To think this Dentist was a bit of a weirdo

[Iamnotagoddess]

Went to the dentist today, he’s new.

Filled out the medical form (why do you have do to it every time?).

Answered the “have you ever been hospitalised” question “yes a tumour on my spine” (also can’t give blood due to transfusion etc).

Dentist asks, how long ago was your tumour? 28 years I say. So how is it monitored he asks. It isn’t, I say. So they just monitor it then? He asks, No, I say, they removed it 28 years ago?!

WTAF. Surely he should realise this and why on earth does my dentist need to know this?

Not advised within 3 months that should say.

This is a public forum - the situation would be entirely identifiable if the dentist were to read it. You have said “WTAF” and called him “a weirdo”.

It’s rude.

You have to do it everytime because that's best practice and policy.

He asked because by tumor you could have meant malignant tumor.. cancer spreads throughout the rest if your body. Dentists do cancer screening too.

He wanted to know if cancer is something you are higher risk of therefore needs to be aware of even the slightest change in your mouth.

He was effectively trying to perhaps one day save you from some rather nasty and fatal outcomes.

You wouldnt turn your nose up to a cervical smear or mammogram, would you?

Let him do his job, did it really affect you that much?

@Whatjusthappenedthere

Thanks 👍🏻

I wish they kept things on file though.

I get filling one out about changes bitcI have quite a complicated medical history and have been there for 20 years, can’t they just keep it on file?

I don’t want to have to go through it every 6 months.

I work in dentistry by the way. I've seen oral cancer, its really frustrating to see people behave this way when someone just wants to care..

I didn’t behave in any way.

We do keep it on file. For 11 years. We need a updated and signed copy of your medical history every six months or at the beginning of a new treatment plan and to be verbally asked if there are any changes to medications or health since your last visit, at every visit.

Youd be the first person to complain if you had a medical emergency happen in surgery that happened because nobody asked you what you was taking ect..

A. Woman I work with has a tumor around her pituitary gland at the front of her brain, they couldn't remove as too big so have shrunk it with chemo etc and now they are managing with drugs and monitoring - it may never be removed if management works.

And caring is fine but I don’t want to have to discuss and list my rather distressful medical history every single time I go to the dentist.

They have to ask you every six months in case anything has changed.

Lost of patients don’t mention medical issues because they (wrongly) think it’s nothing to do with their dental treatment.

Your dentist is just being thorough and I hope this thread has reassured you that’s he’s not weird at all.

But you would discuss it with your GP, right?

Were alm healthcare professionals. Were there to make sure you are healthy, we cant do that if we dont have updated records of your health

But why can’t they keep things on file?!

The operation and aftermath of that is not going to change every six months is it?

Youd be the first person to complain if you had a medical emergency happen in surgery that happened because nobody asked you what you was taking ect..

Exactly Popping

I don’t go through my entire medical history every time I visit the GP.

It’s all there for them to peruse at their leisure.

I get that they need to know current things.

An op 28 years ago is not current.

You have to fill it in every 6 months because things change, its pretty obvious. And people forget things all the time in their medical histories. The new dentist will want their own copy as well. They do keep things on file but a medical history from 20 years ago is pretty irrelevant

There are plenty of tumours that are monitored, you didn't say it was removed, you can't expect them to know this when you have written "tumour on spine" in the present tense. It sounds like you have a tumour on your spine, don't write a vague medical history and then moan about it

You're not getting the point.

Tomorrow you could be out on, or taken off a medication.

Next week you could find out part of the tumor was not removed.

Your GP might suggested putting you on a SSRI, which some are proven to increase the likelihood of clenching and grinding in your sleep, leading to false toothache and jaw problems, of which are harder to diagnose should we not know you're taking the SSRI.

If you need an operation and are put on bisphosphonates, they can have an extremely adverse affect to your bone after dental treatment.

If you get fitted with a pacemaker, or have a heart operation, some of our equipment may not be usable on you, you may need antibiotic cover and hour before treatment due to heart conditions.
We need to know exactly what your medical history looks like, no matter how old or new.

There are a lot of tablets that can cause dry mouth, tablets that affects your gum health.

A diagnosis of vertigo means a patient may not be able to be reclined in the chair, or may have to be reclined much much slowly and in increments.

Diabetes can have a massive affect on your gum health and gum disease.

They have found a massive link between gum disease and heart disease. They have found bacteria found in the mouth on the brain of dementia patients.

You havent the first idea about how something so 'unrelated' could be hugely related to your mouth.

I understand that things change, and I appreciate I need to tell them those things.

I am saying why do I have to mention the things that will never change.

I am not a medical professional so best they keep a record on me to avoid my “vague medical history” eh? It was bloody BUPA.

I have been at the same dental practice for 20 years.

I haven’t been rude to his face.

By the same token you won't mind me calling you a pranny, it's not to your face, just to an anonymous weirdo behind a handle on the internet.

I had a blood transfusion as a result of this op and got a BBV which I now no longer have.

I had to have “contaminated” stickers all over my records for years and was questioned as to how I got the BBV.

It was humiliating.

That's for our protection OP.

So if you had HIV, or Hep B. You would rather they didnt flag that up, and if someone ripped a glove with your instrument and didnt ring it in to get it checked, that person could also get infected because of you feeling a little bit embarrassed?

What you tell a dentist, doctor, any healthcare professional, is strictly confidential and I can absolutely assure you they are not judging your BBV/HIV/HepB/Herpes.. whatever you have.. we've seen it all before, we dont care about that, we want you to have a happy heathly mouth.

@PoppingOneOutIn2020

I totally understand that.

Have you ever thought how it feels as a patient, to be treated with contaminated blood?

It makes you feel dirty, unclean and like absolute shit.

Going for blood tests and being asked “which is your best arm?” Because they assume you have been an IV drug user?

Massive yellow stickers all over your records which other patients can see.

Well you don't have to if you don't want to, it's a standardised form, it's not specific to you.

You don't have to put anything on your medical history if you don't want to, but by that token you take the risk that as a result something could happen, and you will not receive the best care possible. The dentist is going to read the most up to date medical history. Of course they have records but legally (and for your own safety and best care) they need an up to date medical history every 6 months.