We dentists deal with all kinds of patients. This week, I had a patient who became very suspect of my office’s practice of placing protective eye-wear on all patients at every appointment. She saw my hygienist first and asked her if she was a cop. She had a restorative appointment with me afterwards, and when my assistant gave her protective goggles, she said, “I’m not falling for that again.”
While this may seem amusing, I have been seeing this patient for a while, and I think there is something wrong with her mentally. This was out of the ordinary… bizarre behavior, even for her.
There is a dentist next door to me. Last week, they had a patient arrived at her appointment with her medical history in hand. See photos below.
As you can see, it’s a THICK, three-ring binder that is tabbed and even has an “Appendix!”
How would you handle this situation? Are you going to read the entire volume? What liabilities might you encounter if you don’t read it? Are you seeing any red flags?
Comment below!
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Wow, red flag alert. Punt!
“With your complex medical history, it is beyond the capabilities of an individual private practice dentist. You need the services of a tertiary care medical facility that either has a GPR program or is affiliated with a dental school. Would you like me to google the closest facilities and obtain their contact information for you?”
Don’t touch it with a 10-foot pole! Asking for trouble, try to refer to a dentist affiliated with a hospital, if that’s possible.
“Not falling for that again” What the heck is that supposed to mean? She’s not falling for what… one less excuse to sue you for something? She’s obviously spent many hours putting together that binder. I’d figure she’s either gotten screwed over in the past (and determined not to have it happen again) or she’s a head case (or both). Either way don’t fall into her trap. None of us are good enough for this type. Just say her case and history are too complex.
I would probably tell her to go a dentist affiliated with a hospital. Her case is too risky to handle. It can also be a scam. 🙂
+++1 on all the prior comments. I would read her file (actually thumb through the appendix) to help determine what state she is in. Her file could reveal only a handful of medical issues which may be manageable.