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Very rough dental hygienist

E

Elliot

Junior member
Joined
Feb 12, 2014
Messages
4
I have been going to dentists and dental hygienists for many years. Recently my dentist retired and found a new very good dentist who I really like. The problem is that his hygienist is very rough. It hurts even with topical anesthesia but more imporant, my gums are sore for a month after she does her thing. I discussed this with the dentist and he explained that she takes her job seriously and really scrapes deep into the gums. My probem is that if i switch hygienists I will need to find a new dentist who will want to take new xrays, do a new exam etc etc. Is there any other way around this?
 
Join the club, your dentist needs to realise that he will lose loyal patients if he allows his hygienist to ride roughshod over his patients' comfort level. It is not necessarily a case of being thorough, it is a case of being gentle or rough. If you really do require very intense cleaning every time, they could numb you up properly with local anaesthetic.
His response was justifying her painful care rather than listening to your concerns as a loyal patient. Do you really like the dentist a lot, does he make everything pain-free and comfortable for you? Because dentists who deliver on comfort usually expect their hygienists to do the same.

Is your homecare the best it can be to minimise build-up? If you want to stay with the dentist, you could do so but get your cleanings done elsewhere (they won't like this and may not work if you are in the USA where the 2 appts are part and parcel of each other)...if he is not taking your concerns seriously then frankly I would look for a new dentist.
 
My Take.........

My staff must be gentle and considerate to all patients. I explain the nature of my practice during the interview.
Having said that we all make mistakes and I once hired a hygienist who was rough so I fired her. She later was hired by the prison system. HAHA!

Anyhow I would contact by writing the dentist and explain your complaint. Stay factual and detailed before I switched. If no one tells him then he might not know.
 
I think this is what happened to me today. I had not seen the dentist for about 2 years because I brush my teeth twice daily with an electric toothbrush and did not have any reason to book an appointment.

When I came to see him today he used some electric instrument to try and scrape the tartar from my teeth and at the same time the nurse was using vacuum suction. My gums feel very sore and also lots of blood. This only affects front teeth in lower jaw.

I just brushed my mouth this evening before bed and after brushing I spat out very concentrated blood and my gums look swollen in the mirror.

I think maybe it is harmful to try and clean the teeth this thoroughly? I know that if you biting on a toothbrush with the bristles that it makes the gums bleed and the irritation can also loosen your teeth if you keep doing it over and over repeatedly.

The thing is that my electric toothbrush is not powerful enough to remove the brown stains that had collected on my teeth no matter how many times I brush because it is not abrasive enough. But dentist managed to get rid of these stains. I was surprised because I have had these stains for 10 years or so. Even with the 'whitening' toothpaste they sell it never made any difference at all and I did not buy the special whitening kits because they cost at least £10 and I thought maybe it is a gimmick.
 
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My Take.........

My staff must be gentle and considerate to all patients. I explain the nature of my practice during the interview.
Having said that we all make mistakes and I once hired a hygienist who was rough so I fired her. She later was hired by the prison system. HAHA!

Anyhow I would contact by writing the dentist and explain your complaint. Stay factual and detailed before I switched. If no one tells him then he might not know.

thanks Dr. Kimsey. I would love to find a dentist like you in my geographic area. When I confronted the dentist he was very supportive of the hygienist and assured me that she takes her work seriously. Other patients warned me that she is very rough. Yes, she is probably doing the right thing but how good is she if people like me are afraid to come frequenly
 
In my opinion pain does not equal a job well done. You can be thorough and gentle or at least provide proper pain management. If you are sore for up to a month after, I can't help but wonder if she what is doing is exactly causing trauma to your teeth/gums than providing an actual benefit. :confused: If your dentist doesn't care to address your concerns regarding comfort and pain-free treatment I'd move on especially if it is enough to make you fearful or anxious about continuing to come back. Speaking from experience, that anxiety can really build with time and enough negative experiences which can have long-lasting effects. Plus there are plenty of other places that can perform painless cleanings and do an equally thorough job.
 
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