later on I had another front tooth break. So I finally got the other mollar pulled, then a filling comes out of one of the cavities, then of coarse that tooth breaks as well.

SO...I'm sort of in JB's place, my teeth are crumbling as well, slowly but surely . I blame it on the family genetics, because none of my father's side of the family have perfect teeth, but we're all a bunch of rednecks anyhow so I guess we aint supposed to have great teeth .

 

[ED21]

Re: Anybody else hate dentists?

I'll never forget the dentist who came into his office on a Saturday to fix my tooth when I took a boom to the face when sailing. He wasn't even my dentist at the time, but my wife's.
I stay with him until he retired. I gave the guy who took over his practice a chance, but switched to a new one. Gotta have confidence in a dentist and this new guy lost it. A bit of a story that doesn't need telling.
My new new dentist is so far so good. Even took the time to fill a small cavity that I wasn't scheduled for.
Sometimes the people scheduling just need a bit of persueding. Nobody like the visit the dentist, but it sure beat visiting the barber for dental work.

 

[ToothDocNick]

Re: Anybody else hate dentists?

NelsonQ.....you hit the nail right on the head with that one. It is true in most walks of life. Just because you find someone to do he job does not mean they are the most qualifieed nor are you getting the most bang for your buck.

Mthieme.....I have seen many do the same thing you did. I was the associate for a while in an office, and let me tell ya.....it took me about 6 months before nobody wanted to see the owner (I really believe that people just wanted to be treated like people and not money). This pissed him off (even though he made more money with me seeing them than with him seeing them because he paid me peanuts for pay). After I left his office went bankrupt and he is now working out of a friends office. I have also been on the new guy end after I bought my office and I kept the hygienists the very reason you have said. 4 years later I have fired both of them and replaced the entire staff. While I learned the patients and the patients learned me they were helpful, but I quickly learned that they did not know how to do their jobs (or they just didn't care how well they did them) and so they were let go. Now I hear......boy that was the most thorough cleaning I have ever gotten. Nobody likes change, but it can be for the good.

As for the cookies....please don't take me as being uptight.....I was being serious. You should hear the things those women will say behind your back.

642mx...I can understand that situation. Just remember....you are of the lucky ones to have the ins. Use it! Be as picky in finding a dentist as you would be in finding a mechanic or anything else. Personality is a big factor. I have several dentist friends that I would never let touch my teeth. Both for their skills and for their personality. Meth is a real thing....but most of them are so hung up on their drugs they don't part with their cash. Then after jail they don't get insurance and cannot find jobs.

Wildanimal.....I have plent of patients in the same boat as you are. You are a tough breed to fix. There are a number of genetic problems, as well as social problems (smoking, hard candy, etc...), and even for some there are poor dental work problems. You can only stick so many large fillings in a tooth before it will fail. For some people their teeth are something they must have for others they could care less. Sometimes dentures are the best option (or the cheapest....and yes this is a priority for some). Sounds like you have been going through the motion with the dentist one tooth at a time, maybe it is time to take a step back and ask for an overall eval to figure out a solution rather than working tooth after tooth.

ED21....you are right. I have been in the office on x-mas afternoon to fix a broken tooth that was hurting. I will never lose that patient.

The best advise I can give is to determine what is an emergency and what is an urgency. I have had to have this discussion with patients. If you call me and you have a broken back tooth, and it does not hurt and is not sharp.....I will get you in as soon as possible when I have a little free time to fix it. Or I will bring you in to see if it needs a crown so we can get the correct appointment time set. That is an urgency, same goes if you lose a filling and it is not hurting. If you are swollen or hurting then you get in now. That is an emergency. Pain or swelling makes an emergency. Now if you say it is an emergency and you are offered an appointment.....TAKE IT. If you say no, that will not work......then it becomes an urgency.

 

[Turin]

Re: Anybody else hate dentists?

I hate the dentist because it scares the crap out of me.

Its a nice man though but im just freaking scared so I hadn't been for 3 years a few months back i went and had 2 holes filled.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Anybody else hate dentists?

Wildanimal.....I have plent of patients in the same boat as you are. You are a tough breed to fix. There are a number of genetic problems, as well as social problems (smoking, hard candy, etc...), and even for some there are poor dental work problems. You can only stick so many large fillings in a tooth before it will fail. For some people their teeth are something they must have for others they could care less. Sometimes dentures are the best option (or the cheapest....and yes this is a priority for some). Sounds like you have been going through the motion with the dentist one tooth at a time, maybe it is time to take a step back and ask for an overall eval to figure out a solution rather than working tooth after tooth.

I hear ya. Some people say just have them all pulled and get it over with, but not all of my teeth are bad Yet, notice I said yet. I watch my father with his dentures, he has had them for nearly 30 years, he is still diggin tooth chips out of his gums. I darn sure can't afford to have them all pulled now anyhow. I've only had one maybe 2 fillings in my life, the one that came out lasted years though. I figured the main reason for the poor condition of my teeth was genetics. I don't eat candy much at all anymore.