Gilda

Thank you for the information. I didn't know how the referral system worked internally, just that it's frustrating from the consumer end.

That's already a more detailed explanation than what my dentist gave me. Why would teeth wearing unevenly be a bad thing?

How can I really know that? They have a product to sell, just like any other business, that product being dental care. It makes sense that they might be trying to do what's best for me, but it also makes sense that they might be trying to do what's best for their bottom line.

In either case, their customer service was quite bad, at least in how they treated me.

I would think that medical professionals are going to occasionally get patients who've never been to the doctor before, or at least to that type of specialist.

Given that I didn't qualify my statement in anyway, I would think the meaning was unambiguous. When I answer "When was the last time you had your teeth cleaned?" with "This is the first time," it seems to me that it should be clear that I mean "This is the first time I've had my teeth cleaned," given the question that prompted my answer. After three repetitions it seems to me that it would be obvious that I actually meant exactly what I was saying.

They didn't ask, so no.

That seems a strange assumption. Some people come from poor framilies in which dental care is a luxury. I'd been in college for four years at a very expensive school which would make it even less likely I'd have access to dental care.

I was thankful for that, and told them so. My complaint wasn't with the financial end of it (except as regards the crappy insurance plan) or the quality of the work. I actually don't know if the work was any good, so I have no place to complain there. I assume it must be, because I haven't gotten any toothaches, but I never did before, so really how can you tell?

My complaint was with the customer service, the way they talked down to me as if I were stupid not to have been going to the dentist all my life rather than poor.

Also, just to be clear, though it was always unpleasant, I never said anything to them. I mean, of course it's unpleasant, that's just the nature of going to the doctor. I treated them politely, listened to their complaints about my not coming in more often or going to the orthodontist, nodded understood, put up with it for the hour or two I had to be there, (and for a second appointment if I had a new cavity or two) and went on with my business once I got away from there and stayed away as long as possible. I was far from a problem patient, always polite and cooperative. With it already unpleasant, I didn't want to get a reputation as a problem customer and have the quality of care go down.

Maybe it was just the general attitude I got, as if I weren't really supposed to be involved in the decision making, and was supposed to just go along with whatever they told me I needed, instead of working together with me as an equal partner in deciding what was best for me. It was about them wanting me to come in every six months and them wanting me to go to the orthodontist, as if what I wanted had little to do with anything.

I can understand this. Sissy was delighted to get braces at 16, and has always enjoyed the dentist. But those two don't necessarily go together. I go to the dentist because I care about my teeth, just as I brush three to four times a day and floss at least once before bed because I care about my teeth, but that doesn't mean I want to be there.





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Yeah, the way medical insurance works sucks. My school district paid close to $6000 a year in medical, dental, and vision insurance. I went to the gynecologist once a year for a checkup, and once for a yeast infection. That's some really poor value.

Ok. I'll accept that this is true, but it seems strange to me. What about people from poor families who can't afford dental work or other most other medical care until they're adults? Surely I can't be the only one who moved from a poor family into a middle class professional career where health care is readily available for the first time as an adult.

Out of curiosity, why? The insurance company isn't being affected in any way by their giving me a discount. I assumed it was like a sale at a department store, giving new customers a discount to get them to come back.

I don't smoke, and never have.

I don't know what retinopathy is. Like Ustwo's TMJ reference, this is the first time I've seen a reference to it.

Our experinces have been quite different, then. I've had pain at the dentist, quite a bit that first five visits. I hate, hate, hate having that needle stuck in my gums

I take care of them at home, and as much as I dislike it, I do go once a year. I treat it like excercise.

The difference between you and my dentist was that he didn't see it as "Your decisions are yours," but as a "You need to do this and do it on my schedule because I know what's best for you."

Is it really a one size fits all form of health care? Aren't there going to be people who need a checkup every six months, others every year, some more often than six months? My sister goes to the gyno every three months because she has different needs from mine, while I go once a year and whenever I have a yeast infection or UTI, and most of time I can take care of the yeast infection at home with over the counter meds.

What if I'm one of those for whom once a year is enough? How do we know what schedule is best for everyone if we don't allow for individual differences?

Gilda

Edit: I hate this automerge "feature".

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