Take Care in Choosing a Dentist

I recently moved to a new state and had to find a new dentist. When I did, I ended up choosing a dentist who was one of the providers listed on my health insurance. I, like so many of us, assumed the dentist would be competent. Why? Because he was listed with my insurance coverage and they make sure their providers are board certified and have the necessary skills to do a good job. Did I do additional checking? Again, like so many of us, I didn't. I guess part of my reasoning was that all dentists are basically good at what they do, right? I mean, it's dentistry, not brain surgery. So why waste my valuable time digging into his background?

All I can say at this point is-I'll never make that mistake again.

On my second visit, I experienced a bad reaction to the numbing agent. Whether this was preventable, a mistake on the dentist's part, or just bad luck, I don't know.

But here's what bugs me the most.

My dogs had received their yearly injections a couple of days before my dental appointment. The day after their visit, the vet's office called to see how they were doing. I was surprised by the call. I mean, who expects their vet to check up on their animals? Needless to say, I was pleased at the vet's obvious care for her patients.

Did my dentist or his office personnel ever check up on me after my bad experience? Nope. Not a call. In fact, when I called them the next day to say I'd be changing dentists and why, they weren't sympathetic or apologetic at all. A couple of days later when I picked up my file and x-rays, the dentist looked me straight in the eye and never said a word about my unpleasant experience. Nada. Nothing.

My question is this...has our society gone to the dogs? Do vets care more about their patients than our dental profession cares about people? Obviously, in my recent experiences, the vet did. But I'm holding on to the hope that this was one rare, out-of-the-ordinary occurrence. I'm holding on to my belief that most of the dental profession really care about their patients. (My belief was later confirmed.)

Still, I'm taking no chances in choosing my next dentist.