My Horror at the Pediatric Dentist office-UPDATE on pg3

[GladysK]

Sounds like a bad dentist.

However, this thread is turning into a pediatric-dentist bash, and there are many who are wonderful!WE had one and my kids used them until they were in their teens,that's how great the experience we had with him.

 

[Michelle]

I'd be furious too!

We have a GREAT pediatric dentist; yes they do expect most parents to wait in the waiting room (except with very young kids) but I go back with my DD, who had major dental phobia, hated having her teeth cleaned (she's never had a cavity, thank God!). They know that and even put her in a private room. She has become MUCH better about it as she gets older and I think that is due to their patience with her freaking out about procedures.

Felicia, as others have said I'd be looking for a new dentist immediately.

And DocRafiki, yes the dentist DOES have to check with the parent if he/she is removing a tooth. That is not "some little thing", even if it is a loose baby tooth.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

If you do switch dentists your kids are old enough for an adult dentist anyhow. They are getting to braces age if they need it. I asked my dentist to recommend a ped. dentist when DD#1 was 3 and he said that in his opinion a ped. dentist would be looking for something wrong.
All my kids started going to the son of my dentist (who is also a dentist) when they were 3 years old. Each one has had one nervous meltdown appointment (DS's was this June!) and I admit the dentist doesn't handle screaming kids very well, which is the downside of not having a ped. dentist
He is also my dentist now since his dad retired. So I've been going to the same family of dentists since I was 4 years old. At that time there were no pediatric dentists!
Robin M.

 

[Rajah]

You have absolutely every right to be furious! I would definitely report this, and find a new dentist and pass this information on to every one of your friends.

 

[binny]

I would be LIVID!!

NO ONE has a right to touch your child without your permission!
And certainly NOT to remove something!


My kids go to my dentist. He is a great guy and very patient!

The last dentist we had though was downright NASTY and mean we left his office and told him exactly WHY we we wouldnt be back.

GRRRR

The thing is, they work for YOU. You pay them for their services you should never feel guilted into staying with anyone because they have a degree!

I make it a point to find doctors, dentists, and professionals who put me on their level...
If I walk in and they introduce themselves with something like " Hi Im Dr Olsen, call me Bob" Im a very happy camper!
If I meet someone who INSISTS on being called DR. Green I will be called Mrs. N### Thankyou very much!

Dont get me wrong I still call my doctor by Dr. so and so but I really appreciate the consideration of being on their level. It makes me much more confortable

 

[sha_lyn]

Oh boy, maojr flashback here... When I was about 9 or so the Ped dentist I had been going to for a couple of yrs did something similar. I had a back baby tooth that had a cavity in it and one of my molars behind it was coming in. the Ped asked my mother if she wanted me to pull it. she told him to ask me if I wanted it pulled. well he decided to pull it anyway wihtout telling me. It hurt like heck and I had no idea what was going on. I though he was just looking in my mouth after the cleaning like normal. I was sobbing by the time he was finished. He handed me the tooth in a little plastic treasure chest. I threw it to him. By then my mom heard me screaming. I remember us going into his office and him trying to calm the situation. My mom was furious with him. It took a long time for me to get over it, and to learn to trust another dentist

 

[lisajl]

I agree with Mermaid02. There is no way I would put up with this from any doctor. I don't care who he or she is.

We went to a peds dentist twice. The first time was great, the second time he yelled at us, our child and two other kids waiting in the chairs. I don't know if he was having a meltdown or what was going on, but it was very unprofessional.

Your child is your responsibility. Period. You are there to protect and take care of that child.
No one has the right to do what he did. Baby tooth or not.

Good luck.....

another mom that fights for her kids.......Lisa

 

[Mskanga]

My kids do not go into a dentist office alone, if the dentist does not like it , too bad, I stay out of their way , but I am there.
I remember being 4 years old and sitting at the dentist chair , I had an accident with my sister and hit my jaw bone , to make a long story short , I needed braces to correct the problem ( which years later we found out it was a huge mistake ) and the dentist was taking the impression for the braces. Apparently I didn't open the mouth wide enough and he slapped me across my face. I remember that vividly. My mom was made to go out but she could hear me screaming and crying from outside the office.

 

[sha_lyn]

Wow just came from a friends house, and she was complaining abour her DD's Ped dentist too. She too can not stay back there with her DD, and hates the way the kids are all lines up, about 10 on each side of the room.

 

[mkymouse1928]

I am shocked that your dentist did this. It was very unprofessional and wrong.

I want to add, though, not to group all pediatric dentists. I went to one as a child and actually in to my twenties (he always said we had to find another dentist when we got to big for the chair. I am only 5 ft so I never go too big for the chair). He was great! My mom was allowed back when we were younger, but as we got older we went back alone and then she was called back after the cleaning to discuss any further needed treatment or what have you. I will say there were times when he was "firm" with us trying to get us to take better care of our teeth or he would be firm with kids who were misbehaving, but it was never in a way that was intimidating.

 

[BrerMom]

I would not be a happy mama and I would not be going back.

Our dentist is a regular dentist and is so patient. I've taken the kids with me numerous times for routine check-ups and he's never had a problem with it. When it's their turn, they've gone in by themselves, gone in with me sitting beside them, and even gone in with me in the chair and them lying on top of me!

I've thought several times about finding another practice because I hate hate hate the way the accounting department is run, but every time I consider it, I read one of these threads and thank my lucky stars I trust my dentist.

As a side note, when DS had to go to the pediatric dental surgeon, I was sent back to the waiting room after he was starting to go to sleep. I would have preferred to stay, but I guess they've had parents faint. I was called back in after the procedure was over and DS was starting to wake up. At least I was there when DS needed me, I just had to trust the dentist while I was waiting. The same procedure was used when DS#2 had an MRI, though. I was there for the going to sleep and waking up, but not allowed in the room during the procedure, so that may be a standard practice so parents don't distract(?)

 

[Boots]

This sounds so awful! Many hugs to your and your DS! No you shouldn't have to put up with this kind of treatment. Let us know what you decide to do about it all.

 

[cruisnfamily]

This brings back a story a friend told me. Her little girl (about 4-5 at the time) had always seen a Pediatric Dentist and Mom had to wait outside in the waiting room....she'd never been back there for an appointment. One day Mom tells her daughter that she ( the mother) is going to the dentist that day and the daughter says "Mommy do they tie your head down too?" The mother was horrified and called the Dentists office and found out that they literally strap the kids down to the chairs for their appointments, cleanings, whatever....you can guess that she never took her daughter back there.

My kids have always gone to our regular family dentist and we've never had any issues with them.

 

[Felicia]

UPDATE:

Thanks for the supporting posts.

After speaking with my DS and he told me the Dentist "numbed" his mouth, I called the dentist's office and asked them what was done to numb my son's tooth. The office assistant said he was given novacain. Think about this: What if my son has developed a heart condition within the last six months and the novacain would have been harmful to him? Now, don't you think I should have been consulted BEFORE the novacain was administed???

Yesterday I took my DS to a new dentist. He is a pediatric dentist also, and I have heard NOTHING but nice things about him. He doesn't have a fancy, state of the art office like the other, but that is not why we go to the dentist. (I have spoken with a friend of a friend who knows about the original dentist and told me that he is not a certified pediatric dentist. He is only a certified dentist, not for pediatrics!)

This new dentist, introduced himself as, "Hi, I'm Gary XXXX, but the kids call me Dr. Gary". Right off the bat, they took my son to the sink and handed him a new toothbrush and toothpaste and told him brush his teeth so they could see his "technique". I thought that was interesting.

OK, OK to the point. The "horrible" dentist had my son wear a retainer last August (1 year) because he had an adult tooth come in behind a baby tooth and wanted to "push" it into place. The retainer looked like an expander and it had a metal piece in the center which my son had to turn weekly. The new dentist, Dr. Gary, looked into my son's mouth and said, "Mom, take a look in his mouth. This is one of the worst bites I have seen in a long time." My DS's back teeth do not touch. The retainer had done something to his bite. It could be corrected with braces. I knew he would need braces for his front teeth as they came in crooked, but now we must have them for the bad dentist's mistake!

Dr. Gary did not rush us out of the office and he did not rush off to another patient. My kids liked him better too. They like how there are seperate rooms with individual chairs so they don't have to be in a "classroom of chairs" (what my DD said!)

Thanks for listening, AGAIN! I will stick with Dr. Gary.

 

[chell]

YEAH for Dr. Gary! I'm glad your children like him so much.

 

[lisajl]

I am sooooo glad you found someone better!

Good for you, but really good for your children!

 

[HoneyPooh]

Glad you found someone better! Don't know about Pediatric Dentists but I work for an oral surgeon and no matter if it's a baby tooth and already hanging out by a thread we have to get parents or legal guardians to sign a consent form that explains what is being done and why. We don't do ANYTHING without that signature because no matter how unlikely a problem is, that one time you don't get the signature is sure to be that 1 in 1 million instance that something goes wrong.

 

[Disneymoon04]

YAY! Congrats on finding Dr. Gary

 

[Mermaid02]

I'm glad you found someone else. I'm also sorry that the first dentist messed up your son's bite. Do you have any recourse?

 

[jamsmom]

I think Dr. Gary should send a letter to the first dentist letting him know the problems he caused.