To think the dentist receptionist was rude, or AIBU?

[lalalalalaaaaa]

I've been with my current dentist for just a year, and had a few NHS check-ups and some private treatment. I was supposed to have a check-up around a month ago, but on the morning of the appointment I woke up feeling unwell and did a lateral flow test which was positive (I know we're not supposed to test now but I have a whole box of tests so I thought I'd use one). I emailed straight away (as they were closed), and apologised for the late notice but I had just tested positive for COVID so needed to cancel my appointment. I asked if there were any charges I needed to pay and was told no, it was fine.

I rang up today to rebook my appointment and the receptionist said 'hmmph, there's a note on your file from the dentist that you keep cancelling appointments. Let's try and not cancel this one' in a sarcastic kind of tone. I just said ok as I was kind of taken aback.

I am under another NHS dentist for a wisdom tooth extraction, so I'm not sure if that comes up on my file? I've had to cancel that a few times due to work not allowing me to take time off as I'm in my 3 month notice period. I know it's rude but I can't really help it, and I have given plenty of notice each time.

I know IABU, but I just feel like I've been told off :(

My partner had all 4 wisdom teeth out, surgery which included dislocating his jaw to get them out. Unable to eat solid food for weeks , after this time he still couldn't open his jaw fully, was signed off sick for at least a week, removing wisdom teeth can be pretty gruelling.

i think people are being unnecessarily harsh toward the OP on this thread. it’s not her fault you can’t get an NHS dentist appointment. She cancelled with more than enough notice for the appointments to be filled, patients at her practice would have had them.

OP if you were referred to this other dentist are the appointment dates just coming through? i’ve had this before they just sent you a time and date and place and have had to cancel because work won’t budge.

i also needed a week off work after my lower impacted wisdom tooth came out. it was just the one but they had to cut my jaw, i had stitches and was in horrific pain for a good five days, only started feeling human again by day 7.

and i don’t think you were unreasonable for cancelling due to covid, the guidance may be that you’re not required to test now, but i would if i were going to visit a restive in a care home, or before a hospital/ dentist doctors appointment. just out of common decency for other people who may be vulnerable.

Lastly the receptionist was rude, there was no need for her to speak to you like that. i can see why it upset you and i hope the absolute pile on on this thread hasn’t made you feel worse. you sound like a lovely person just trying to do that right thing 💐

yep I find my dentist receptionists so rude and arrogant but the dentists are lovely

I had 2 wisdom teeth taken out under general anaesthetic at the hospital and they sign you off for a week. My oh had one out recently under local anesthesic and went back to work the next day.

@Daysoffarethebest , I had several days off for both of mine - impacted and yanked out with difficulty in the dentist’s chair - because my face was very bruised and swollen, and I worked in a public-facing role where we were supposed to look nice, or at least presentable.

I dare say the simpler type of extraction would be different.

Unfortunately in England and Wales you cannot charge for a missed NHS appointment.

More pertinently for OP research shows up to 40% of new patient dental appointments are missed (booked in but patient didn't turn up). I believe they are a new patient to the practice they are having their wisdom teeth out.

In the past NHS dentists were allowed to charge for no shows and attendance rates improved. Rates of failure to attend are increasing. However the research indicates the main offenders are Male, 18 to 25 who don't pay for treatment.

Why would she be struck off for cancelling but giving adequate notice? I cancelled my last appointment 3 times and nothing was said. That's the point of a notice period!

Unfortunately in England and Wales you cannot charge for a missed NHS appointment.

But she didn't miss them! She gave notice and cancelled!

It was a reply to someone who pays privately and is charged and would rather be told off. A few people posted in meantime though!

I think people are being ridiculous. If a dentist can't fill a cancellation with a month's or week's notice then that is hardly the patients fault. And people get sick. If the OP went to her appointment with Covid and the dentist caught it and missed work that would have much worse implications than one cancelled appointment.

I wouldn’t consider ringing up a month in advance and presumably rearranging the appointment for a time you make to be canceling it! They can easily fill that slot. Especially if it’s a time you were given, not one you chose. Even if you did just cancel it, you gave them lots of notice. It’s missed appointments where you just don’t turn up that cause the issues!

I had bottom wisdom teeth out many years ago at hospital. It’s a fairly major procedure and I had a sick note off work for a few days.

The op is seeing a tier two dentist for the first time to have a wisdom tooth out. I believe they have now cancelled a few appointments , against a backdrop of 40% of new patients fail to attend (with no notice ) their appointments.

The receptionist will be well aware of the problem of increasing failure rates and the pattern of people cancelling then failing to attend appointments . Without knowing a patient a pattern of several adequate notice and one short notice cancellation for a new patient appointment would normally ring some alarm bells, hence OP feeling receptionist was "telling her off".

Also I was at the dentist yesterday (private and nhs) and heard the receptionist tell someone who called up that they had a cancellation for later in the day. So they can fill appointments with short notice as long as you tell them.

I think canceling with covid is the right thing to do. No way your dentist wants to catch it.

Sorry, I missed that! Of course anyone just not turning up should be charged. Once could be a genuine error, multiple times is ridiculous!

I didn't know that NHS dentist appointment jealousy was a thing, but apparently it is!!
OP I respect you, you have been incredibly polite throughout your responses despite receiving very prickly comments. You have done nothing wrong, it's just poor timing and unfortunate set of circumstances, had you not been in a notice period at work then this wouldnt have happened

You have been with your dentist for a year and have had a few NHS checkups?

😂 Lucky if you get 1 check-up a year at my dentist. Is it you that's booking these or them that's sending appointments?

I’d make a complaint about the receptionist. Very unprofessional way to behave & completely out of line. There is a difference between making you aware that a few appointments have been cancelled & unprofessional & sarcastic. I’ve come across a few receptionists that forgot themselves & that needs correcting.

That being said try & not make appointments unless you are 1000% you can attend. I’ve not been able to get in to see a dentist since pre covid due to moving to a new area & all the waiting lists for NHS are 18months- 2 years so plenty of people who would take those appointments

This is a specialist tier two service ,providing oral surgery services. Unless someone could come in with very short notice , who needed exactly the same operation with the same degree of complexity that didn't need any additional equipment then you cannot fill short notice cancellations.
In general dental practice most practices keep a list of people to slot into cancellations, however in a specialist service this is just not possible.

However , everyone is right you should not attend a dentist or any healthcare provider with COVID. It's not just the staff but all the vulnerable people who could be very seriously affected.
The problem here is several appointments have been cancelled and that will ring bells as to whether next time someone just won't turn up.

I thought she gave a week plus notice for the specialist dentist, and it was her regular one she cancelled on the day because of covid? I could be reading wrong though, and I agree missed and short notice cancelled appointments must cost a lot of money, even more so if it’s a specialist procedure rather than a regular check up.

Anyway, either way there’s no need for them to be rude to you about it. They’d be a lot more inconvenienced if they all came down with covid. At least you phoned up and didn’t just not show up

Some healthcare people are just a bit precious.

Only yesterday I donated blood, and wasn't allowed to leave the snack table until I got permission from the nurse manning it. Because technically I was classed as a "new or returning donor" because I hadn't been for a year... But it was my 36th donation! I think I know how my body is going to react!

i would feel affronted too op,
you gave notice
she was in a powerful position and over stepped

and agree that you were not cancelling, you were changing your appointments, apart from the covid one

Oh well so what if she told you off. Shrug it off and move on, you're not a small child. Sorry if that sounds harsh and blunt but don't let it get to you! It's just the dentist receptionist.

It depends on the gap between appointments. I know 2 different practices who have taken people off their books for 'disengagement' as a result of cancelled appointments. The gap was over 6months though