IMPRESSIONS continued
the radiograph and testing the tooth to determine that it was non vital . She nodded , but I just knew that she didn ’ t understand everything I was saying .
After I anesthetized her I went to call the patient from three hours ago . When he answered the phone he asked what took me so long . He started to explain that he had seen my associate a few days earlier and was upset with being charged for a consultation . He liked my associate just fine , but he insisted that he was a personal friend of the dentist who referred him and shouldn ’ t have to pay . I asked why not , and he said that he was out of work and came to us because his dentist told him to . I asked if my associate spent time with him and discussed his treatment options . He said yes . I said then why wouldn ' t you want to pay for your visit ? He then went into a 15 minute diatribe about how much money we charge and it ’ s just crazy considering when he goes to his physician he pays $ 10 . I really couldn ’ t deal with him , and I said let me look into this and get back to you .
I went back to the patient I had just numbed and she was gone . I asked Jennifer if she had gone to the bathroom and she said no . Jennifer told me that when she was setting up the handpiece and some other instruments the patient got up and left . I asked Mary at the front desk what happened and she said the patient just walked out .
There were no patients in the waiting room or the treatment rooms . I looked at Mary and I looked at Jennifer and I said , “ How about that cup of coffee now ?”
— BRT
6 M AY / J U N 2 0 1 4 | P E N N S Y LVA N I A D E N TA L J O U R N A L