H: (Mentally muttering) Great. One of those.
(Verbally) "Good morning Bob, (names have been changed to protect the
Bob: Still reading the magazine. "What? You're gonna have to speak up." (He's not old, 50s)
H: Repeat myself louder and still maintain cheerfulness. "Any concerns with your mouth today?"
B: "What? Oh, no." Resumes reading terribly important article.
I take the necessary x-rays in his really small mouth and begin the scaling.
Heavy, thick, sticky, nasty plaque. My favorite first thing in the morning. (Heavy sarcasm)
As I scale and gross myself out I know he doesn't care and I don't care to waste my time and efforts trying to convince him of the err of his tooth brushing ways. But it is my duty and I tactfully inform him of my findings and so on and so forth.
He doesn't care. His attitude says for me to shut it and quit the lecture. I do and resume the tedium of scaling crap out of his smelly little mouth. The mouth that has lips that tighten and restrict my access to the lower front teeth, the same mouth that houses the busy tongue that follows my instruments and impedes my vision. Yes, the very same mouth that will return in 6 months in the same condition.
I finish and sit him up, he resumes reading the dang magazine, which is more important and interesting than the services I just provided. The feeling is mutual; I would rather read the magazine than clean his teeth.
I schedule his next appointment.
With the other hygienist.
15 comments:
Oh my gosh...you are hilarious! I love those patients and I would have done the same thing...schedule with the other hygienist. Sometimes I think if they don't care, why should I. Love the tight lipped, macroglossia patients....ahhh. Way to start your Monday.
I don't know how you do your job. At one point in my young life I thought I wanted to be a dental hygienist, but the hygienist who cleaned my teeth said something that changed my mind. "If you don't like cleaning your own teeth, you aren't going to want to clean someone else's teeth." How rude! But she was right. And now I get to sit in my office, by myself and type all day and I wouldn't trade places for anything. But than you and all your other hygienist friends for doing your jobs. We wouldn't survive without you.
Ha Ha Ha! You crack me up! That was funny. But I do hope that tomorrow is much better.
Girl...I dont' know how you do it!! Call me sometime and lets talk photography....How is the Host? Worth buying?
You have my absolute respect. You do a job that I know I never could but I am ever so grateful that someone does. You do make it sound so funny. Well except for the Heavy, Thick, Sticky, Nasty Plaque. You made my morning!
That was so funny!! Great read first thing in the morning! Also, how is the Host? I am curious about that one :)
The Host review is coming! I promise.
Note to self, if you go to Heather she will change your name and talk crap about you on her blog! HA HA! I am kidding it is fun to hear and sometimes see your nasty teeth stories.
Oh Heather...I can TOTALLY relate to you! People are the same way with health care. They bring themselves or their loved ones in and then they freak out when they found out you're gonna poke them with a needle and draw some blood. What did you think was going to happen when you came to the ER?!?! Also, if they're fat, or they smoke or drink, don't even think about trying to tell them to change their habits. They've already heard it a thousand times and they don't need to hear it from someone half of their age. Oh wait, but 5 years later down the road, when they suffer a major stroke or heart attack, it's all your fault because you didn't tell them they were fat! What was I thinking?
YOU make me laugh.
that poor girl ... :o)
I can so imagine! (I used to be a CDA...no more time at the moment.)
Good thing for you that you have the option of another hygienists! (-:
You are a bit of a sneaky! I like it! Great way of telling a story, too.
Oh I'm so glad that I'm not the only burnt out hygienist in the world. I hate these nasty patients sometimes. And then when you show them all of that plaque they say, "oh I just had a donut on the way over here." Nope...this is not a donut. From the seminar that I went to in April, I've started polishing first, then deplaque with cavitron on the very lowest setting and then hand scale. It cuts down so much on having to pull gobs of nasty old plaque and chunks of food and wipe in on a 2x2 as you dry heave in your mouth.
At least you have another hygienist to throw them at...I'm a single out here.
Hand in there! Your husband will be a wich Dr. someday and you won't have to work!
You are so funny. I am never brave enough to schedule these patients with the other hygienist. I keep thinking they might come around. I had a patient yesterday whom I have been seeing every 3 months for 3 years who still doesn't brush every day. He did apologize for not having time to brush before his appointment. I kindly informed him that we keep toothbrushes in the patient's restroom for such occasions. I then asked him how his brushing was going and if it had become a daily occurance. The other hygienist was walking down the hall at this time and starting laughing at my question. I hope it wasn't too rude, but his reply was "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." Yuck. I love my job!!!
This post cracked me up...a hygienist myself I feel your pain and I would not hesitate to "rotate" that patient with another hygienist. It never fails to get the tight lips, tongue chasers , who won't stay open...who turn away from you, who won't swallow EVER and have the personality of wet dishcloth, and poor hygiene all rolled into one...Happy Monday!!
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