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?

They ask me what is my best arm when I go for blood tests? I think they ask everyone that

You don't have to disclose if you have a BBV either, but again if I get a needlestick with your instruments it's a hell of a lot easier if I know you've got a BBV before hand, rather than have to ask you afterwards, it speed up the process of getting the appropriate care e.g. HIV prophylaxis, Hep B booster and rediecws the risk of infecting the healthcare provider

.. I always get asked which is my best arm for blood tests ect and I'm 23 and healthy. I think they ask everybody as most people tend to know which arm is most often used to take blood. That's not a dig at your for having a BBV.

I can imagine its unfortunate to feel like that. But we have to take precautions. We obviously record any sharp injury anyhow but if we know a patient has logged with us they have a BBV ect, we have to go to the hospital for vaccinations and medications to prevent us catching it.

You're keep us safe, not just disclosing some useless information.

I know its not nice to have to put it down in words or tell people about something like that, but it's the right thing to do and we aren't in any way turning our nose up or refusing to treat you, we just want to be safe.

Anyone know if this thread could equal an hour of CPD for my cycle?!

I'm not often at the doctor, but when I have had blood taken I've also been asked which is my better arm. I think it's simply a routine question. My response is to tell them that I don't know.

Dental professionals only take medical histories every six months because it's a laugh. They love having the extra paperwork, and time taken to do it.

It is something that needs to be reviewed and treated with a lot more sensitivity.

@bettyisaboy
Oh God tell me about it, were a 'paperless' practice, I love painting out 40 medical histories every evening for patients to check and sign, to then scan 40 medical histories back onto their notes.. our scanner hardly ever bloody works too, its brilliant, brings so much joy to us all.

It's done because THEY HAVE TO.

I've lost count of the number of times I said to a patient; "any medical changes in the last six months?" And they answer no.

Then you check the medical history and they've started taking a new medication.

"Oh, I didn't think that would be relevant".

Well, yes. It's warfarin. You might not stop bleeding.

Argh

My dentist was also odd this week - went to have the wires changed on my braces for the 4/5 time . I held the chair like it was a white knuckle ride, I remarked that it didn't get any less stressful.. He said well he did them every day so he didn't find it stressful at all!! Well bloody obviously I didn't mean him! Was thinking he was being humorous but he isn't the jokey type.
Felt a right idiot!
Will grin (literally) and shut up next time!

And then when people didn’t use gloves feeling like you needed to make sure they knew.

One lady took my blood once and had my blood running down her uncovered hand, it made me feel awful.

Yabu.

So you dont think healthcare professionals deserve the right to take extra precaution for high risk patients?

abit selfish but ok

Take it to the GDC, I'm sure they'll love reviewing that.

I find the dentist incredibly stressful

@PoppingOneOutIn2020

Of course they do.

“High risk patients” deserve to be treated sensitively.

Technically, gloves were never used back in the day, because as long as you had no open wounds on your hands, your skin is a natural glove. If you wash your hands then no harm done (at their own risk)

However I wouldbt dream of treating somebody without gloves.

Well blood wasn’t screened “back in the day” either was it

Lots of sympathy OP, for having a medical history that causes constant comment and caution. I do think this could be done more joined up, we are fecking surrounded by tech. Is there really no way you couldn't send it all to them by App rather than carting UNCLEAN marked paper medical files around? I don't believe it!

However I don't think your dentist was being a weirdo!

Everybody deserves to be sensitively.

Has a dentist ever said to you "we tiu have a BBV, I cant treat you now I might catch something yucky"

No because were thinking, ok right this patient has a BBV, what precautions do I need to put in place to ensure myself, my colleagues and other patients are not put at risk also.
You're not treated differently. Although the way we treat is always slightly different as we are always hyper aware you are literally higher risk.

popping surely the other end of this stick is that if someone has to tell you ever 6 months about there BBV, then you are at risk of them leaving it off at some point, leaving you unprotected. If its all stored electronically that won't happen?

I always get asked which arm is best for taking blood and they often admire my good veins. I’ve never used Iv drugs or had a BBV but I do have a medical condition that requires frequent testing, so they assume I will know.

Op this thread seems to have made you more angry and upset, even though lots of well informed people have explained your dentist’s actions to you. I wonder why that is ?

Do you think you are still troubled by the events of 28 years ago? Would it help to talk to a counsellor about it ?

I wasn’t allowed to go to a certain hospital to have my kids because they didn’t have the “facilities” to deal with my uncles blood (Wtaf).

I said screw you and had them at home.

“Unclean” not Uncles

We do store this electronically (in my practice) we are as paperless as possible. Its scanned on and then copied into a medical history file onto the computer.

We go through your most recent medical history in comparison to your previous medical history given to us.

We are looking for changes, exactly how you have mentioned.

If someone filled in a MH from 2014 with HIV, but didnt outfit on the 2018 form. The likelihood is they still have HIV, we still need to take precautions.

We dont just throw away the MH from the last visit. They are all stored, for 11 years.

OP that is really horrible - If I had been given a disease by contaminated blood I would be beyond rageful also.

I would second the comments of other posters that you might need more help processing it all - if its even possible to get over being injured this way by a health care system that then treats you badly because of what they did to you

I think unless you have had to go through the health service with a BBV it’s difficult to explain how it makes you feel.

A health service that gave you the BBV.

I avoid going into hospital at all costs.