Worse than expected
Sep. 19th, 2025 14:28![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bill_schubertI walked out in the middle of my dental appointment. The dental hygienist was doing that thing where they stick a sharp metal point in your gum and say some numbers:
Periodontal Probing
A periodontal probe (a small instrument resembling a tiny ruler) is gently inserted into the spaces between your teeth and gums. The depth of these gum pockets is measured to assess gum health.
I looked it up.
In the past I've had some do a fairly good job, obviously trying not to hurt me. I've had a couple of hygienists actually do it without hurting me. As it says above "GENTLY INSERTED".
The guy today was on task after having said something about letting him know if anything hurt. I did. He was just doing his thing and it hurt and I did the grunt thing that is all you can do with someone's hand in your mouth. Then he did it again and I moved my chin to the side to get him out and told him it hurt when he did that.
The fourth time I said 'stop, you are hurting me, I've had this done without someone hurting me so I know it can be done.' He, of course, said 'you've got some gum issue developing (for 40 years I've had 'some gum issues developing'... nothing new). He was obviously just going to keep doing what he'd been doing. He finally said 'would you like to reschedule?' and it was my cue to leave. So I did. Thanks but no thanks.
Although my records were with this dentist having used their office for years when my friend was the dentist there, I've got no allegiance to them. The admin was great, the first woman who polished my teeth (but was not the dental hygenist... ??) was great. The hygenist was NOT and that's the one I was going to spend most of the appointment with.
So when Dana goes to this new facility right by us I'll set up with them. They are in network with my insurance company and the experience has to be better than the guy I dumped.
I've got a bunch of conflicting thoughts but ultimately just did not like the guy's approach and will look for a better one.
I looked it up.
In the past I've had some do a fairly good job, obviously trying not to hurt me. I've had a couple of hygienists actually do it without hurting me. As it says above "GENTLY INSERTED".
The guy today was on task after having said something about letting him know if anything hurt. I did. He was just doing his thing and it hurt and I did the grunt thing that is all you can do with someone's hand in your mouth. Then he did it again and I moved my chin to the side to get him out and told him it hurt when he did that.
The fourth time I said 'stop, you are hurting me, I've had this done without someone hurting me so I know it can be done.' He, of course, said 'you've got some gum issue developing (for 40 years I've had 'some gum issues developing'... nothing new). He was obviously just going to keep doing what he'd been doing. He finally said 'would you like to reschedule?' and it was my cue to leave. So I did. Thanks but no thanks.
Although my records were with this dentist having used their office for years when my friend was the dentist there, I've got no allegiance to them. The admin was great, the first woman who polished my teeth (but was not the dental hygenist... ??) was great. The hygenist was NOT and that's the one I was going to spend most of the appointment with.
So when Dana goes to this new facility right by us I'll set up with them. They are in network with my insurance company and the experience has to be better than the guy I dumped.
I've got a bunch of conflicting thoughts but ultimately just did not like the guy's approach and will look for a better one.
no subject
Date: 2025-09-20 04:38 (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-09-20 16:24 (UTC)Not my issue with them any longer. I'll find a place with a better hygenist and have my records transferred.
no subject
Date: 2025-09-21 21:00 (UTC)Good for you, and I hope things are better at the new place.