Bad experience today

[Maria07]

Hi I am new here. I have been dental phobic for many years and now have many problems. I fear that things will get worse and of course I fear going to the dentist, and I fear the cost! I might have to fly in a month or so and I started thinking about issues I have in my mouth that might be a problem in flight, so I decided to go to the dentist finally, get things started slowly, and see if anything would be a problem flying. So I chose this dentist that I had been scoping out for a while. He had good reviews and sounded kind and warm etc. Turns out he was not those things at all! The x-ray tech was a odd but she did her job, and then he looked at my x-rays before coming in. He never introduced himself and said hello or anything like that, he just came in arrogant and judgmental and 100% completely unsympathetic. It was the weirdest experience sitting there waiting for some kind of human response. All he did was ask me questions and made comments in a judgmental way... Frankly he seemed disgusted by me! So after a very awkward couple of minutes I just said this isn't working for me and I got up and left. I felt really bad after this. I had put so much energy and push into going and then it failed. So now I'm trying to figure out who to go to again. And I also heard him tell the technician that two teeth needed surgical extraction, so I have that to think about and dread too. Thanks for listening...

 

[HeatherWasHere]

That sounds really rough. Let me commend you on saying “this isn’t working for me” and leaving. WOW!! How many of us have sat through condescending or arrogant or belittling appointments (not just with a dentist, but all sorts of appointments) and been upset with ourselves for tolerating it?? I am impressed with your presence of mind!

You said the visit “failed.” That dentist definitely failed but you passed with flying colors. Now you can take a deep breath and start looking again for someone who will be a good fit.

 

[Maria07]

Thank you so much! It did feel good to walk away from that negative person. I have enough on my plate that I don't need his issues too. It was so awkward, there's no way I could sit through that lol! I have two dentists that I am considering. I'm going to have to call somebody Monday because a tooth that wasn't too bad has been pretty painful today . So I have another issue...ugh

 

[Enarete]

Fingers crossed for the other two dentist being nicer. Sounds like it can't really get worse to what you have experienced. When it comes to the surgical extractions, try not to worry about that for now, particularly as the remark came from someone who you didn't trust in the first place.