Furious: My baby was banished at the dentist

My older three had cleanings at a new dentist today. Our regular dentist couldn't get them in before we move and their six month would be in the middle of our move. The place I took them is touted as "gentle dentistry for the whole family."

Because there were three of them, they blocked off two appointment slots, so two hours. That's a long time for anyone to be in a waiting room, let alone a 20 month-old. As he got restless, I started playing with him, which sent him into squeals of delight. The receptions quickly came over and tried to explain to HIM (the baby) that the patients who were with the doctor could hear him and he was being very loud and very rude. I blew her off the first time. I mean, really?! :shock:

Anyhow, he got mad once and I quickly, within seconds, calmed him. Yes, he screamed, but only for a very brief moment. She again scolded him. I explained that he is only a baby and doesn't understand her explanations as to why he needs to be quiet. The more I played with him (to keep him from having bored fits), the more she asked him to be quiet. He wasn't screaming or even squealing; just laughing and chattering at me. She finally put her foot down with all the foolishness and told me to stand in the UNHEATED vestibule with him!!!! Seriously! We had to stand out there for another 15 minutes until the last of my boys were done.

After a few minutes I tried to go back in to get our coats (I didn't realize how cold it was in there) and she insisted I had to stay in the vestibule. I told her, in a not-so-nice tone, that I was getting our coats because it was freezing out there. She said, "Stay there, I'll get them for you." I said, "If you touch any of our belongings, I'll call the police." I was SO mad. :evil:

I've never been treated like that. The woman was so condescending it just made my blood boil even more.

So finally Quin was done and the dentist wanted to give me a recap. I went to his office and that witch popped her head in the door and said, in her super sweet/condescending tone, "I don't think she's very happy with me because I asked her to step out with her noisy child out of respect for the other patients." I bluntly told her to go away so I could have a pleasant conversation with the dentist. Then he laid into me about how, in a FAMILY PRACTICE, they don't tolerate noisy children and on and on!

I never finished the recapp. I got up and walked out. I told him no one had the right to speak to me that way (he was really rude) and that I had mistakenly been led to believe this was a family-friendly office (he tried to insist it was). Then he started to mention booking our next appointment. I said, "No worries about that. I don't go places where my children aren't welcome." He kept after me down the hall about how it was family friendly, it's just they needed to keep it quiet and peaceful, and blah, blah, blah.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Just another example of a business that sees children as a burden and not a blessing.

 

Oh. My. Word. Call the police if you touched any of their belongings???!!! If it is a group practice, I'd be letting the manager know what went on.

 

It's a family practice (everyone is related). I was the one said that about the police because she wouldn't let me out to get our coats. By the I was past the point of trying to be cordial.

 

Oops....sorry! Misread....but it didn't seem so out of character for her when I read it that way! :lol:

 

Well we've been kicked out of dentist offices too, but for different reasons.

 

You've got to be kidding!!! When I was sent out the first, I would have told them that my children were leaving NOW, ALL of them!!! I don't care if they were in the middle of having teeth cleaned, we would have been OUT OF THERE!!!

BTW, you're in good company. My frend and her preschooler were banished to the foyer of the library because her son dared to laugh out loud at the funny part of the book she was reading to him. And yes, they WERE in the Children's section when this horrible infraction of the SILENCE RULE took place.

 

I was very close to that point. The words were nearly out of my mouth. But the only kiddo who wasn't finished was the one who had begged for the dentist appointment in the first place. My weirdo actually really wanted his teeth cleaned. lol. If he had been one of the first two done, I would have been out of there.

The one place on earth where you're always supposed to be quiet (the library) is the one place we've never had a single complaint about our noise level. lol

 

Amie, my blood would have been boiling also. How rude!

Honestly, I would probably make a call to someone, I'm just trying to figure out who that might be? The ADA? Chamber of Commerce? Your insurance company? Let them know how unfriendly they were, and the fact you had to take a toddler out in an unheated area while waiting for the rest of your children. You aren't going to change these people, but maybe a reminder in their pocketbook might move something.

Again... how rude!

MT3

 

It is very common for adults to forget that children are not adults and in this case we are talking about a 20 month old. I could see if your kiddo was 25 years old, but we are talking 20 months. This would definitely be the last business transaction I make with their office. I would even send them a kind letter letting them know that I told all my friends to avoid their office because they are not child friendly.

 

Good parents can't win these days. Either they are being told, in one way or another, that their kiddo is a nuisance or they have another person telling them they are abusive because they do not parent the way some people think they should.
Good Grief! So we are either too lenient or abusive.

 

OH MY GOD !! I'm shaking my head making sure my eyes are reading this clearly - what an absolute disgrace !!!

Is this something that insurance would cover? Can you contact your insurance company and protest with them they way you were treated? Or even a Better Business Bereau? OH my word !! That is horrible. Imagine that !! You PAID to be verbally attacked like that because a 2 year old isn't a robot you can program to sit down, keep quiet and not move for the convenience of people who clearly don't care about family.

Oh my soul and body !! I'm sorry you had to be subjected to the worst display of human indecency (?sp) but VERY thankful you NEVER have to go back there again.

 

Exactly:!:

 

I would not have stood in the vestibule. I would have taken the other kids and left. That is ridiculous. I bet any of the patients were actually fine with the noise since they probably have kids too. Thankfully you never have to go back there.

 

They expect a child that young to sit silently still for two hours!?! They need a reality check.

Those people treated you horribly! I'm so sorry you and your children had to be treated that way. They are most certainly NOT family friendly.

I wonder if there is a local site where people can rate dental and medical practices and leave comments? If so I would definitely try to let others know.

Wow. I just can't even imagine...

 

There are sites on the internet to give reviews of doctors...I'd find all that he's on and post a warning to others. Maybe even a letter to the editor? Better Business Bureau, for sure.

I wonder what would have happened if you'd refused to go to the vestibule. She couldn't have made you go. She could have called the police, but your children were inside the building, so I highly doubt that the police would have backed her up. This is just one of those things that I would think about and imagine a hundred different scenarios with imaginary but satisfying outcomes!

 

Unbelievable. I am shocked.

I think I would have taken the others and left right in the middle of the appointment, too. They should remove the words "Family Friendly" from their title.

Oh and you can go to sites like Yelp.com and SuperPages.com and write a review of their practice complete with star ratings. Then when people google the dentists name the review comes up.

 

What about FB? Some of these companies have a FB page. I'm sure they would LOVE to have your comments there!

 

Good one, Jackie!

 

Excellent idea, Jackie! I can't believe this happened to you guys. How aweful and rude of her!! I would make a comment in the newspaper about it, and also send a scathingly kind letter letting them know that you have told all of your friends that this is not a family friendly establishment. Jeez, the nerve of some people.

 

The fact that they asked you to wait in the vestible is beyond ignorant. And frankly you could have asked in a sarcastic tone how they think having small child standing in there makes them seems remotely family friendly. It sounds more like they are family-give me your cash for bad treatment-friendly. I would never go through those doors again. Further I would complain and spread the word. I had my DS kicked out a dentist for being uncooperative in the chair...she referred us to a dentist who was good at extra tough cases like him...they tried everything to get him to sit still for his filling but he was terrified and tried to flee. They held him down to forceably have it done?? Not in my mind child friendly. Let's take a child who is clearly terrified and force him to be dealt with. We never went back. I took him to another dentist who was also family friendly, my son never has had any problems getting into his dental chair and having work done. So in my mind I don't think family friendly is a term to be thrown out there as an advertising gimmick. As parents we are looking for a dentist who can work with even the most extreme dental phobic child and not bat an eye. The receptionist in this instance clearly has no idea what babies are like. Yikes. I am so sorry for you to have experienced such foolishness.