What Is Considered Inappropriate Behavior During A Dentist Appointment?
*username is a throwaway because of sensitive nature of question*
I am a patient who recently had an unpleasant experience, and wanted to ask for some advice.
I (30F, USA) had an urgent dentist appointment for a cavity that was causing me pain. The dentist was the only person in the room for the whole appointment.
As he began the procedure to fill my cavity, I had to ask him to do something to relieve the saliva buildup in my mouth. He took the suction device, shoved it in my mouth, pinched my lips tightly together with his hand, wiggled them around aggressively, and repeatedly called me a "good girl."
I have never had a dental professional touch me in this manner. It left me frozen in a state of shock, and I passed it off as a one-time negative experience.
After he had given me numbing injections and began drilling, I realized that he was not wearing anything, such as a surgical face mask, to protect us both from aerosols and pathogen transmission. I wasn't able to say anything because my mouth was numb by that point.
I avoided asking for the suction device, but he used it again without warning, again shoving it in my mouth, pinching my lips tightly together with his hand, wiggling them around aggressively, and repeatedly calling me a "good girl." I jerked my head away and aggressively stared at him to convey that I was uncomfortable. At this point I just wanted to get the appointment over with as quickly as possible.
On top of all this, I have had lingering tooth pain since that appointment. Last week, I had an appointment with a different dental practice and they told me that the filling did not bond property, leaving a hole in my molar. I will now have to have the original work redone.
I decided to file a complaint with the state professional licensing board, but I keep wondering if I was overreacting and second-guessing myself. I do not have witnesses because no one else was in the room.
I'd appreciate hearing from informed readers what the standard protocol is for touching/handling patients, and wearing PPE. And if there's anything else I can do to hold this dentist accountable.
[link] [comments]
