Confessions of a Charlotte dentist
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Note: We’re starting a new series of “confessions” where we ask certain professionals a quick set of questions and keep their responses anonymous so that they can tell the complete truth. If you’d like to participate, please email [email protected]. We promise to keep you anonymous.
Does your dentist notice when your breath stinks? What’s the grossest thing they’ve ever seen in someone’s mouth? And do they seriously floss every day? I spoke with one Charlotte dentist to find out what it’s like to be inside strangers’ mouths all day. Here are her confessions:
What’s the most annoying thing your patients do?
Believing that their Google search is equivalent to my postgraduate doctorate degree.
A strong second place is when patients inform me that they “hate the dentist” as soon as they sit down in the chair. I’m just like… gee thanks!
What do you do when someone has really bad breath?
Back when I was in dental school my mom gave me the idea to put Vick’s Vapor Rub on the inside of my mask! I haven’t had to do that since dental school, but I definitely did it back then and it worked.
Do you really floss every day? Flossing is awful.
Awful… really? I can think of much worse things. But to answer your question, absolutely!
You’re missing 35% of your tooth’s surface by not flossing. These are areas where your toothbrush can’t reach.
If you know like I know… you’d floss.
Ok. I still hate flossing. Tell me about your worst appointment.
When a patient decides to eat a full-on Thanksgiving feast just before coming to their appointment… vomit usually becomes a factor. No bueno.
Another time I had a special needs patient who physically attacked and assaulted his mother during his appointment. We had to separate them, quarantine the patient, and wait for his father to come calm him down. That was pretty intense.
How often do you leave the office with spit all over you?
Every day.
Aerosols and splatter in dentistry are real… thank God for PPE (personal protective equipment)!
Have you ever been bitten?
Yep, although most of the time I can get my hand out of there before the teeth come down!
Is there really such a thing as “soft teeth?”
This is an ambiguous term that means different things to different people. I find that it is used frequently as an excuse by those neglecting responsibility for their own dental health.
What’s the grossest thing you’ve ever seen in someone’s mouth?
Pubes.
Have you ever had a cavity?
When I was a kid I had a new cavity at every 6-month checkup. I got my braces off in 8th grade on Halloween… let’s just say I had a lot of candy that night.
Have you ever extracted the wrong tooth?
No. Most offices have an intricate network of checks and balances set in place to ensure that things are checked, double checked, and even triple checked before, during and after treatment to help prevent mistakes.
Have you ever been hit on while working on someone?
Oh, absolutely. But I like to keep it professional at work. One of my worst fears is running into a patient or a patient’s parent while I’m out “living my best life,” which is why I try to travel as much as possible.