AIBU to be annoyed with my dentist?

[AndiMac]

Been a while since I've had one of these. I'll give some background information so as to set the scene, which is all teeth-related. I can imagine this will lose many readers right from the start, but so be it.

I went to get some work done a tooth that was breaking off pieces and basically falling apart. It's a two part job, where they took out the old filling and made a mould of the tooth today and in 2 weeks will put in the cover over the tooth. I mentioned my upper right jaw was sore since I had started using the little interdental brushes she had recommended a couple of weeks ago when I went originally about the broken tooth. She checked it out, didn't think it was anything from the brushes, probably just muscle pain, but thought that my back molar needed a filling. She ran air over it and I jumped when she did it (proving I did have a cavity), so she said she would do that today as well.

So she gave me one injection in my lower jaw on the right for the broken tooth to numb the area and then another in my upper jaw to prep it for doing the filling. Then she did the stuff for the broken tooth and said she didn't think we'd have time to do the filling today, so we would do it next time when she fitted the cap to the broken one.

So I'm annoyed for a couple of reasons. One, I got an extra portion of anaesthetic in my jaw that is making me uncomfortable. Two, I showed up for my appointment on time, at 11:20. I was shown in at 11:40, so 20 minutes late. I know she only works until 1 or 1:30 today, so I felt like I was being rushed to get me out and get her finished her work on time.

I think I'm not being unreasonable to be annoyed about the whole thing, but I'm sort of wavering on the line about complaining about it. I didn't want to complain then, as although I'm not scared of the dentist, I was feeling rather vulnerable with my mouth full of numb and her fingers in there. Should I bother to say something?

Would you have preferred that she'd rushed to get both jobs done? I'm sure you'd be complaining if she had and then you'd felt one was substandard. You went in expecting on job done, she expected to do one job. You came out with that job done. She'd hoped to get the extra job done and realised she couldn't. Oh, that extra bit of anaesthetic, harmless. And uncomfortable for no more than a few hours.

And if she has to finish on time, it might be because she has other commitments, like kids, that she cannot be late for. And as for running 20 minutes late.... Well she was probably doing her best for someone else, maybe someone with toothache.

So, YABU. Why waste both time and emotional energy on this? And hers?

That's the way it goes with dental work. Chill.

I already felt she'd rushed to do the one job, never mind the second one she didn't do! I would have thought she would have a better grasp of how long procedures take her, so therefore shouldn't have given me the second shot for the filling in the first place. Or, at least have done the first job, then seen how much time there was, and then if there was time, given me the anaesthetic.

And waited for that anaesthetic to get to work and been later still?

Is this NHS? If so then your dentist will have possibly lost money on this as there is a set payment for your treatment plan whether it takes one appointment or fifteen.

She may have been late with someone who was phobic and took a bit of extra time, someone whose treatment was more difficult than expected or because patients have an amazing ability to put up with toothache all week but must get it sorted on Friday because... Just because. I sometimes HAVE to finish on time in order to accompany my father to a hospital appointment. Other days, I happily work unpaid overtime to get the best result for my patient.