Dentist Question. WWYD?

[wendyroo]

The kids and I left our old dentist about two years ago because of office policies that were not a good fit for my special needs kiddos.

We found a new office that in many ways I love: only 5 minutes from home, convenient scheduling, great hygienists that interact well with my kids, good office layout and attitude that allows me to supervise and support kids as I see fit, good prizes in the treasure chest 😄...

The one glaring thing that I don't like is the dentist himself.  I've only met him twice; he seems to rarely be there during our typical appointment times.  In fact, this most recent cleaning, we all had to come in for a separate appointment another day just to see him because the records indicated we had had too many cleanings without actual dental checks.

My impressions of the dentist: he moves too fast and misses details, he doesn't take the time to actually talk to the patient or parent about their concerns, he purposefully separates parents from kids and then gives cursory reports like "he's fine" even when the hygienist has just pointed out several problem areas that I think warrant at least an explanation, he is not very good at interacting with kids.

On one hand, it feels like the hygienists and front office staff are more important than the dentist.  So far my kids all have healthy teeth, so in all likelihood they will have limited contact with the dentist.  On the other hand, it one of them does experience a dental trauma or health issue, the last thing I will want is to be hunting for a new dentist at that point.  Another complication is that I will be needing a front tooth implant in the next couple years.  That will require many appointments with the dentist and a lot of detail-oriented work that will greatly impact the look and feel of my new front tooth for a long time to come.  I'm not sure I trust this dentist to not rush through the process and disregard my opinions.

What would you do?

[Pen]

Try to figure out if he’s a capable dentist with poor bedside manners or not a good dentist.  It would be nice to have both good, but I’d rather have competent dentist poor bedside, than great bedside manners but poor dentistry.

 

[Innisfree]

Keep looking. I'm sorry.

We had a case where the dentist noticed that a tiny filling had fallen out of dd's tooth. Further investigation showed she had a big absess on her upper jaw under this tooth, which made our dentist schedule emergency surgery for an extraction. He said the absess could potentially have gone through toward her brain. She had not mentioned any pain.

I like dentists who notice details.

[PeterPan]

Well aren't dental implants done by a specialist? Like even if a regular dentist *could* do them that sounds like something to get a specialist for, just like root canals. 

Our dentist is good but they're sort of a nervous breed anyway just from knowing one poke and they're hurting you. That doesn't seem acceptable *to me* not to be seen by the dentist every time. He screens for oral health, confirms about cavities, does important stuff. Also seems like he'll have trouble holding good hygienists if he's disrespecting them.

I'd see if you can get good hygienists with a farther drive. I drive 40 minutes for our dentist, definitely worth it. They have enough hygienists to stack, so it's not too much of a pain.

Adding: Our dentist brought in a new guy, straight out of school, and he was going really fast, proclaimed a bunch of cavities on me when I normally don't have them, blah blah. I said well fine but the fillings are being done by the guy I know. Got in there and he could tell the whippersnapper was too fast. Now that kid is MUCH SLOWER, haha. So I don't think it's shocking if a novice has a learning curve. But if the guy has been doing it a while and that's just how he rolls, it's not good. 

Edited June 15, 2019 by PeterPan

[wendyroo]

4 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

Well aren't dental implants done by a specialist? Like even if a regular dentist *could* do them that sounds like something to get a specialist for, just like root canals. 

I've had three root canals done (all on this same tooth), at three different offices and they have all been done by the regular dentists.  Both the old dentist and the new dentist were/are planning to do the implant in the office.

[PeterPan]

1 minute ago, wendyroo said:

I've had three root canals done (all on this same tooth), at three different offices and they have all been done by the regular dentists.  Both the old dentist and the new dentist were/are planning to do the implant in the office.

Oh dear. Our dentist sent me to an endodontist, but maybe my root canal wasn't run of the mill? I had heard some bad stories on the boards about people having them done with regular dentists, so I thought maybe doing them with an endo was considered better. They warm the water, have tvs, pretty slick. 

[wendyroo]

10 minutes ago, Innisfree said:

I like dentists who notice details.

Me too.

When we were there a few weeks ago the dentist zoomed into the room where my 3 year old was in the chair, and with no preamble or introductions put her through the paces to check her teeth.  After less than a minute he announced that her jaw was all wrong and that in a few years she would need braces.  He then got up to leave with no further details.  I stopped him to ask what he saw that was all wrong.  As he grudgingly explained, I noticed that Audrey was stressed out and clenching her teeth and biting down weirdly.  I told her to make her mouth normal, and suddenly all the jaw problems disappeared.

Obviously it wouldn't have been a huge deal for him to misdiagnose jaw alignment issues because the truth would have certainly come out over the years before she actually got the braces.  OTOH, if he is willing to make a slipshod diagnosis without taking the time to actually look at his patient and assess the situation, then how can I trust anything he says.

You all are confirming what I probably already knew.  Time to look for a new new dentist.

Do dentists do interviews?  I met with and interviewed a couple pediatricians before Peter was born.  It helped me find someone I felt comfortable with.  It would be nice to meet with a dentist before transferring all the records and dragging all the kids there for a cleaning.

[catz]

I will never do anything more than a basic filling or basic crown at the dentist again.  I'd find an endontist for a root canal or an implant.  Someone that does that kind of thing all the time.  I had one root canal at a regular dentist and it was like a circus.  It seemed like they only marginally knew what they were doing.  Never again.  Anyway - I'd find a well reviewed endontist for the implant for sure.

Honestly, if this office were working well for cleaning, I'd probably just keep using him for that until he didn't.  I'd rather have a dentist that was a watch and wait type than the let's do all the work now type.  If he were competent, I'd be fine with a little standoffish for basic work.  Does he have reviews online somewhere you could look at?

[wendyroo]

7 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

Oh dear. Our dentist sent me to an endodontist, but maybe my root canal wasn't run of the mill? I had heard some bad stories on the boards about people having them done with regular dentists, so I thought maybe doing them with an endo was considered better. They warm the water, have tvs, pretty slick. 

I actually had fine experiences with all of my root canals. 

My oral surgery with the specialist was my worst experience...and not just because of the surgery aspect, but because of the lack of bedside manner and disrespectful tone of the appointment.  I had had a lot of dental experience by that point, but I was still young and in pain and freaking out and my mom wasn't allowed in the room and there was no one to reassure me or ask me how I was coping.

That is one of the main reasons that it was a deal breaker when the old dentist said it was office policy to not let parents in the examine rooms with the kids.  I would have a problem with that even with neuroypical kids, but with my passel of special needs kids, it was completely unacceptable to me.

[Pen]

8 minutes ago, wendyroo said:

Me too.

When we were there a few weeks ago the dentist zoomed into the room where my 3 year old was in the chair, and with no preamble or introductions put her through the paces to check her teeth.  After less than a minute he announced that her jaw was all wrong and that in a few years she would need braces.  He then got up to leave with no further details.  I stopped him to ask what he saw that was all wrong.  As he grudgingly explained, I noticed that Audrey was stressed out and clenching her teeth and biting down weirdly.  I told her to make her mouth normal, and suddenly all the jaw problems disappeared.

 

 

Find New dentist. 

Im not sure if for convenience you could keep the hygienist 

 

[catz]

Oh well the incident with the 3 year old would cause me to rethink too.  

[Innisfree]

38 minutes ago, wendyroo said:

When we were there a few weeks ago the dentist zoomed into the room where my 3 year old was in the chair, and with no preamble or introductions put her through the paces to check her teeth.  After less than a minute he announced that her jaw was all wrong and that in a few years she would need braces.  He then got up to leave with no further details.  I stopped him to ask what he saw that was all wrong.  As he grudgingly explained, I noticed that Audrey was stressed out and clenching her teeth and biting down weirdly.  I told her to make her mouth normal, and suddenly all the jaw problems disappeared.

This would end it for me. Especially the bits I bolded, and the fact that his own behavior caused a misdiagnosis. No wonder she was stressed when he acted like that.

[Frances]

1 hour ago, wendyroo said:

I've had three root canals done (all on this same tooth), at three different offices and they have all been done by the regular dentists.  Both the old dentist and the new dentist were/are planning to do the implant in the office.

While I don’t doubt many dentists would want the money for root canals and implants, personally I would go to a specialist for these things. They are the ones routinely doing higher level work every day.

In the current situation, I might continue to take the kids to the same office for cleanings for now while you shop around for a new office for yourself. When you are satisfied with both the staff and the dentist at the new office, then make the switch for the kids. 

Edited June 15, 2019 by Frances

[Storygirl]

Every dentist that we have gone to has checked my children's teeth every single time, even though the hygienists clean them, and I would not accept otherwise. I would find another dentist.

Is this a dentist that specializes in children? We have always taken our children to a children's dentist, and they are good at working with children and parents. At our current place, I have had to adjust how I schedule the appointments, because they will put the kids in separate rooms with different hygienists, and I end up running back and forth to see how things are going, which is annoying and a little stressful. I need to hear about what is happening with one of my kids in particular, because he will not relate to me anything that he is told.

We preferred our old dentist, because they had a large exam room with multiple chairs, so that all of my kids could be in the same area at the same time. But we don't live there any more, so I've adjusted.

I used to take all four of my kids at once. When they were really little, DH would go with me, so that a parent could always be observing. As they got older, I took them by myself. In the last couple of years, I have scheduled them two by two instead of all four at once, and even though that means more visits to the dentist, it has made the process go better, because my attention is not as divided.

So if I were you, I would look for a different dentist, preferably a children's specialist. And I would schedule all appointments for two kids at a time instead of doing all at once.

Edited June 15, 2019 by Storygirl

[wendyroo]

41 minutes ago, Storygirl said:

Every dentist that we have gone to has checked my children's teeth every single time, even though the hygienists clean them, and I would not accept otherwise. I would find another dentist.

Is this a dentist that specializes in children? We have always taken our children to a children's dentist, and they are good at working with children and parents. At our current place, I have had to adjust how I schedule the appointments, because they will put the kids in separate rooms with different hygienists, and I end up running back and forth to see how things are going, which is annoying and a little stressful. I need to hear about what is happening with one of my kids in particular, because he will not relate to me anything that he is told.

We preferred our old dentist, because they had a large exam room with multiple chairs, so that all of my kids could be in the same area at the same time. But we don't live there any more, so I've adjusted.

I used to take all four of my kids at once. When they were really little, DH would go with me, so that a parent could always be observing. As they got older, I took them by myself. In the last couple of years, I have scheduled them two by two instead of all four at once, and even though that means more visits to the dentist, it has made the process go better, because my attention is not as divided.

So if I were you, I would look for a different dentist, preferably a children's specialist. And I would schedule all appointments for two kids at a time instead of doing all at once.

It is not a pediatric dentist.  I have NO childcare, so I have always prioritized having one dentist that we can all go to since we all have to be there anyway.  At our current office, they work with me and schedule me first (while all the kids are fresh) and then two kids simultaneously and then the other two.  Typically, getting all of us through takes just over an hour...which I greatly prefer over having to come back for multiple trips.

They do have the kids in different "rooms" to get their teeth cleaned, but there are no doors, and I can stand in the hallway and practically see both the kids getting their teeth cleaned and the kids in the waiting room all at the same time.

In terms of routine cleanings, this office is MUCH easier than our old one (though I'm sure some of the current ease is due to not having a baby or young toddler anymore).  I definitely agree that it would be better to have the dentist check every visit, but even that I'm willing to bend on quite a bit in exchange for fast, efficient, pleasant cleanings.

So, I think I am going to start looking for a new dentist, but I doubt it will be a pediatric dentist.  Maybe I will ask for recommendations on my local homeschool board.  I do like the suggestion of switching just myself first until I find a dentist (and office) that I like.  It will be telling how the staff reacts when I show up for my appointment with four kids in tow.  If they take that in stride then they probably have a lot of experience with families coming in for cleanings together.

Thanks,
Wendy

[PeterPan]

17 minutes ago, wendyroo said:

Typically, getting all of us through takes just over an hour...which I greatly prefer over having to come back for multiple trips.

Oh my, maybe that's why they're rushing? Our dentist schedules a full hour for each person. Plenty of time to talk, get relaxed, be seen by the dentist, etc. 

[PeterPan]

18 minutes ago, wendyroo said:

I do like the suggestion of switching just myself first until I find a dentist (and office) that I like.  It will be telling how the staff reacts when I show up for my appointment with four kids in tow.  If they take that in stride then they probably have a lot of experience with families coming in for cleanings together.

This doesn't make sense to me. What are they supposed to do with your 4 kids while you get your teeth cleaned??? You can't just leave 3 and 5 yos unattended in an office and they're not there to babysit. None of the offices I've ever been to have space to accommodate that many extra people in the dental room either. In the lobby, yes, but not in the room where you're getting worked on. So you're asking if you can leave 4 kids ages 3-10 alone in a lobby, where they might leave, disrupt things, anything, and the staff doesn't know them or want that responsibility.

Have you tried Care.com? Can you hire a local teen to go with you to supervise the kids while you get your teeth done?

[catz]

If you are showing up with 4 kids under 10 and getting 4-5 cleanings in a row including your own, 3 with special needs kids I can see why that wouldn't  be a fit for every dental office and might lead to less than focused care.  I'd consider looking for a ped dentist for the kids that had experience with special needs.  No dentist I have gone to would allow me to bring my kids to my own appointment.  When my kids were younger, I used to get a 7 am appointment and I'd have to book those early.  And my husband would arrange his schedule such that he could maybe go into work a little later those days.  

[Pen]

4 hours ago, wendyroo said:

I've had three root canals done (all on this same tooth), at three different offices and they have all been done by the regular dentists.  Both the old dentist and the new dentist were/are planning to do the implant in the office.

 

3 root canals all on one tooth?

why?

Here, I don’t think regular dentists do the surgical part of implants, though they’ll pull a tooth before implant and take care of the impression for and attachment of fake tooth to the screwed in base

[Pen]

1 hour ago, PeterPan said:

This doesn't make sense to me. What are they supposed to do with your 4 kids while you get your teeth cleaned??? You can't just leave 3 and 5 yos unattended in an office and they're not there to babysit. None of the offices I've ever been to have space to accommodate that many extra people in the dental room either. In the lobby, yes, but not in the room where you're getting worked on. So you're asking if you can leave 4 kids ages 3-10 alone in a lobby, where they might leave, disrupt things, anything, and the staff doesn't know them or want that responsibility.

Have you tried Care.com? Can you hire a local teen to go with you to supervise the kids while you get your teeth done?

 

Just now, FuzzyCatz said:

If you are showing up with 4 kids under 10 and getting 4-5 cleanings in a row including your own, 3 with special needs kids I can see why that wouldn't  be a fit for every dental office and might lead to less than focused care.  I'd consider looking for a ped dentist for the kids that had experience with special needs.  No dentist I have gone to would allow me to bring my kids to my own appointment.  When my kids were younger, I used to get a 7 am appointment and I'd have to book those early.  And my husband would arrange his schedule such that he could maybe go into work a little later those days.  

 

I agree that you need some sort of child care for during your own visits—whether with you at office or at home or elsewhere 

for cleanings for your dc the system you found sounds unusually well suited to your circumstances, so perhaps you should hold onto that, but find another dentist to be available or for second opinion if more than cleanings are needed

[wendyroo]

2 hours ago, PeterPan said:

This doesn't make sense to me. What are they supposed to do with your 4 kids while you get your teeth cleaned??? You can't just leave 3 and 5 yos unattended in an office and they're not there to babysit. None of the offices I've ever been to have space to accommodate that many extra people in the dental room either. In the lobby, yes, but not in the room where you're getting worked on. So you're asking if you can leave 4 kids ages 3-10 alone in a lobby, where they might leave, disrupt things, anything, and the staff doesn't know them or want that responsibility.

Have you tried Care.com? Can you hire a local teen to go with you to supervise the kids while you get your teeth done?

I have never had child care for any of my kids when I go to the dentist (or pretty much any other appointment).  And I have never left young children unsupervised in the lobby.

When Audrey was a newborn, all four kids came back with me.  Now the 10 year old can safely be left reading in the lobby (again, the current office has a pretty open layout and I am still in ear shot) and the three younger children come back with me.  There is almost always one "visitor" chair.  My 8 year old sits there and reads.  My 5 year old sits on the floor next to the chair and reads.  My 3 year old either sits on the other side of the chair or sits on my lap while I have my teeth cleaned.

We do what we have to do.  It is very hard to justify the cost of a babysitter (either at home or in the lobby) when we are spending SO MUCH MONEY every month on therapies, evaluations, psych appts, a plethora of meds, etc.  My kids currently take 11 prescriptions meds and 4 different supplements strongly recommended by various medical professionals - they gets very expensive, very quickly!  Plus, they aren't the type of kids that do well with babysitters...especially in stressful situations like the dentist.

This is why our current office is so valuable to me and why I am so reluctant to leave.  Not one of the hygienists there has ever said anything or even given me a sideways look when I bring the kids back with me.  In fact they all gush about how well behaved the kids are and how easy we all are as patients.

Wendy

Edited June 15, 2019 by wendyroo

[wendyroo]

4 minutes ago, FuzzyCatz said:

If you are showing up with 4 kids under 10 and getting 4-5 cleanings in a row including your own, 3 with special needs kids I can see why that wouldn't  be a fit for every dental office and might lead to less than focused care.  I'd consider looking for a ped dentist for the kids that had experience with special needs.  No dentist I have gone to would allow me to bring my kids to my own appointment.  When my kids were younger, I used to get a 7 am appointment and I'd have to book those early.  And my husband would arrange his schedule such that he could maybe go into work a little later those days.  

Actually, the hygienists have always been very focused during the cleanings.  I have always felt they did a very thorough job with me and the kids.

The only person who was not focused was the dentist.  He was not there when we were in for cleanings (just like he had not been there for most of our previous cleanings), so we had to come back a different day.  They asked us to schedule all those appointments at the same time so that he could just quickly check each of our teeth.

[rebcoola]

Our dentist does all of us at once 2 x 2 they have toys and things to keep the kids busy in the lobby or let them sit and watch.  It sounds weird but it’s what they plan for with families and obviously it doesn’t cause problems or they wouldn’t keep doing it.  I know several large families who go there to not just my little family.  We do have an exam every time we go in.  What you described with the dentist himself would bother me.

Edited June 15, 2019 by rebcoola

[Pen]

 

12 minutes ago, wendyroo said:

My 5 year old sits on the floor next to the chair and reads.  My 3 year old either sits on the other side of the chair or sits on my lap while I have my teeth cleaned.

 

I can see this working for a cleaning.

 It seems more fraught if there’s a procedure like a root canal or implant being done.

[wendyroo]

11 minutes ago, Pen said:

 

3 root canals all on one tooth?

why?

Here, I don’t think regular dentists do the surgical part of implants, though they’ll pull a tooth before implant and take care of the impression for and attachment of fake tooth to the screwed in base

I snapped my front tooth off diagonally when I was 6 years old.  The whole top of the tooth was still attached; the whole bottom of the tooth was gone.  The trauma to the tooth caused damage to the roots which has manifested itself over the last 30+ years.  The further trauma of having to drill down the remaining tooth and fit it with a string of caps and crowns exacerbated the root death.  The first root canal was done on it several years after the injury.  A couple years after that, another had to be done to clear out more dead root.  My last was done while in college, so about 20 years ago.  Since then, we joke that it is simply being held in by the force of will.

I will need an implant.  Either I will decide it is time and schedule it, or the tooth will decide for me.

[wendyroo]

8 minutes ago, Pen said:

I can see this working for a cleaning.

 It seems more fraught if there’s a procedure like a root canal or implant being done.

Yes, clearly I will need to make other arrangements when I get the implant done.  For something like that my parents could come help for an appointment and/or my husband could take an hour off work.

For routine cleanings and the like, though, I really need to manage on my own with the kids as often as humanly possible. 

[TechWife]

5 hours ago, wendyroo said:

I've had three root canals done (all on this same tooth), at three different offices and they have all been done by the regular dentists.  Both the old dentist and the new dentist were/are planning to do the implant in the office.

 

I wouldn’t allow that. Go to an oral surgeon for the implant. I wouldn’t want a dentist messing with my jaw bone.  

The only reason for multiple root canals on the same tooth is if the first one wasn’t done correctly in the first place. 

I’ve had root canals by both dentists and endodontists. The endodontist had to repeat two root canals done by dentists because they didn’t get the entire root. She actually asked me if they had been done in another country because the way they were done is so unusual. I won’t do a root canal with a dentist again. 

Edited June 15, 2019 by TechWife

[wendyroo]

10 minutes ago, TechWife said:

 

I wouldn’t allow that. Go to an oral surgeon for the implant. I wouldn’t want a dentist messing with my jaw bone.  

The only reason for multiple root canals on the same tooth is if the first one wasn’t done correctly in the first place. 

I’ve had root canals by both dentists and endodontists. The endodontist had to repeat two root canals done by dentists because they didn’t get the entire root. She actually asked me if they had been done in another country because the way they were done is so unusual. I won’t do a root canal with a dentist again. 

I don't think it was this simple in my case; my tooth and root and gums were still growing.  I had my first root canal on the tooth at the age of 9.

[rjand6more]

2 hours ago, wendyroo said:

I don't think it was this simple in my case; my tooth and root and gums were still growing.  I had my first root canal on the tooth at the age of 9.

You are right. In your situation, you have probably used up all the procedures available.  An implant is your next one.  Please see a specialist.  

5 appointments in 1 hour with a single hygienist?  A good adult cleaning with NO periodontal problems is about 25-30 minutes without an exam.  A kid cleaning- about 15-20 minutes without exam. Even if there are family members, OSHA requires a sporicidal cleaning regimin.(takes at least 5 minutes per appointment.)

Some states mandate exams at every appointment, some do not.

[moonflower]

I think if you're looking for a new dentist, you might have more luck finding a pediatric dentist that will also deal with your basic tooth care as an adult than finding an adult dentist who also does decent pediatric care.

We went to a pediatric dentist in Grand Junction that was great - all cleanings/exams were done on these bench/chair things (the kids lie down and watch a movie on a screen on the ceiling, sort of) in a big central room, which has benches along the edges and chairs at the side of each exam table for parents to wait/watch.  then procedures (we did an extraction and a couple of fillings and a spacer) and x-rays are done in rooms adjacent to the main bay.  The hygenists were amazing, and they did this great thing where they wrote down who yours was and then gave you the same hygenist the next time so your kid was already comfortable with her.  The dentist was good too; he was very very quick (as were the hygenist/assistants during the procedure part).  They had the laughing gas for my DS-then-8 who has a very strong gag reflex and is kind of impulsive and distractible, and it was zero problem at all. They managed an extraction and two fillings in what felt like 5 minutes.  I mean it was just super duper fast.  

That said, I took forever to find this place, and I paid a lot for it. (no insurance).  Like I'm talking a LOT.  But it was worth it.

[wendyroo]

1 minute ago, rjand6more said:

You are right. In your situation, you have probably used up all the procedures available.  An implant is your next one.  Please see a specialist.  

5 appointments in 1 hour with a single hygienist?  A good adult cleaning with NO periodontal problems is about 25-30 minutes without an exam.  A kid cleaning- about 15-20 minutes without exam. Even if there are family members, OSHA requires a sporicidal cleaning regimin.(takes at least 5 minutes per appointment.)

Some states mandate exams at every appointment, some do not.

5 appointments with 2 hygienists in a bit over an hour.

My cleanings are easy - so say 7 to 7:30
Shortly thereafter the other hygienist starts with my oldest ~7:10 to 7:30
Both hygienists clean up and move on to the next two kids ~7:40 to 7:55
One hygienist cleans up and finishes up with my youngest who, being 3, is only in the chair for 10ish minutes ~8:05 to 8:15

Obviously I expect the block of appointments to take longer as the kids get older, but also as they get older they will be more capable of sitting quietly and reading.  Even if it eventually takes 2 hours to get through us all, I would still rather have them in one block messing up one day rather than having them split between two days.
 

[Storygirl]

You don't need to choose a pediatric dentist (obviously), but is is worth looking into the options before you decide that they aren't the right choice.

My kids are now in school, so our schedule is different. But when we were homeschooling, I also had no child care available. Like another poster, I would schedule my own appointment at my own dentist for the first appointment (7 am ish) of the day, so that I would be back before DH had to leave for work. I would do that also for my own appointments with a doctor.

What about finding a pediatric dentist for the kids. Then you and your husband can go to the same dentist as each other, schedule your appointments back to back, and take turns watching the kids in the waiting room.

When my kids turned 14, our pediatric dentist would schedule each of them for an hour appointment. When they were under 14, their appointments were 30 minutes. I know you are confident that you are getting good care, but in my experience, getting through five appointments in an hour seems unusually quick. That, plus the dentist's willingness to have people under his care without even looking at them regularly -- I would have concerns with the quality of the care, even though the logistics are working for you.

I hope you are able to find another office that will work for you. I've had my own issues with handling all of my kids at appointments without help, and I know it can be tricky to work it all out. It is a lot easier now that they are older.

Edited June 16, 2019 by Storygirl

[PeterPan]

The only time our dentist has ever booked my ds that short was his very first appointment where they just spent a few minutes to get him comfortable with the tools. They always book him a full hour. Usually takes about 40 minutes (because the dentist sees him as well), but they book a full hour. 

It's possible if the dentist was seeing the kids, the total time would be closer to normal. You usually wait several minutes, then he strolls in and talks, then he looks, then he talks some more. It's all very chill.

Edited June 16, 2019 by PeterPan

[StephanieZ]

1) find a new dentist. This guy sounds awful. 

2) get your implant done by an oral surgeon! NOT a regular dentist! (The dentist can/will place the false tooth onto the implant . . . but for goodness sake, have an oral surgeon do the implant!)

[caedmyn]

I think in your shoes I would try tactfully asking the dentist if he could spend a bit more time explaining things as and after he does the exam.  Seems worth a shot since the rest of the office is a good fit for you.  Or could you choose just a new dentist and keep going to the current one for cleanings since you’re making separate appts anyway?

Fwiw our dentist only schedules 1 exam per year, so only every other cleaning.

[Pen]

3 hours ago, caedmyn said:

I think in your shoes I would try tactfully asking the dentist if he could spend a bit more time explaining things as and after he does the exam.  Seems worth a shot since the rest of the office is a good fit for you.  Or could you choose just a new dentist and keep going to the current one for cleanings since you’re making separate appts anyway?

Fwiw our dentist only schedules 1 exam per year, so only every other cleaning.

 

That could worth trying.  

Perhaps a call to office when it’s not your appointment time.  Like to say you were concerned about _____ and aren’t sure if there’s a different way things could be done there or if it’s not a good fit and you should be looking elsewhere.  In other words maybe tell them the reality of your concern and see if some other approach is possible.

is this a young or old dentist?

[wendyroo]

43 minutes ago, Pen said:

 

That could worth trying.  

Perhaps a call to office when it’s not your appointment time.  Like to say you were concerned about _____ and aren’t sure if there’s a different way things could be done there or if it’s not a good fit and you should be looking elsewhere.  In other words maybe tell them the reality of your concern and see if some other approach is possible.

is this a young or old dentist?

I just looked at their website: "he received his Bachelor of Science degree in 1990" and "he received his Degree of Dental Surgery in 1997".

So probably 50ish.

[Pen]

28 minutes ago, wendyroo said:

I just looked at their website: "he received his Bachelor of Science degree in 1990" and "he received his Degree of Dental Surgery in 1997".

So probably 50ish.

 

 

Good schools?  If it says. 

see what you can find about him on internet ratings sites, whether there’s been any registered complaint you can find with dental licensing board... maybe even BBB... that sort of thing 

especially if you’re thinking to try to work out a better system (more time, better communication) for your family

[Carolinagirl1]

There are many procedures that can be done by general dentists, including root canals and implants. Implants are so common now that there are many dentists who do them and do them well, and they have very intensive training to be able to do so. I would not hesitate to allow a general dentist who is well trained to do a specialized procedure. A good dentist would refer a more difficult case to a specialist. 

As far as having to come back for an exam by a dentist, I think you should mention it to the scheduler that it is inconvenient for you to bring your family back in for an exam. In the correct scenario, the patient would have the exam done by the dentist prior to the cleaning or any other treatments because the dentist is the only one who can diagnose.