do you dislike your ortho?

[tandi]

i know this is a silly question but is there anyone out there who doesnt like their ortho personally?
2 weeks ago when i was at her office she asked me if i was on any medication and why. i told her that i was on meds for bipolar disorder. she then asked me how does a doctor diagnose the disorder. i didnt really want to talk about it so just told her that years ago i started behaving weirdly and went on some wild spending sprees. she laughed at me and said to her assistant," then i guess we all are bipolar and needs be on meds, does it help you from spending too much? i think i need some of that" and they both laughed.
now i realize this is so petty but she really made me feel uncomfortable. and i began to question her ortho skills. i kept thinking how could she not know that this is sensitive subject for me and most likely effect every part of my life.
being bp is embarrassing enough and its something i dont talk about openly .
im not saying she's not a good ortho. in fact i have no idea whether she is or isnt. i just think maybe she might be an ass.

[fromjersey]

Wow. I couldn't feel comfortable with this person. It seems more and more people in this world don't know the meaning of the word "sensitivity." Unbelievable the behavior from so-called professionals. Maybe wait to see if she improves or pulls something else just as bad, and then decide what to do. Some of these doctors or their staff seem to do their best to drive away customers.
Helen

[Bianca]

I don't particularly like my orthodontist.

But she came highly recommended by my dentist, and I've been with my dentist for my entire life.

And her staff is really wonderful, and she seems to run a very efficient office.

So no, I don't so much like my ortho, but I have confidence in her ability to make my smile look good. (my dentist's rec. goes a long way!)

[Marzipan]

When a medical professional jokes like that, I am very uncomfortable. I feel it is highly inappropriate and they should know better or at least have been taught not to do that.

That said, in my 48 years I've sometimes encountered doctors with zero "bedside manner." They still might be good at the nuts and bolts of medicine, but bedside manner is a key part of being a medical professional. How we feel during treatment is very important.

It's also about treating other human beings with respect.

[Flora2006]

I love my ortho- he is great. He's a friend of my dentist so I automatically new he would be great since my dentist is the nicest doctor I've ever had.

I can't imagine having a doctor who would joke about something like that...I have zero tolerance for doctors to say/do something that would make their patient uncomfortable.

[ren]

tandi-orth's definitely out of line with that kind of comment!!

I think my orth is a perfectionist and will do everything to make my teeth perfect-the right way. I am confident in his abilities & he was also a referral from my dentist-who I love and has a great personality and knows how to treat people with kindness.

My orth-as far as personality/handling people-is horrible. I continuously ask him questions at every appt. and one question in general I ask he answers with a vague answer and I hate it. I'm sick of getting the runaround with this one question (when is expander coming out???) and I constantly get no answer or "it'll be on a very long time". I truly don't think he understands what this thing has done to me for 1 1/2 yrs....it's affected my life in more ways than one. Sorry to go on


Renee

[Lucifina]

Wow! That was rude! Anyone alive today w/half a brain should realize what is and is not appropriate to say whether you are a medical professional or not! If she is a good ortho though...maybe she just has no "chairside" manner.
Not knowing what meds you are on it is hard to say why she would ask why you were on them but it is quite common to take drugs for reasons other than what they are intended for. I take an "anti-depressant" to help deaden the nerves in my head for chronic migraines so it is not a stupid question...BUT...I wonder why she would even ask this in the first place. My ortho did not ask me this nor was it on the billion forms I had to fill out. My surgeon obviously needed to know this but my ortho does not prescribe drugs so he does not need that info.
If she is a total hag though and not good ortho either I would look around if you are not too financially obligated to her. Good luck, I hope it goes better for you

[momof2grlz]

My feelings are similar to Ren's. My ortho is regarded as one of the best around and as a profectionist, but he's not the easiest person to talk to. He answers questions when you ask, but doesn't give you much more than a brief answer. I believe he's very talented, just doesn't have an outgoing personality.

Chris

[genxsis]

My ortho is Ok, but there's a guy who takes his place sometimes when he's gone, and I like him better. He's very gentle when he looks around in my mouth. My original ortho however, is really rough. Once, I explained about a bone fragment that I had sticking out of my gum after an extraction, and he just shoved his fingers in my mouth and very quickly started rubbing around the fragment until he hurt my gum. Very rough guy! The substitute is MUCH better.

I have mixed feelings about the assistants of course. So many different ones, so many different personalities.

[jcdamon3]

I really like my ortho. When I first got my braces I asked alot of annoying questions and he was really patient. I like the office and the assistants. I have not had any of the problems that alot of people on the board talk about, like the assistant being rude.

I would be curious as to why she asked. Maybe there are certain drugs that slow down treatment? A whole subject that we could spin off on! What I think probably happened is that she asked and then when you told her, she may have felt a little embarrased about it ESPECIALLY if she had no medical reason for needing to know. When people embarrass themselves sometimes they laugh inappropriately, or start talking louder, or start joking, or what have you.

I don't remember my ortho ever asking me anything like this. I would think this would be something that they ask at the beginning if they need to know. Ever notice, though that EVERY time you go to the doctor they ask what meds you are on and what allergies you have even though it MUST be in your records that they are staring at? I asked once why they do this. It is because things change between appointments and people answer differently every time.

Dentists need to know some medical history because if you have heart conditions and/or joint replacements then you have to take antibiotics when you get a cleaning.

Do you like your ortho otherwise? Or is this the only thing that you don't like? I just think maybe you caught her completely off guard.

Next time anyone asks you what meds you are on and they are not a doctor ask them why they need to know. When they give you a good answer, then you can tell them.

[tofino]

No.

[drazda]

I like my ortho. He seems like a nice guy. I do not like the dental assistants though.

[tandi]

KK your story was very helpful. for a minute there i was beginning to wonder if i was overreacting to the whole situation.

[dr.j]

I would send the doc a note or e-mail regarding any of your concerns with his/her issues and/or the staffs. As an orthodontist, I am constantly freaked out about how my patients view me as a person: do they know that I care, do they think I'm funny, do they enjoy coming to my office, do they think I look too young...

Sometimes, I probably put my foot in my mouth like the doctor who joked about BP. She just said the wrong thing and it may not be a indicator that she is not a good person - but maybe it does.

I recommend that you all transfer your treatment to me in SC and and we'll show you Southern Hospitality!

[tandi]

dr.j after reading your post i had a thought that made me laugh. how many orthos read this forum? and is my ortho reading this and thinking, damn i knew she was crazy