M
Marina
Junior member
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2006
- Messages
- 2
Hello everyone. I am new to this board.
I am not a dentist but a dental surgical assistant of 12 years. Currently, I am working with a periodontist, but I have worked with oral surgeons, endodontists, prosthodontists and general dentists. I have a tendency to get bored and move onto different specialties, in which I’ve pretty much run out of.
I found your topics interesting, from embarrassment to neglect to which gender you prefer for a dentist.
I feel sorry for those who've had bad experiences. For people who feel embarrassed because they've neglected their teeth over time and have avoided the dentist for that reason. It’s ok. I tell my patients that we will forget about the past and start with the future.
A great majority of dentists that I've worked with have been great people. Believe it or not, there are doctors out there that truly care about their patients. Not once have I ever seen a doc intentionally set out to hurt a patient. Yes, those injections suck, but you have to look at the alternative...not being numb would be unbearably worse. Our prosthodontist works late every night to make sure things are perfect for the patients for tomorrow. Every night and its rumored on Saturdays he spends half days. His wife has put her foot down on Sundays.
If I could give any one advice about their teeth is to take care of them. There is no reason why your teeth shouldn't last a lifetime. Dental treatment shouldn't hurt, but dental neglect does. You should routinely see your doctor just like you should routinely take your car in for maintenance.
My honest opinion on health care......I have aided in humanitarian missions to the Philippines and Mexico. The true reason why people don't go to their doctors, whether it’s a dentist or a M.D., it’s because we are spoiled. In these third world countries, people line up for days, put themselves on waiting lists, to see us. Here, at least in America (I live in Hawaii), you have to listen to how much they hate the dentist and they can be quite belligerent at times towards the doctor and the staff. Not too often do I hear 'thank you' after treating a patient. I hear 'I hate the dentist' daily. In the Philippines, they not only thanked us before we saw them, they thanked us afterwards, and then their relatives came by the next day to thank us and they brought us a dish!
A Hungarian patient of mine said it best...'The reason why people don't go… is because it’s always there.'
If you don’t go to the dentist due to financial reasons, I must say I’ve never worked for a dentist that didn’t offer a payment plan of some sort. Most are willing to help patients that cannot afford much but don’t be too shocked if some aren’t. I have also worked with a lot of dentist’s who have been burned by patients that just don’t pay their bills which hurts their practice and their staff….since he or she pays me, too.
If being a phobic is your only excuse, they have nitrous oxide and oral sedatives that hopefully can help. If you’re a phobic about the dentist, God help you if you ever have to go into the hospital for anything major. Remember, they are there to help you, even though it may not seem like it. Personally, I have a phobia of insects…but from time to time, I have to kill one of those buggers (excuse the pun) whether I like it or not.
Take care of your teeth, find a dental practice that you trust and you will find going to the dentist isn’t all that big of a deal. It is truly that simple.
Sorry that I rambled.
I am not a dentist but a dental surgical assistant of 12 years. Currently, I am working with a periodontist, but I have worked with oral surgeons, endodontists, prosthodontists and general dentists. I have a tendency to get bored and move onto different specialties, in which I’ve pretty much run out of.
I found your topics interesting, from embarrassment to neglect to which gender you prefer for a dentist.
I feel sorry for those who've had bad experiences. For people who feel embarrassed because they've neglected their teeth over time and have avoided the dentist for that reason. It’s ok. I tell my patients that we will forget about the past and start with the future.
A great majority of dentists that I've worked with have been great people. Believe it or not, there are doctors out there that truly care about their patients. Not once have I ever seen a doc intentionally set out to hurt a patient. Yes, those injections suck, but you have to look at the alternative...not being numb would be unbearably worse. Our prosthodontist works late every night to make sure things are perfect for the patients for tomorrow. Every night and its rumored on Saturdays he spends half days. His wife has put her foot down on Sundays.
If I could give any one advice about their teeth is to take care of them. There is no reason why your teeth shouldn't last a lifetime. Dental treatment shouldn't hurt, but dental neglect does. You should routinely see your doctor just like you should routinely take your car in for maintenance.
My honest opinion on health care......I have aided in humanitarian missions to the Philippines and Mexico. The true reason why people don't go to their doctors, whether it’s a dentist or a M.D., it’s because we are spoiled. In these third world countries, people line up for days, put themselves on waiting lists, to see us. Here, at least in America (I live in Hawaii), you have to listen to how much they hate the dentist and they can be quite belligerent at times towards the doctor and the staff. Not too often do I hear 'thank you' after treating a patient. I hear 'I hate the dentist' daily. In the Philippines, they not only thanked us before we saw them, they thanked us afterwards, and then their relatives came by the next day to thank us and they brought us a dish!
A Hungarian patient of mine said it best...'The reason why people don't go… is because it’s always there.'
If you don’t go to the dentist due to financial reasons, I must say I’ve never worked for a dentist that didn’t offer a payment plan of some sort. Most are willing to help patients that cannot afford much but don’t be too shocked if some aren’t. I have also worked with a lot of dentist’s who have been burned by patients that just don’t pay their bills which hurts their practice and their staff….since he or she pays me, too.
If being a phobic is your only excuse, they have nitrous oxide and oral sedatives that hopefully can help. If you’re a phobic about the dentist, God help you if you ever have to go into the hospital for anything major. Remember, they are there to help you, even though it may not seem like it. Personally, I have a phobia of insects…but from time to time, I have to kill one of those buggers (excuse the pun) whether I like it or not.
Take care of your teeth, find a dental practice that you trust and you will find going to the dentist isn’t all that big of a deal. It is truly that simple.
Sorry that I rambled.