Do I have a bad dentist?

Yesterday I went for a routine 6 month check up at my local dentist. As always it was a complete circus there and my appointment was 1hr late (literally sat in the waiting room reading this very forum).

However, I think it reached a new low yesterday, when the patient before me was having to have a tooth removed and the door to the operating room was left wide open. I was sat opposite that door (in the waiting room section) and could actually see the poor chaps feet squirming.

Something must have gone somewhat wrong, as after 10 minutes of the procedure (that lasted the said hour), he actually had to get up and walk off to a different operating room (along with the same dentist and dental assistant). Another 40 minutes later he returned to the room sans tooth and in good spirits. He was absolutely fine with the whole thing and no one else in the waiting room (2 others) seemed to bat an eyelid. It was only my chair that was actually opposite the OR though.

Anyway, I obviously found the whole situation rather amusing (the shear Fawlty Towers aspect of it, not the poor chap being operated on), but when i told my wife about it she was absolutely horrified and said I should really be looking at another practitioner. The thing is I have been going to that surgery my whole life, and he always says how good my teeth are. And, despite being private, it's actually really quite well priced (i'm somehow clinging on to a low pricing band, in part when i threatened to leave a few years ago when they tried to triple my fee).

So what do you think GR?

Oh, and for those interested, he said my teeth were excellent and my appointment was about 3 minutes long.

PostRe: Do I have a bad dentist? by **Vermilion** » Thu Jul 20, 2023 8:50 am

Being able to access a dentist at all these days is a minor miracle, you should just grit your teeth and hold back from doing anything rash, as you could well end up without a dentist at all.

PostRe: Do I have a bad dentist? by **Octoroc** » Thu Jul 20, 2023 9:16 am

I don't see a problem.

He is a fine dentist!

PostRe: Do I have a bad dentist? by **Jenuall** » Thu Jul 20, 2023 9:44 am

Tooth extractions can vary massively in terms of difficulty and complications in ways that are very hard to predict so I don't think there's too much to read into what happened to the patient before you. I believe there is a psychological aspect to leaving the door open in these situations as it can help calm a patient or reduce anxiety as they don't feel like they are trapped or contained - there is a connection to the outside world etc. That the building configuration means that the waiting area is able to see (and presumably hear) what is happening in the operating room is unfortunate though.

I'd stick with them if I were you, unless you start to see lots of dodgy stuff going down!

PostRe: Do I have a bad dentist? by **Drumstick** » Thu Jul 20, 2023 10:00 am

Specifically which part of the experience horrified your wife and why?

PostRe: Do I have a bad dentist? by **Octoroc** » Thu Jul 20, 2023 10:15 am

Next time you go, before he starts any procedures, share your doubts surrounding his competence with him.

PostRe: Do I have a bad dentist? by **rinks** » Thu Jul 20, 2023 10:49 am

"he said my teeth were excellent and my appointment was about 3 minutes long"

This has always been the case for me too. I resented paying the check-up fee for virtually nothing, so god knows how you must feel paying private fees for such cursory care. I know they're there for you if there's an emergency, but eff that.

My dentist closed permanently after lockdown, leaving me without anywhere to go (nowhere was taking NHS patients, and I will NOT go private), so I haven't had a check-up in a while. Looks like a few NHS dentists are now available nearby, so I should get signed up.

It was maybe an emergency appointment and that's why yours got delayed so badly, and maybe explains why they had to move to a different room if that room maybe had better suited kit? As if it was an emergency extraction they maybe did the examination in the first room then moved when the dentist realised it was a complex jobby.

I don't see any signs of negligence anyway.

PostRe: Do I have a bad dentist? by **Carlos** » Thu Jul 20, 2023 11:28 am

I always wanted my dentist to be Jennifer Aniston from Horrible Bosses….

I think you’ll be ok. Maybe a breeze blew the door open? I must admit I’ve not been for a decade. I look after my teeth but the odd extraction I’ve had I go to the Dental Hospital where students do it for free.

To answer some of the questions / comments raised -

My wife was horrified by the lack of privacy afforded to the patient. I kind of agree - somebody being able to walk to the window in the waiting room and basically witness the whole (fairly intimate) procedure does not seem right to me either, but personally it does not bother me greatly. He does not allow the door to be closed since covid. I tried a year ago and was politely asked to leave it open.

Had not considered the phycological aspect of an open door. Will try that when I go for a gooseberry fool later.

I too thought it might have been an emergency appointment. Waiting an hour sucks, but I felt worse for one of the other two people waiting, one of whom the dentist informed me was waiting for a root canal.

Interesting to hear none of you think I should find another dentist - I though the general reaction would be "you are paying for that level of service?". Not ignoring your comment rinks - it absolutely is a swindle and is just another form on insurance. But toothache is the worst, and knowing I can see someone at very short notice is a peace of mind I am willing to stump up for.

Is finding another private dentist so hard? I thought that was just an issue if you wanted an NHS one.

PostRe: Do I have a bad dentist? by **Sprouty** » Thu Jul 20, 2023 11:50 am

A tooth extraction is classed as a minor operation. Should the door be open? Absolutely not. Is it reason enough to change? That's your call! It does give an impression of sloppiness though.

PostRe: Do I have a bad dentist? by **rinks** » Thu Jul 20, 2023 11:55 am

I guess the open door is good in a way. If you can hear the dentist saying "is it safe?", you know to hastily exit.

PostRe: Do I have a bad dentist? by **rinks** » Thu Jul 20, 2023 11:57 am

kazanova_Frankenstein wrote:Had not considered the phycological aspect of an open door. Will try that when I go for a gooseberry fool later.

If your gooseberry fools involve phycology, it's a doctor you need, not a dentist.

Unless it was a typographical error.

PostRe: Do I have a bad dentist? by **Outrunner** » Thu Jul 20, 2023 1:32 pm

kazanova_Frankenstein wrote:Is finding another private dentist so hard? I thought that was just an issue if you wanted an NHS one.

None of the private dentists in my town are taking on new adult patients. A handful are taking on NHS patients but only if they have been referred from another NHS dentist. A tiny handful are taking on under 17's. My dentist closed during lockdown and I haven't seen a dentist for 3 years now. Luckily I take pretty good care of my teeth and I've never had any real issues aside from the occasional cleaning of my bottom two front teeth. I still hate being without a dentist though. I'm currently on a waiting list with a local dentist but that could take years.

rinks wrote:
kazanova_Frankenstein wrote:Had not considered the phycological aspect of an open door. Will try that when I go for a gooseberry fool later.

If your gooseberry fools involve phycology, it's a doctor you need, not a dentist.

Unless it was a typographical error.

It was

Sprouty wrote:A tooth extraction is classed as a minor operation. Should the door be open? Absolutely not. Is it reason enough to change? That's your call! It does give an impression of sloppiness though.

That was what I concluded. And the answer was "no".

But if I wake up one more time with my underpants back to front I might have to complain. It just shows a lack of professionalism. My name is even sewn in the back for gods sake.

PostRe: Do I have a bad dentist? by **Prototype** » Thu Jul 20, 2023 2:56 pm

At worst, you could say it was unprofessional, but i'd hardly be changing dentist over it. Besides, if it was you in the chair and it was open, you could just ask for the door to be closed?

I think your wife is over-reacting.

PostRe: Do I have a bad dentist? by **Zilnad** » Thu Jul 20, 2023 3:30 pm

My dentist recently went private and gave me a big spiel about how I needed to stay with him and not go with an NHS dentist. Obviously I just went with an NHS dentist though, strawberry float paying private.

Prototype wrote:At worst, you could say it was unprofessional, but i'd hardly be changing dentist over it. Besides, if it was you in the chair and it was open, you could just ask for the door to be closed?

I think your wife is over-reacting.

As I said earlier, he does not allow the door to be closed any more. I tried two check-ups back and was asked not to close the door.

PostRe: Do I have a bad dentist? by **rinks** » Thu Jul 20, 2023 3:33 pm

I’ll be honest, he sounds like a strawberry floating lunatic.

Do I have a bad dentist?

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