Thursday, March 12, 2009

Dentist Mentis

I feel like I should win a gold medal when I go to the dentist: I voluntarily go every six months, I shell out a good chunk of change for the 500Jerk family (which has no dental insurance), and I take an entire afternoon off work to drive way the hell out to Lovell Road. I even floss! GOLD MEDAL PLEASE.

But what normally is a feel-good situation was less so this past Tuesday. The dental hygienist scrubbed until my gums were raw. Both kids had plaque build-up. The dentist again pitched x-rays, which I again refused (I haven't had a cavity in 12 years, my kids never have cavities, and I think x-rays every year are pointless), then he got kind of pissy about it. The kids bickered and complained about the apres-exam toys in the dentist's basket. The bill was $340. Then, when I mentioned that I had stopped running, the dentist snipped, "Maybe you've gotten lazy all around."

Good God almighty, the whole experience was completely miserable.

And my dentist? Calling me lazy? May I point out that the man is not open on Fridays or after 4PM? Takes an hour and a half every day for lunch? Shuts his whole office down for a week every August? NOTHING infuriates me like laziness, and I'm hard on myself about it. Calling me the L word is a cue for a throw down.

I need a new dentist.

And, by golly, I want a toy from the basket and a gold star when my exam is through.

4 comments:

AppyLove said...

I would have leapt across the counter and strangled the man. And I hate x-rays. The last four times I've been to the dentist have been as follows: one guy let his nine-year-old kid call me back from the waiting room, and would have let him watch the exam and hand him instruments until I told him that wasn't cool; my longtime dentist failed to diagnose FOUR cavities; my new dentist (same practice) let one of his techs take and re-take x-rays of my tooth despite her obvious incompetence, exposing me to more x-rays than necessary and causing my mouth to bleed because of that torture device they put in there; and a return visit to fix a filling that wasn't properly filed down and caused me several hours of pain after every meal.

But being called lazy would have made me madder than ANY of that. Blergh!!! I hope you (and I) find a better dentist, stat!

Anonymous said...

The nerve!!! You do need a new dentist. No need in putting up with that.

SoKno Machita said...

My dentist is friggin' AWESOME and I love him. He is a really great dentist, and a good man. Dr. Donald Henson, his office is on Highland Place behind Krispy Creme donuts off Kingston Pike. He has called me at home to check on me after a procedure (while he was on vacation!), is high tech yet conservative in terms of his approach (e.g. doesn't recommend things willy nilly and will often take the "wait and see" approach), and is just generally friendly and funny. I can't say anything bad about him at all!

Anonymous said...

Dentists, dermatologists and mechanics are all the same. In this day and age where technology is enabling people to go longer without their skills, they WILL find something to afford them the lifestyle they wish to lead. Beware of the dentist with the Rolex and the Porshe parked outside.