Dental receptionist - Was there any need for this?

[applesandorangejuice]

Hi everyone, I've just had a very unpleasant phone call with the receptionist at my dentists office. I've been with them for a few years now. I know how lucky I am to have a dentist, especially with the NHS and as such I've never cancelled, rescheduled or been late to an appointment.

Anyway, I've had terrible tooth ache since Monday night. I've been monitoring it, taking painkillers and hoped it would go away on its own. This particular tooth can be sensitive at times, however it hasn't stopped on this occasion and seems to be getting worse.

I phoned the dentist this morning to ask for an appointment and before I'd even had a chance to finish my sentence/explain what was wrong, the receptionist cut me off and said "well it's no good phoning now, why didn't you phone on Monday?" I replied "Ok, well I wanted to see how I got on. The tooth can be sensitive sometimes and the pain never usually lasts this long". She ignored me and offered me an appointment on Monday.

I'm travelling for work on Monday and had totally forgot so I apologised and said "I'm so sorry, Monday is the only day I can't do because I have a work trip and I can't cancel it at such short notice, do you have any other days available?". She then said, quite sarcastically "we don't, no. Look I've offered you an appointment on Monday and you don't want it". I told her it wasn't because I didn't want it (of course I want to get it sorted) but that I was going to be 6 hours away and couldn't come without cancelling the entire trip. She then managed to find me another slot on Wednesday.

I'm very grateful for the appointment obviously, but was there any need for this attitude/unpleasantness? I know how much shit nurses/receptionists put up with from patients at times. But this woman just seemed gunning for an argument as soon as she answered the phone.

What do you mean, it was 'very fair' and 'she did the best she could?'
the receptionist herself doesn't have any control over when the dentists are free, she just manages their schedule.

it's not like she kindly looked in the diary, saw it was full but offered to work late, qualify as a dentist over the weekend and sort out the tooth herself!

either there was a free appt for OP on Weds, or there wasn't, she didn't create it out of thin air, her role is literally to check the calendar and give OP the next free one, she didn't go above and beyond or do anything amazing. In fact if she hadn't given OP the Weds slot when it was available she would be in breach of her role and facing a complaint, i.e. the opposite of being 'very fair.'

Forget the 'best she could', just giving OP the next available slot without being rude and moaning at and interrogating her is literally the absolute bottom-scraping bare minimum expected, and she couldn't even manage that.

Apart from helping OP, not getting sidetracked into why OP couldn't phone earlier or why she couldn't make monday and just booking her in for the next available day makes her own life easier and frees up the line/her time for other patients.

The conversation could have been done in half the time if, after OP had said 'I've been having pain in my tooth since Monday and it's getting worser,' receptionist had just said 'Okay, the next appt is next Monday.' OP 'Sorry I can't make that.' 'Okay next after that is Weds." 'OP 'Great thanks, I'll take it.'

You should complain. Some rude receptionists are behaving this way because nobody says anything, but it wouldn’t be acceptable behaviour in most client facing roles.

My dd was offered the nearest emergency appointment they had when she had toothache-6 weeks away.
Her face was badly swollen and they could see that.

She car home (from uni) to our lovely one who will always see her that day because he knows how much she struggles with it.

Speaking as a dentist who has been physically assaulted , more than once, verbally abused more times than I can count , been spat at , told people would be waiting for me in car park , who has had a colleague had their jaw broken by a druggie who objected to not being able to shoot up in practice toilets, we had to put up these signs because the daily abuse our very polite and helpful receptionists had to put up with every day is appalling.

If I had 10p for every abusive patient who tried to justify it with the phrase “we pay your wages” I would give reception a massive pay rise.

Even middle class , middle aged people feel it quite acceptable to shout,scream and threaten to get what they want, and it’s far worse since covid.

Reception do not make policies , do not control NHS dental finances they just have to deal with the unpopular and difficult consequences . Instead of directing anger where it belongs people direct it towards the poorly paid reception staff who have no power to change it.

We had to put up cameras in reception because of the daily abuse, we have alarms and practice emergency drills for when abuse/violence breaks out in reception or the surgery , which is needed quite a lot.

Reception deal with hundreds of people a day, in person, hundreds of phone calls and most reception staff do a fantastic job in circumstances few would put up with. It is disappointing that OP had an experience that most dental practices would not be happy with.

I think we must have the same dentist

less than 10 seconds on Google got me this. You're welcome.

faq.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/knowledgebase/article/KA-25973/en-us

Appointments on the day are kept for “fresh cases” not patients who have sat on the pain for 5 days and then want treatment at their convenience.

This.

“do you have any other days available?". She then said, quite sarcastically "we don't, no. Look I've offered you an appointment on Monday and you don't want it".

Then she magically found an appointment on the Wednesday… she was being unreasonable

She sounds rude.
You also don't need to state that you know you're lucky to have a dentist.
That isn't luck- your hard earned money pays for that. And you will also have to pay for the appointment.
I am so over people believing they should act a way just because it's NHS. It's on its knees. And an emergency appointment once every couple of years should be the bare minimum.

Hope your tooth feels better soon! Clove oil works wonders

She was definitely rude, that's not ok.

But odds on, she has just got off the phone from a rude patient. As much as we nhs staff try to put the rude person behind us and greet the next with a big smile, when you have had the first 5 people be very rude when trying to help them, only to be told 'you don't know sh1t', on top of dragging yourself in feeling rubbish because the service is short staffed and you don't want to put pressure on your remaining colleagues, sometimes your tolerance is reduced.

I would personally give her a 'pass' on this one, you got the appointment you needed. But if it happens again, definitely feedback.

Never,ever put clove oil in your mouth. It is acid, it burns and some people are also allergic to it. I have had to take teeth out where it has burned through to the gum .
Please do not use it or advise use of it. Here is a photo of what it can do https://images.app.goo.gl/2mgGU6QN9hqTJY33A

So OP just got off the phone with a rude receptionist. Is it now okay for OP to go to be rude to another receptionist elsewhere/shop worker?

As someone who had a tooth issue last week, if you have the funds, call a different dentist and pay privately for an emergency appointment - they can usually get you in the same/next day. If you have an infection in the tooth, which you probably do, you’ll be required to complete a course of antibiotics before they will do any treatment and if you wait til next Wednesday you’re stuck in pain for even longer and every chance it will just keep getting worse. If you do a private appointment for the antibiotics you’ll be able to get things moving quicker with treatment once you have your NHS appt on Wednesday.

My private emergency appointment last weekend cost £100 in total including the cost of the antibiotics but it began to relieve the pain within 24 hours so I was thankful.

Last year I rang the dentist to make an appointment for a check up for myself and my son. I did not want to get removed from the dentist list of patients, it happened to me before so I am a bit paranoid about it. The receptionist said very curtly that they couldn't make appointments that far in advance (I didn't know how long it had been) and to call back in April. It was the way she spoke to me like I was a naughty child that upset me.It was uncalled for (excuse the pun).

Er nope. I have worked in the NHS for 30 years. I have been abused, sworn at, assaulted and spat at. I’ve had to come to work with no sleep and have been exhausted doing shifts. I have had to deal with many stresses in my personal life.

I have never ever spoken to a patient or relative rudely. Yes, if someone is rude, I put down firm but polite boundaries. But there was no excuse for the receptionist’s attitude here. No matter what a bad day she had had, no matter how other patients have spoken to her.

If you go into the healthcare profession, by definition you are dealing with a vulnerable group. You must meet professional standards and not be obnoxious. There is no excuse, even if your ‘tolerance is reduced’. Well, that’s how I work, anyway.

@applesandorangejuice I appreciate it sounded a bit off but from her perspective she heard:
'I've had a problem for 4 days of the working week which I've been taking painkillers for but am now phoning in on the last day of the week wanting to see a dentist.'
She's already stressed as today is fully booked with patients and emergencies already so offered you the next slot on Monday
'No thanks I'm busy then'

So I don't think you or her were in the wrong it's just a frustrating situation from both sides.

You have had that conversation once today. She may have had that conversation multiple times already.

It also sounds like that tooth may be heading for root canal treatment. If it comes up in an abcess over this weekend you can ring the normal dentist number which will give the number for emergency calls. You may need antibiotics. I would also stock up on strong painkillers just in case you wake up in the night with raging toothache.

Would not rely on NHS dentist for anything requiring immediate treatment.

You could probably call up the same place as a private patient and get seen within a couple of hours. Plus they would actually do the work then and there if medically able, as opposed to telling you to make another appointment.

We don't cover the costs though, dentists offer NHS appointments at a loss because the Tory govt kept cutting the amount they received for them, which is why they are terrible, increasingly hard to get, and also resented.

I’ve always found with dental/GP receptionists they fall into two categories. Either very helpful and pleasant or ignoramuses with a God complex.

Omg tooth pain is awful. Her comment was completely unhelpful. If anything your waiting just proved you were not a time waster.

If the pain gets very bad you can contact 111 who can get you an emergency appointment if needed.

"We don't cover the costs though, dentists offer NHS appointments at a loss because the Tory govt kept cutting the amount they received for them, which is why they are terrible, increasingly hard to get, and also resented."

@heyhopotato that's not the electorate's problem though is it? We pay our taxes accordingly and the mismanagement of those funds is the fault of the government. Rather than focusing on taking their frustrations out on their patients, maybe dentists and other healthcare providers should lobby government? Being condescending and cruel to patients isn't going to fix the problem is it?

This reminds me of when I called my GP to register my baby as a patient about a week after he was born.

The receptionist called me reckless and irresponsible for not having registered him within the first few days and said that he could have died if he didn't have access to medical care.

I did point out that he was still under the care of the midwives at that stage and that as bad as NHS GPs are, I would still be surprised if they'd refused to see him.

She put the phone down.

This OP. Sorry, but you sound like a bit of a wet lettuce! No one needs to be “grateful” for an appointment. They are providing a service and you’re (hopefully) getting that service.

A rude and obnoxious NHS dentist receptionist is the very reason I go private now. I gave up my NHS slot very gladly, someone else who will tolerate the rude treatment you get there can take it 😂

I too find this that they talk to me in a rude tone to start with, and then because I'm in such pain I burst into tears. I had this, being disbelieved with both toothache, and when I broke my back in 4 places.