The New Dentist
A line kept reverberating in my head:
"There are two patients ahead of you."
That's what a dental assistant told me as I waited to see my new dentist. My appointment was at 115pm, and in the waiting room was a meeting--of future dental hygienists. I was asked to sit outside, on the steps, until the dentist could see me. Two patients were supposedly ahead of me.
But I didn't see any patients leave. And where were they? I now see that it was a lie. To make me be patient--and to convey the notion that the dentist was very busy.
It had been a long time before I could get an appointment with Dentist One. My old dentist, who had retired, had recommended him, and Dentist One, an elderly fellow, introduced himself to me before I went in for my appointment. I figured this dentist was busy.
Strange: There were five or six dental assistants there, and they STARED at me. Why? Because, it occurred to me later, they hadn't seen a real patient in a long time. (There WAS a patient after me, though.)
The dentist who had retired later told me that a young dentist had just purchased the practice from Dentist One.
And it was the young dentist who saw me! No explanation why I wasn't seeing Dentist One.
The hygienist cleaned my teeth for around a half-hour, going way beneath my gums. (I have had regular cleanings with my former dentist.) She also said I needed two more visits--one to finish up my left side, one for my right.
And the young dentist found three cavities on the x-rays of my teeth.
I've had a prior experience of dealing with a dentist who bought a practice. Very expensive--she was trying to quickly pay off her purchase. She capped almost all my teeth. And when I asked her what it would cost, she never told me. The bill turned out to be over $3,000.
I suspect that this dentist is also quickly trying to pay off his purchase..
The bill for the visit, including xrays, was around $350.
I canceled my next appointment. I'll write & ask for the office to send me the xrays I paid for.
I need a new dentist.
POST SCRIPT: I wrote to this dentist, asking for my x-rays, and got them--
"There are two patients ahead of you."
That's what a dental assistant told me as I waited to see my new dentist. My appointment was at 115pm, and in the waiting room was a meeting--of future dental hygienists. I was asked to sit outside, on the steps, until the dentist could see me. Two patients were supposedly ahead of me.
But I didn't see any patients leave. And where were they? I now see that it was a lie. To make me be patient--and to convey the notion that the dentist was very busy.
It had been a long time before I could get an appointment with Dentist One. My old dentist, who had retired, had recommended him, and Dentist One, an elderly fellow, introduced himself to me before I went in for my appointment. I figured this dentist was busy.
Strange: There were five or six dental assistants there, and they STARED at me. Why? Because, it occurred to me later, they hadn't seen a real patient in a long time. (There WAS a patient after me, though.)
The dentist who had retired later told me that a young dentist had just purchased the practice from Dentist One.
And it was the young dentist who saw me! No explanation why I wasn't seeing Dentist One.
The hygienist cleaned my teeth for around a half-hour, going way beneath my gums. (I have had regular cleanings with my former dentist.) She also said I needed two more visits--one to finish up my left side, one for my right.
And the young dentist found three cavities on the x-rays of my teeth.
I've had a prior experience of dealing with a dentist who bought a practice. Very expensive--she was trying to quickly pay off her purchase. She capped almost all my teeth. And when I asked her what it would cost, she never told me. The bill turned out to be over $3,000.
I suspect that this dentist is also quickly trying to pay off his purchase..
The bill for the visit, including xrays, was around $350.
I canceled my next appointment. I'll write & ask for the office to send me the xrays I paid for.
I need a new dentist.
POST SCRIPT: I wrote to this dentist, asking for my x-rays, and got them--
posted by WarrenBoroson at 2:10 AM
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