melissa
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Post by melissa on Jun 29, 2015 16:08:56 GMT
Just a curious little topic for discussion.
I had a routine dental appointment today. It's an office with a few dentists (maybe 3 or 4) and several hygienists. Still, every time I have been, I have seen the same dentist. I have been seeing the same hygienist as well. She happens to be the mom of someone dd went to pre-K and kindergarten with and catching up with her always makes these dreaded visits nicer. I had a bit of a dental phobia for years and this office has been particularly great about that. I finally found a dentist that I trust and am comfortable with and having a hygienist that I know has also made it all so easy. My borderline phobia is gone.
Today, I was a little surprised when I was called back by a hygienist I have never seen before. I asked where my usual hygienist was and learned that she takes alternate Mondays off in the summer. Then, when it's time for the dentist to come in, she mentions a different name. Not my dentist. Says he also has a different schedule in the summer and only works afternoons.
It just seemed a little odd to me that I wouldn't have been notified. They certainly called to confirm the appointment twice and sent an email, so there was opportunity. Back in my private practice days, if a doc was going to take another doc's schedule, the patients would be notified and would have been offered another appointment as an option. What do you think? Should I have been notified?
I am not in the least bit upset and still was comfortable with the appointment. It just felt as if I had gone somewhere else! LOL
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Deleted
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May 5, 2024 9:12:37 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 29, 2015 16:12:58 GMT
I don't know, but I'm glad it was not a bad experience in the end. Dentist appts are so stressful for me, too.
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Post by maryland on Jun 29, 2015 16:12:57 GMT
I think it would have been nice of them to tell you the schedules are different in the summer and let you reschedule if you wanted too.
I understand dental phobia! I am such a baby about getting my teeth cleaned, and am not a fan of the hygienist at my dental office. I love the hygenist at the periodontist, but they won't let me just see her, I have to see the periodontist too. Which is always depressing, because he always tells me I need to get stuff done, and we have no dental insurance!
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Post by crimsoncat05 on Jun 29, 2015 16:17:53 GMT
While it would be nice to know, I can't ever remember being told about things like that if it was a routine appointment.
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Deleted
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May 5, 2024 9:12:37 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 29, 2015 16:20:24 GMT
I specify which dentist and hygienist I want to see.
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Deleted
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May 5, 2024 9:12:37 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 29, 2015 16:21:02 GMT
When you call to make the appointment do they do it by dentist or just by day/time? I would expect to see the same one especially if that was what I requested, but have pretty much always just gone to practices with only one dentist. If there were more than 1, I would confirm which one I was going to see if I had a specific one I wanted. I could understand if they were out sick, etc but it does seem a little odd that they switched schedules and didn't think to mention it. I assume you make appointments 6 months out or so (at the last appointment)?
That said, I have found dental offices to be less customer friendly/focused lately for some reason. Much more about their own personal schedules/choices. The practice we had been going to got sold and we did get a letter, but it was just assumed we would keep going there. Our prior dentist had a good schedule and the new one has no appointments that weren't during school hours (closing earlier). UGH! So we are moving/changing to one that at least is closer to our school so we don't spend even more school time driving.
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akathy
What's For Dinner?
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Posts: 4,546
Location: North Dakota
Jun 25, 2014 22:56:55 GMT
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Post by akathy on Jun 29, 2015 16:26:29 GMT
I've seen the same dentist for 36 years and the same hygienist for almost 30. She schedules my next appt. when I'm there for days that they're both in the office.
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Post by coaliesquirrel on Jun 29, 2015 16:27:23 GMT
When setting appointments, my hygienist lets me know if a certain day is one of her days off, so I've never not had her. I have had my dentist be gone (for scheduled reasons like professional conferences, etc.) and I was not told - just saw the other one instead. It didn't bother me, but I've been blessed with great teeth, so I don't have dental issues & fear.
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momto4kiddos
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Jun 26, 2014 11:45:15 GMT
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Post by momto4kiddos on Jun 29, 2015 16:32:07 GMT
I've seen practices (opthamologist in our case) where they schedule you with whoever is available that day. When I call to make an appt I always make sure i'm seeing the practitioners that I want to see.
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Post by littlemama on Jun 29, 2015 16:37:33 GMT
When we schedule our appointments (six months in advance, while we are there for an appt), they will ask if we want the same hygienist. I generally care more about my appt time and day than I do which hygienist I have - plus it seems like they are all young, and leave when they have babies, so lots of turnover. I would prefer to see one particular dentist all the time, but he isn't there often, so I deal with whichever one is there at the time, but if I need work done, I make sure to make the appt with my preferred dentist. There was one time I did that, and when I got there, they said, oh Dr so-and-so is who you are going to see, and I said that was not ok. I suspect my preferred dentist was wanting to leave early, but he still saw me. The reasons I prefer him are that DH was told that he needed a crown or filling, his appt was with this dentist to have the work done, and he told him he didn't even need anything done. Also, he is the only dentist who recognized that I still have my wisdom teeth. Other hygienists and dentists have actually argued with me. Ummmm, I know what teeth are in my mouth, thank you! He also is the only one who recognized that I was grinding my teeth and fitted me for a mouth guard for night use.
So, I honestly never know which hygienist I am getting or which dentist will be there, but for important stuff, I make sure I see who I want.
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Post by heartland on Jun 29, 2015 16:45:51 GMT
I'm coming at this from an experience of a practice with one dentist and multiple hygienists, although there is another doctor in the same building, but everything between the two is very separate. And no dental phobias to speak of...so I would find that pretty strange. I make my next appointment when I'm there for a cleaning (so 6 months out), and would assume that the hygienist is scheduling me for the days that she works. Because I've had the same one for quite some time - years even! And I would think that yours would do the same?
Maybe the summer schedule is a new thing and she didn't even know about it 6 months ago? But if that's the case I would wonder how they are covering these appointments made, and now they don't have people to cover them?
If I had to see a different dentist once it wouldn't bother me, although I would appreciate being told in advance. Either the receptionist as you were checking in, or the hygienist as she took you back. But to them this was probably nothing out of the normal... (ie Dr John doesn't work mornings, its' morning - so he's not here) and wouldn't have thought to tell you.
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sharlag
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Posts: 6,574
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Jun 26, 2014 12:57:48 GMT
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Post by sharlag on Jun 29, 2015 16:48:46 GMT
Did they use the dentist's name when you booked the appointment? At my dentist, I don't have continuity with hygienists, but do with the dentist because he's the only one.
At my physician's office, it's a group of at least 6, but they make it plain who they're booking for you and don't switch it without talking to you first.
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Deleted
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May 5, 2024 9:12:37 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 29, 2015 16:50:51 GMT
I think you should have been notified about a different dentist, but not the hygienist. I hate dental appointments as well.
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Montannie
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Location: Big Sky Country
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Post by Montannie on Jun 29, 2015 16:52:09 GMT
I've had that happen, too. I hate it.
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Post by melanell on Jun 29, 2015 17:08:56 GMT
I've seen the same dentist for 36 years and the same hygienist for almost 30. She schedules my next appt. when I'm there for days that they're both in the office. This is how things are at my dentist's office, too. However, the last time they called to confirm, they did tell me that she wouldn't be there for the appt., because she had to take unexpected time off work. |
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moodyblue
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Jun 26, 2014 21:07:23 GMT
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Post by moodyblue on Jun 29, 2015 17:10:45 GMT
I spend more time with the hygienist than I do the dentist. Checkups are usually really quick and it takes more time to clean my teeth, even without much tartar or any serious issues, than it does for the exam.
I couldn't begin to tell you how many differnt hygienists I've seen over the years - in the same dental practice. Seems it's very common for many of them to work part time and there seems to be lots of turnover. I never know if it will be one I've seen before or not - and I'm not sure I would remember.
My dentist is s solo practitioner, so I do see her each time. But there was a period of time when this practice had two dentists working there, and I didn't always know which one would be seeing me. Didn't have a problem with either, but then I've never had a dental phobia and I'm a pretty easy patient for them to work on anyway.
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Post by peano on Jun 29, 2015 17:17:02 GMT
I am not really wedded to any hygienist, but my dentist has been very patient with my dental phobia and I like his calming manner. So I wouldn't be upset with a change in hygienist but would be very upset if I weren't told about a change in my dentist's schedule.
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melissa
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,912
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Post by melissa on Jun 29, 2015 17:22:25 GMT
I always make my appointment while I am at the office and will sometimes change it about a month in advance if I see it won't work. This appointment was made 6 months ago and was for this hygienist and dentist. I made my next one for both of them as well. Though, this new-to-me hygienist was good too.
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Post by bc2ca on Jun 29, 2015 17:43:05 GMT
I'm never sure which hygenist I'm going to get, but I have always seen the same dentist.
One time I went in for a cleaning/check-up and was told my dentist wasn't there that day so I would need to reschedule the check-up. When I said I would skip the check-up and just see him at my next cleaning there was a major kerfuffle as they tried to figure out who could see me. It was more about the fact I was Dr. K's patient than another dentist being available.
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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Jun 29, 2015 18:03:21 GMT
The only dentists I have been to were solo practitioners, so it's only been the hygienists who could potentially be different. I have liked having the same hygienist each appointment because I like to avoid the really rough ones. I did ask to change at my previous dentist because one just manhandled the tools and it was very unpleasant. (She didn't last long there, no surprise.)
I think this is a case where it would have been better customer service/bedside manner to have told you in advance there was a change in case it mattered to you. When they call to confirm your next appointments, I would clarify who will be treating you. And maybe even make a polite comment such as, "I like to avoid being surprised by someone different like last time."
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