It’s funny, my dentist, who has been my dentist for more than 30 years until he retired shortly after COVID.
I thought he was a bit of a prick back in the day. When I got older 25, maybe younger, I just quit going. No benefits, it’s expensive, so I just looked after my teeth as best I could. Brush well every day, that kind of thing. And it worked. I went in there in the mid 00’s for the first time in decades. I had one bad cavity but other than that, I don’t think he believed me when I said I hadn’t been to a dentist. I had benefits, at this time but they only covered 75%. So he does all this work, saves the tooth, insults me a few times, a complete d***. He does the work, I get up, put on my coat, and walk out the door. I’m thinking I’ll get a bill in the mail. I didn’t realize I was expected to pay on that day. It was under $100. Not a problem. I had it. So I walk out. A few weeks later get a letter in the mail, secretary, you owe this much. I’m like wtf? But I was still irritated by what a d*** he was. I kind of brushed it off. I didn’t actually care that much. A week or 2 later I get a personal letter from him “hey! Look, you owe this much from your visit. I never thought you would pull this s*** on me, blah, blah” so right away, I called his secretary, explained that I genuinely thought they’d just bill me. I never thought doctors and dental offices were like stores. You pay on the way out the door. I went in, paid it, and didn’t go back again. This was about 2006.
So, I go back in there a few years ago, a bit of an emergency. I give him a shout, at the start of a long weekend, my luck, I need to get in fast, long weekend, this is Friday, it’s probably Tues earliest. All I can do is wait. So I finally get in there and the first thing they make me do is fill out a questionnaire, which is new. Basically a snowflake test. Anxiety? All kinds of things, it was about 30 things, but I had a chuckle to myself because I know, this guy as a dentist has probably dealt with some s*** over the last 15 years with the changes in people, attitudes. Winpiness. Problem patients. He was cool this time. Genuinely cared and he knew I respected him too. Experience. I would trust nobody else. I made it clear, I pay TODAY right?
