'Enjoy waiting 6 weeks': Dental assistant stunned by patient who refuses simple crown adjustment

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Jun 27, 2024 11:00 AM EDT

For some reason, this dental patient kept insisting that the dentists only touch a few specific teeth. It's understandable that some patients might've had bad experiences with their dentists in the past. For a lot of us, going to the dentist even under the best circumstances is a harrowing experience. The whirring drills, the numbing creams, those big magnifying glasses the dentist wears while they stare into your mouth… it's all overwhelming. 

So that's why it's baffling that this person was so insistent on putting off a procedure that would've taken just a few minutes to do. The dental assistant and dentist kept telling her that what they were doing wasn't going to hurt her or bother her other teeth in any way. Still, this client seemed awfully keen to get out of there. 

The sentiment is understandable: ten minutes in the dentist's chair can feel like a year. Maybe this patient was just so scared by the whole procedure that she had that fight-or-flight mentality take over. 

You can check out this person's story below. And then, read about some workplaces that have a few minor issues that are annoying the workers, like one person who was dismayed to find that an "Open can of sardines [was] left in the office fridge overnight." 

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    Cheezburger Image 10366061056
    via Caroline LM on Unsplash
  • 02
    Don't want 60 seconds of adjustment? Ok, enjoy waiting 6 weeks. So I'm a dental assistant for a private practice. Let me just preface this by saying, most of our patients are wonderful people. Friendly. Happy to see us. Respect our professional opinions and recommendations etc. But literally just like 3 hours ago, I had the biggest Karen, in
    via u/EWhiskeyM
  • 03
    for what should have been a simple appointment. So when we do crowns (or caps as some people know them as) we prep the tooth beforehand, and take an impression. Then that impression goes to a lab, and the techs there make the crown. It takes 2-3 weeks for them to send the crown back.
    via u/EWhiskeyM
  • 04
    When we deliver the crown to the patient, the doctor and I try the crown in first to see how it fits. It is VERY rare that it fits perfectly. We almost always have to make some adjustments. Shaving down the crown here and there, checking the space inbetween the teeth, checking the bite, etc. All of this is standard. The main thing we use is called "articulating paper". When the patient bites down on it, we can see heavy blue markings where
    via u/EWhiskeyM
  • 05
    the bite needs adjusting. The more we adjust, the lighter those marks get, and even stop marking altogether sometimes. Most exchanges with the patient are like this: "How's it feel?" "It's a little high" "Ok we'll adjust that." *We use the articulating paper. Then grind the crown down a little. "How's it feel now?" "Oh feels much better" "Ok cool let's cement it in" This takes maybe 5 mins AT MOST.
    via u/EWhiskeyM
  • 06
    This lady we had tonight was having none of it. Us: "How's it feel?" Karen: "Ugh it's way off." Us: "Ok we'll adjust it. How's it feel now?" Karen: "The same." Us: "Ummm, really? No change?" Karen: "The same." Us: "Ok no biggie, let's adjust more"
    via u/EWhiskeyM
  • 07
    We did this maybe for 5 mins, over and over and she kept insisting that it was exactly the same. No change. Even though the marks were gone at this point, meaning that her teeth were no longer even touching the crown.
    via u/EWhiskeyM
  • 08
    At this point we had a couple options which the doctor presented to her. Doc: "Ok well I can keep adjusting the crown, the only issue is that if I keep reducing the porcelain on top, the metal underneath might end up showing. Are you ok with that?" Karen: "No." Doc: "Ok well then I need to make a small adjustment to the tooth above this one, so that they don't touch. It's very superficial." Karen: "No!
    via u/EWhiskeyM
  • 09
    Don't touch my other teeth!" Doc: "We do this all the time ma'am. It doesn't harm the teeth. We're basically just polishing it." Karen: "No! That's a lie! If you guys did it correctly the first time, you wouldn't have to adjust it at all!" Me: "Ma'am we do this for everyone. The lab almost never makes them perfect. We either have to adjust the crown itself or the opposing teeth." Karen: "No you screwed up." Me: "Well we have to adjust one or the other,
    via u/EWhiskeyM
  • 10
    so which would you prefer? Do you want metal showing?" Karen: "No!" Me: "So we can polish the opposing tooth?" Karen: "No!" Me: "It'll literally take a few seconds..." Karen: "No you're lying! It's gonna harm my teeth!" At this point the doctor suggested getting our office manager to talk to Karen. Our office manager is an awesome lady. She's old, doesn't give a and is 2 years away from retirement. I told her the
    via u/EWhiskeyM
  • 11
    situation, and she laughed and said "ok let's make her wait another month. I don't give a ." Lol. So she marched right in there and said. "Ok ma'am. Since you don't want this crown we'll send it back to the lab and have them re-do it." So instead of just waiting the 60 seconds for us to adjust, she now has to wait 3 weeks to come in again. And that's just to RE-PREP the tooth. Then she has to wait another 3 weeks for the crown to
    via u/EWhiskeyM
  • 12
    come back from the lab, again. Anyway, thanks for reading. I mostly just wanted to type this out to rant. I've been working as a dental assistant for almost a decade now, and I've never had an exchange like that. It was so bizarre. I straight up think she was either lying to our faces or just crazy. It made zero sense. Lol.
    via u/EWhiskeyM
  • 13
    Edit: To the people saying she has every right to request the crown be re-done. No duh. That's not my issue. My issue is that she: accused us of lying. Screamed at us. Wouldn't tell us why it felt "exactly the same" and didn't want any solutions we offered.
    via u/EWhiskeyM
  • 14
    I've had many patients request crowns be re-done. Not a problem. Sometimes the color is off. Sometimes the fit is really wrong. They just weren't total Karen's about it. You can be polite and still get your way :)
    via u/EWhiskeyM
  • 15
    Travelling Beard I always have the utmost respect for people who have drills and other scary devices in my mouth...what was she thinking?
    via u/Travelling Beard
  • 16
    AgreeablePie I had this happen. Cap felt high every time. The dentist suggested that it was just that I wasn't used to having anything there because the temp has fallen out three weeks ago and suggested we just wait and see. I said "okay." It's fine now. Not much of a story but I'm better off than that lady.
    via u/AgreeablePie
  • 17
    em... I think if I were the doctor, I'd tell her that they were able to get another crown from the first impression this one time. Then give her the same one, and, if needed, tell her that, in the first case they've seen, the lab got it correct right off the bat.
    via u/emeraldsfax
  • 18
    Bo7a You can be polite and still get your way :) Please teach this to your children. And your parents. And your friends. And strangers. And your pets.
    via u/Bo7a

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dentist malicious compliance dentists malicious-compliance-reddit malicious compliance reddit
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