A trip to the dentist

Must be fortunate here, the dentist I see is rather pleasant

Acad, you are sounding remarkably English.

Ask /demand an anesthetic

It also means the dentist can work faster and the patient does not flinch so reducing drilling into the tongue

Once you have had your teeth root filled you do not feel any pain when the fillings are being repaired

quote:

Why do we take such crap from the professionals (doctors, dentists, bank managers and accountants)or is just me?

I had a major problems with dentists. I want somebody to treat me as an adult, engage me in discussion about my care, offer me choices and explain options and treatments. It has taken a lot of time to find a dentist to do this.

You'll be pleased to know these are the skills I spend much of my time teaching to trainee GP's so hopefully you'll not encounter such behaviour too often at the doctors. (Ducks whilst waiting for others bad doc experiences!)

Bruce

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Originally posted by Rasher:
Acad, you are sounding remarkably English.

How Spiffing, Iv'e spent many years in England don't you know(and better english than American eh?)

quote:

Originally posted by Bruce Woodhouse:

quote:

Why do we take such crap from the professionals (doctors, dentists, bank managers and accountants)or is just me?

I had a major problems with dentists. I want somebody to treat me as an adult, engage me in discussion about my care, offer me choices and explain options and treatments. It has taken a lot of time to find a dentist to do this.

You'll be pleased to know these are the skills I spend much of my time teaching to trainee GP's so hopefully you'll not encounter such behaviour too often at the doctors. (Ducks whilst waiting for others bad doc experiences!)

Bruce

Hear hear, these are my sentiments exactly. I did turn up for an 10 o'clock doctors appointment 15 mins early and was kept waiting an 1 hour 45 mins - I dont mind this as obviously it is difficult/impossible to allocate time given the needs of different patients but you would have thought an apology would have been in order. Surprised that no apology was forthcoming I mentioned it to the doctor in the friendliest way possible and he turned to me and snapped his time was very important (mine too, I lost a mornings work at £38 per hour)and it is this presumption (fair in a doctor perhaps) that I hate so much about professionals - its bank managers who are the worst and most smug in my experience.

quote:

Originally posted by Derek Wright:
Ask /demand an anesthetic

It also means the dentist can work faster and the patient does not flinch so reducing drilling into the tongue

Once you have had your teeth root filled you do not feel any pain when the fillings are being repaired

I did ask and she actually went 'tut tut' like I'm a major wus, gave me the injection and started drilling immidiately!! Twice Ive been there and got a mouth infection becuase she doesnt sterilise the torture equipment and she's always in a hurry. She's the only one around so we all have to grin and bear it.

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How can a dentist continue drilling while looking at and having a conversation with her nurse (devils assistant)

I have to say my dentist has a fine looking nurse and, for me, this makes all the difference. It's all the anaesthetic I need. And I'm always only too glad to make a follow up appointment.

So far I've had 12 fillings, 3 crowns, 2 gold teeth and a partridge in a pear tree....and I only went in for a toothbrush!

Mark,

You lucky man. Does she wear a skimpy nurses uniform?

Acad

Ps - Is this her?

That's her! But that skirt's a little longer than she normally wears and I've never seen her holding an instrument quite as big as that while I'm there!

Do we have the same dentist?

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Originally posted by Chillkram:
That's her! But that skirt's a little longer than she normally wears and I've never seen her holding an instrument quite as big as that while I'm there!

Do we have the same dentist?

Dunno, This is my dentist. Her name is Nancy.

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Originally posted by acad tsunami:

quote:

Originally posted by Chillkram:
That's her! But that skirt's a little longer than she normally wears and I've never seen her holding an instrument quite as big as that while I'm there!

Do we have the same dentist?

Dunno, This is my dentist. Her name is Nancy.

You want to grab hold of her/his testicles just as you lie down, then, say we're not gonna hurt each other are we!

Beano

Is that a drill in your pocket Nancy, or are you just pleased to see me?

My teeth are a mess, and I am in the midst of a "whole mouth restoration". This means removing all of my old amalgam fillings in 24 teeth (yes I know about the mercury poisoning) and having a few laminates and caps.
What I didn't know was that this would stir up dormant roots and pulps, so that I now need root canals.
I've lived a bit and had some experience of pain, but nothing compares to the depressing slog of week after week of toothache from chronic pulpitis.
To the point; I have a good dentist, and recently have been throwing fistfuls of dollars at him to sort out my mouth, so he is pretty keen to keep me happy, BUT he can't make it painless. If a tooth is really inflammed the local anaesthetic just won't work, whether applied near the tooth or as a distal block. I just had a three hour session on one tooth, involving many injections, and he still had to give up as the anaesthetic was having no effect. I have to wait another two weeks for it to "cool" before there can be another attempt.
Working in an allied trade, I have the advantage of knowing that just because your body isn't doing as you would like, it doesn't mean that your doctor/dentist is at fault. We aren't car mechanics and you didn't come with a manufacturers' warranty. So I don't have to blame the dentist for my toothache.
I do however agree with the thing about running late as this seems an arrogant expression of the belief that the doctor/dentisit's time is more important than yours. In my defence, I never know what is going to come through the door, and some problems take much longer than their booked time. Unfortunately, those of you who pay for the NHS can't afford to give me the "slack" time to make up for these problems, so we run late.

quote:

Originally posted by acad tsunami:
she doesnt sterilise the torture equipment .

If that is even half true, you risk catching a good deal worse than a mouth infection

Rockingdoc,

Sorry to hear about your teeth, I feel for you, it must be a nightmare. Good luck.

I agree with your last point re. not knowing who will come through your door and how much time will need to be spent (as I said earlier)but an apology would be nice insofar as it shows an appreciation that other people can have many demands on their time too.

My dentist was trained in Sweden (where they have very high standards of dental care) but I swear her implements of torture are on the same tray as they were for her previous patient (because as one patient left the room I entered it)and one time she picked up a tool and stabbed my swollen gum to release some pus and gave me untreated tap water to rinse my mouth and I had horrendous gum infections after that, in fact I have some sort of infection 2 out of 4 visits. The first thing I did after yesterdays visit was rinse my mouth with medicinal mouth wash (yes, even as I stood outside her clinic and having to spit the stuff out into the street)as the previous visit to her torture chamber resulted in an infection that felt like my mouth had been sand papered. Its not right is it? But what to do? Make a formal complaint?

Acad - I don't like that "time's money" attitude either; most of us charge for our time in some way, but to express that your time is more important than someone else's is pretty arrogant.

I've got to say though, most professionals I come across either through work or personally are generally, well very...professional and I’m assuming that @ 38 quid an hour you don't work at McDonalds...

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Originally posted by acad tsunami:
But what to do? Make a formal complaint?

Sounds to me like there is money to be made by any decent dentist who fancies moving to Manila.

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Originally posted by Rockingdoc:

quote:

Originally posted by acad tsunami:
But what to do? Make a formal complaint?

Sounds to me like there is money to be made by any decent dentist who fancies moving to Manila.

With the current state of NHS dentistry the more likely scenario is that she will apply for a job here.