Re: Dentists' pet peeves

leaderdmd_at_juno.com
Date: 12/29/04 

Date: 29 Dec 2004 07:49:20 -0800

I have two pet peeves.

1) Patients who make appointments and don't show up. I charge patients
a small amount for the missed appointment if I can't fill it. That
helps to defray my costs, but $40.00 for a missed half hour does not
defray the $100.00 it actually costs to have a dental office open for
that time. This behaviour is rude and inconsiderate. Also, it drives
up the cost of dental treatment for all.

2) Physicians' advice. Medical doctors get very little training in
dentistry. 8 hours of lecture or less depending on the school without
any practical experience. With that in mind, where do they get off
telling my patients not to bring a child in to see me until they are 4
or five years old, that pregnant women should not have their teeth
cleaned or that partial dentures are bad for teeth? Rightfully,
patients take physicians' advice seriously. Physicians should take
giving advice just as seriously. If they want to advise patients about
dentistry, they should study it.

Dave Leader, DMD
Malden, Ma.

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