For them as care about the dentist saga

[neadods]

I've collected recs from all my friends, but I went with the rec of someone in the office, who says that his dentist can handle his many health issues. His dentist was also a mile from the class I took last night, putting me in the area. So before I chickened out, I made an appointment.

On the intake form, I wrote down that I am not willing to replace all my old metal fillings, that I am not willing to have my wisdom teeth removed, and that I'm terrified of dentists in general, but want to find one that I can trust. They're going paperless, so when the assistant typed my info in, she showed me where she put TERRIFIED OF DENTISTS in all caps.

Although it was strongly suggested I ask the old dentist to send my x-rays to the new dentist, I'm willing to take another zap so that I can get a professional second opinion on the work that was done.

My initial assessment appointment is Monday. I should get out in plenty of time to make it to the Watson's Tin Box meeting. (And unlike when I thought I lost a filling and started this whole train a-rollin', I don't have any issues so bad they have to be taken care of NOW NOW NOW, so I've got time to think and assess the advice I'm given.)

Comments

[shawan-7.livejournal.com]

Good. I hope it works out.

[jennetj.livejournal.com]

Wise move, changing dentists. I went from one who wanted to do a $1,000 periodontal procedure that my insurance wouldn't cover (this is the office I walked out of an appointment for when, after sitting in the chair for almost an hour with no one having come in to me, work called with a crisis and I left to deal with that), to a dentist a co-worker recommended who's good with the dentally timid, who looked at the tooth in question and said "Oh, I can take care of that, you don't need surgery." He wins.

Good luck with your new dentist.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

He does indeed win! I'm hoping for a similarly good response when I get to the new dentist.

[jeff-morris.livejournal.com]

I'd be inclined to tell the old dentist to forward your file to the new guy, if for no other reason than the more the new guy knows, the better. But I can see where that would be a rather unpleasant experience.

[fyrdrakken]

I agree with the suggestion to get the old records to the new dentist. When I was working in a doctor's office, we would send or receive a request (filled out and signed by the patient) for their records (for changing doctors or seeing a specialist) and the offices of the doctors involved would handle copying off the old file and sending the copy over to the other office. I gather that's standard procedure, office-to-office transfer -- I've heard from some people that they actually encountered resistance trying to get copies of their own records from a doctor (whether to look over themselves or to manually carry to their new doctor).

So -- I'd be in favor of enquiring on your next visit on whether you could get the new dentist's office to handle acquiring your old records. Not least because there might be a sort of passive-aggressive pleasure in letting that other dentist know she's driven you off for good, without having to confront her yourself in a face-to-face meeting. (Of course, then you may be surprised with a phone call from your ex-dentist, demanding an explanation for why you left. But then again, if you don't let her and her office know you've fired her as your dentist, you may get a few phone calls from office staff trying to get you in there for your next appointment -- I had that problem with the obnoxious dentist a few years back. The office staff kept misspelling my name (apparently "correcting" it back to the misspelling after I'd had a staff member supposedly amend it on my records) and calling me up repeatedly to confirm an appointment I'd already cancelled.)