Friday, January 9, 2009

A Lesson Learned!

Drew and I had our first dentist appointment today at a dentist a picked out of the phone book. I will never do that again!!! When I arrived at the dental office, I should have had my first clue by the parking lot being virtually vacant!! I walk in and this overwhelming smell of cigarette smoke hits me. I should have just turned around right then. The lady at the desk greets me and I have a whole sheet to fill out for myself and then I had to ask her about filling one out for Drew, that should have been my second clue. Then before I even was able to finish the paperwork, they were taking Drew back with them to the room. I thought, wait a minute, that is my kid, don't take him back there without me!! Drew obviously freaked out and didn't want to go back. I said, I am almost done, we will come back once I am finished filling this paperwork out. Hello, he is 3!!!! Then this old man greeted us, I assumed he was the dentist. Drew of course, was a little on edge at that moment. He could of at least been kind enough to take his mask of to greet a 3 year old. Then we go into the room and it looked like a total 1970's dental office. It didn't look professional at all and it looked dirty. I thought to myself, "Lord Help ME!!!" I continued to look around and then I thought, do they clean these instruments???!!! I wanted to get out of there!! Drew of course did not want to sit in the chair so I sat in it and put him on my lap. The dentist wasn't that nice to him. He just said, "Open your mouth." I thought, "Oh, great here we go!" Drew at first didn't want to sit down, but then he did after I bribed him with a sucker, he opened his mouth and the dentist said it looked fine and asked if I was brushing his teeth and I said yes. They gave him a toothbrush and toothpaste. And that was it!! I was so surprised, I thought they were going to clean his teeth and all. Well, after my "cleaning" I found out that is probably what they call a cleaning for a kid. So then it was my turn. I go and get my teeth x-rayed and then I go and sit and wait for them to get my film and look at it. That didn't take too long, which was great, because I was about to walk out! The dentist came back in and was looking at my x-ray and said, "It looks like her wisdom teeth are out." I said yes, I had all four cut out. Then he said, "It looks like the upper ones might still be there." I thought, NO, Hello, I just told you I had all four cut out!! I think I would remember that!!! Then he did his so called, cleaning I guess. He picked at my teeth and checked them over and said I might have some decay but not enough to fill yet. Then the dental assistant/receptionist/dental hygeniest/who knows what else she does, said she was going to polish my teeth. From what I know polishing to be, there is actual polish and teeth cleaning agents that are put on my teeth and polished. That is what my old dentist office did and then they would floss my teeth and I would actually feel like my teeth were cleaned. Well, this lady, I was wondering if she even had a degree to do this, started "polishing" and then she put that water spout in my mouth and didn't suck it out!!!!! I actually started choking on the water!! Helloooooo, I am laying on my back!!!! All she said, "Oh, did ya get too much water!!" Yeah!!!!! Then I sat up and I was done. She said we will see you in 6 months. I thought, NO WAY!!!

So, a lesson was learned my friends!! Ask around to find a good dentist!! To make myself feel better after that crazy appointment, Drew and I went to "Good Cookies" and got a huge monster cookie for our treat!! YUMMY!!!

5 comments:

Jess said...

This is good stuff. I'd try to find a kids dentist next time for Drewski. Ask around...but I'm sure you just figured that out. :)

Meridee said...

I feel so for you Angie! What a horrible, horrible sounding place. I'm sure you wish you had walked out but you were there - and it would be awkward. I hope Drew doesn't remember the old codger and the next experience is better. You're a good mom to even care about all these things.

Jenny said...

Ang, that is just AWFUL! You poor thing. I wanted to get you guys OUT OF THERE as I was reading this. And poor Drew... They have places that are nice to kids so they aren't traumatized their first dental experience. Do your teeth even feel clean? I'd get a referral from someone on where to go next.


love ya!

Meghan Rogers said...

Oh my gosh Angie, how terrible! You definitely need to find a different office. Look for a pediatric dentist for Drew. They are totally geared more for kids and make the experience fun. You ahve the right idea by asking around....a good referral is the best way to go! Don't go back to that place - AHHH!!

Patsy Scott said...

I read this, and I know I would have done the same thing... put up with it. I wonder, what keeps us "nice" people from just walking out! Nevertheless, this sounds too much like a scene from a horror movie. I've learned this lesson too about dentists...and ended up having to have oral surgery on a botched root canal.