Dental hygienists! Made to feel like a child!

Why don’t I have a dental hygienist? Is it because my teeth are not worth bothering with 😂 I am a private patient.

To answer your question, I think she was quite rude and I would change practice.

My son had exactly the same treatment and moved to a different practice where he is treated with dignity and respect.
he did send an email complaining about his treatment and had a very nice reply and an apology but would not ever consider going back there.
Like you say you pay a lot of money and should not be treated like that..
My son and his girlfriend and myself are all with this practice and and it is very very good. Never thought I would see the day when private dentist would have a waiting list that’s closed but that’s what’s happening with ours. ..🤷‍♀️

They're not all the same.

Ours is very good indeed and any "telling off" is done in a light-hearted way. I really dislike the procedure but enjoy the company.

I wouldn’t have minded if she had been light hearted but she was very stern. Told me that they allow a percentage of 10% plaque. My back teeth were reading 40% apparently! Do I need to be told this?

No you don't!! She is unprofessional and patronizing! Let the dental practice know how she made you feel - that should pull her into line! You won't be the only one that feels as you do.

I would complain to the practice too.
How rude.

It's good to know what's wrong and can be improved- but in a positive way "maybe you could try xyz - that seems to work for some people" or whatever.

Is there another hygienist at your surgery- or could you ask your dentist to do a scale and polish?
My dentist does mine after each check-up.

My grandmother used to say that people treat you in the way that you teach them to treat you. If any kind of service provider had talked down to her she would have given them one of her frosty looks and put them straight as to their relative social position vis a vis a client.

I am glad to say that I take after her in many ways.

Firstly., I've never heard of a measurement for the amount of plaque a person has on their teeth. Secondly, she was very rude and I would mention something to the office manager, or the dentist she works under.

People develop plaque at different rates. She can suggest a different method of cleaning, or perhaps you should go in more often. My DH seems to build plaque more quickly, so he goes in 3 times a year, where I go twice.

I’d definitely write a written complaint to the practice manager. Is there only one hygienist at the practice? If there’s more than one ask to see a different one. Are you happy with the dentists at the practice? Seems a shame to switch practices just because of one hygienist who may have been having a bad day ( not an excuse btw). They’re not cheap either now -I used to pay £45 for the hygienist , now it’s more like £100.

Our hygienist had a trainee with her last month when I saw her.The girl asked about my broken tooth and was told it was either neglect or "wear and tear" .As soon as she took the implement out of my mouth I put her straight...that wee tooth was broken 61 years ago in an accident that broke most of my front teeth,every dentist I asked to do something with it refused on the grounds it was "hardly seen and didn't cause me any pain" EVEN when I had crowns fitted to all the other broken teeth 40 years ago.
This new dentist decided he'd crown it now.
I see a lot of complaints about dentists and costs on here ,I was astounded when I got my bill 3 appointments,2 crowns,1 extraction ,HYGIENIST and free initial check up £230 ,I thought there was a mistake but no £230 it is ,thats less than one crown cost me 40 years ago.
Hes a very busy NHS dentist in the West of Scotland and that apparently is what he the NHS rate is .The work was quick,painfree and looks fab.My wee broken tooth now matches its neighbours

My goodness, wish I was with an NHS dentist. I’ve recently had four hygienist appointments at a cost of £111 each !

Chrisks

On my last routine visit to see the hygienist I was made to feel like a child and got a proper telling off! I wasn’t brushing or flossing properly and she was quite nasty and patronising. My teeth have never been great, but I think I do my best with cleaning. I use an electric brush and use the tepi things and I floss them. I came away almost in tears!
I pay a lot each month and do not expect to be treated this way! Anyone else have a similar experience? Maybe I should change to a different practice?

Make a complaint then. How dare they treat you like this. Some people should never work with the public, and it comes across as a power surge. Complain , I would.

I have always been with NHS dentistry. For several years did pay out for an annual visit to a hygenist (this is NEVER on NHS always has to be paid for). Slowly the charge for this grew. Last time I went to one it was £50. Was in the chair for less than ten minutes and could not take the pain she was causing with the spray. So she told me that I needed to come back for a new visit (payng again), so that I couldhave it done under local.

This I did, Those injections she put in was very painful and caused swelling throughout my gums - was a week before I was able to eat properly again.

Decided then that I woud no longer be blackmailed into paying out large sums of money to be treated so badly. Have found most hygenists quite rude, telling me I brush my teeth wrong, etc. etc. Always in that rude, abrupt manner.

So, since then (2019) have not been to a hygenist . Ask my NHS dentist to give me teeth a clean at my annual checkup. Am extremely careful about my own daily tooth hygiene.

At 82, my teeth look cleaner and feel better than previously, and each check up comes up clear.

I had a hygienist who was a bit brusque till one day when I was going through a particularly difficult time I broke down. Now we get on really well. Because I have a lot of problems in my mouth I see her regularly and though it’s not pleasant it’s worth it.

What a horrible experience .
I would complain and
change my practice .
The dentist will not want to employ someone , who intimidates the patients .

I really hate condescension and rudeness from some health professionals .

I changed my father's respiratory nurse after she flounced off in one of her moods having had a tirade about everything except his condition .

The first hygeinist at our dentists was horrible. Always making passive aggressive comments about me to her assistant while I couldn't speak. The next one was a young very over made up woman who talked to me loudly and clearly and generally treated me as though I was ancient and thick. DH was so so incensed at how she treated him that he refused to see her again. I refused too. The dentist now does a scale and polish (like they always used to). I note that hygeinist has now left. Oops. Just remembered. She called herself a dental therapist.

Sounds rude to me.
My friend fosters teenagers. She had 2 sisters who arrived with awful teeth who had never owned toothbrushes and never cleaned their teeth. She got them sorted with brushes and paste and made dental appts.

The dentist was very rude to the girls and rude to my friend about the state of their teeth and told them they would need lots of treatment. She sent the girls out and closed the door and tore him off a strip! She told him they had been totally neglected, never had a toothbrush, never been shown how to clean teeth but she was doing her best for them. She told him he was rude and arrogant and had given them a bad impression of meeting a dentist for the first time.

How good is your dentist? In my experience hygienists come and go, but a good dentist is worth treasuring.
I don't blame the hygienists for criticising the amount of plaque, and I am the one to blame for it, but there are ways of doing it, and apart from one who lectured me about diet and smoking (I wasn't), they have always very kind and given me good advice.

To all those saying change practice, it isn't always that simple - or at least it certainly isn't in this area. Most dentists in this area aren't taking on new patients at all - or have very long waiting lists.

Yes. Lists round here are closed. I do like the dentist himself though but not as much as his predecessor.

I had a dental hygienist and just stopped going. It was a form of torture. I came out feeling like I'd done a round with Mike Tyson. So until she goes I'm not going back!

I don't like going to my hygienist but he is respectful and consults me before doing procedures. and of course checks for any medical problems.. this is professional behaviour and I would definitely complain or change practitioners if I was treated as you have been.. this bullying behaviour is not acceptable it sounds horrible..

Don’t tar us all with the same brush . I’m a hygienist with 42 years experience. I’m not patronising to my patients, I try to be positive and suggest ways to adjust brushing , flossing etc , which seems to work. I also use a topical anesthetic prior to scaling . I retired last year and got loads of lovely presents and cards from my patients .
As for the measurements of plaque etc, we have to inform you and record this in our notes, largely thanks to the complaint culture.