be a really annoyed about a poster in dental surgery?

[twinmummy24]

myself and DD's(4) went to our new dentist today for first appointment, girls have been to a different dentist several times before and love going, never had any problems before.
we changed to this new dentist as it is NHS,
anyway, in the reception there is one of the stop smoking posters that the nhs has put up it is a picture of a man with a fish hook in his cheek the girls comented on this several times whilst in the waiting room but when it was time to have their teeth checked they completely freaked out, i couldn't get them any where near the dentist, we left the room went back to reception with them both clinging to me the girls spotted the poster and both started screaming again saying that they didn't want the dentist to put a hook in their mouths
no matter how much reassurance i gave them there was no getting them back into the dentist so we have got another appointment for 3 months time.

AIBU to be annoyed that they would put this quite graphic poster directly at small child eye level (stuck on back of reception desk) or am i being over sensitive? the girls are not usually bothered by things like this so maybe it has just thrown me.

Have you told the surgery staff what happened? YANBU for wanting it removed but I can understand why adults who are not fearful would not see a problem until it was pointed out.

Yanbu, can totally understand why it would frighten your dc.

once i realised what was causing all the fuss i did tell the reception staff and as we were leaving one of the nurses and come out to have a look at it, my mum is going to the same dentist tomorrow so is going to see if they have moved it.

You can see how the staff might not have thought that through, but now it's been pointed out it would be best if it were taken down!

DDs and I

(sorry)

You have to admit it's a bit of an extreme reaction and not one they could possibly have foreseen really

Some of the stop smoking adverts are very graffic and there should be careful thought to where they are put.

really, you fell the need to correct my grammer, so sorry for not being up to MN standard [sceptical]

To be honest if they were that traumatised by the experience I doubt very much you will have much luck the next time you go, even if the poster has gone.
When they asked about the posted whilst they were waiting to see the dentist, did you thoroughly explain that this was nothing to do with the dentist or what would happen to them, just a silly picture that was telling people that smoking is scary? Is this poster still playing on their minds?

It does seem a very graphic poster to have up somewhere children should be reassured, let alone at eye level to them! So many people have dentist phobias, how are posters like this helping? I thought a lot of teeth problems were due to people not going to the dentist. Not surprising if you are greeted by things like this!

What does a fish hook in the mouth have to do with smoking?

And no, not unreasonable. People should think a bit more about their posters and stuff. I always freaked out at some of the old United Colours Of Benneton ones.

I think it was pretty stupid of them. They must deal with people everyday who are scared of the dentist, particularly children - why would you put something like that at their level?

It doesn't make any sense anyway, presumably they are not trying to get little kids to stop smoking but adults, so why isn't it at adult height?

Eh? So those posters were banned 4 years ago!

Why on earth is it still there?

Oh gosh your poor DD's is thats the one they have seen! That would freak me out in a dentist! How on earth can the staff have thought that was ok to put up?

when they were in the waiting room they just asked about it and i said its about trying to stop people from smoking as it can make their mouths poorly, they seemed ok with this explanation, think things went down hill when they saw the dentist and his little scrapping hook!

altinkum - yes that the one! think i may give them a ring now and let them know that the poster has been banned since 2007!!

x posts sorry!
think i might ask them to move it as judging by articles on it it has obviously caused problems in the past for other children, is this unreasonable?

I thought your DCs might have overreacted but once I'd seen the poster no wonder they were scared. It's a horrible poster. I can totally understand why they were scared.

just rang the dentist, they were fab said they would take the poster down immediately and that the practise manager would look into it.
thanks for all the replies, nice to know i wasn't over reacting