Getting a tooth pulled at the dentist is an uncomfortable experience on its own.
But one Redditor recently had to endure a whole additional level of discomfort when a pretty uncomfortable social situation came up during the appointment.
The Redditor, known as JustHereForThePorn8 on the site, explained all he encountered in a post on the “Am I the A**hole (AITA)” subReddit.
The Original Poster (OP) conveyed just how far things went with his title for the post.
“AITA for reporting my dentist to their manager.”
OP began with how the day started.
“So I went to the dentist’s office today to get a tooth pulled. It’s the first time I’ve had a tooth pulled but the third time I’ve been to this office overall.”
“Every other time they’ve been super friendly.”
“My appointment was at 6:30 pm (they specifically tried to get me a late appointment because they know I work nightshift). So, I got a different dentist instead of my regular guy, and immediately I could tell he was either having a bad day or a bad life.”
“Don’t know which one, but he was irritated overall.”
OP’s assessment proved to be accurate.
“The dentist seemed really aggressive and frustrated as he was getting the tooth out, but I had no frame of reference for what the procedure is like so I didn’t think it was weird.”
“But then halfway through he said to his assistant ‘What a way to kick off the long weekend, this guy has teeth like a neanderthal’ he didn’t say it with a joking tone either”
Well that was unexpected.
“I opened my eyes at this point because I was a little shocked (they were closed because I didn’t really want to see what they were doing in my mouth) and I could tell that the assistant was uncomfortable with the remark, or she at least didnt enjoy it.”
“And I was really bothered that he would say something like that when he knew I was in a situation where I couldn’t respond to him.”
“After he was done he gave me some extra gauze and told me to take some advil and then left. He didn’t give me a chance to ask if it was safe to eat, or drink, or have a smoke or any ask questions at all”
OP tried to confront the situation as soon as he could.
“So as I was paying I decided to ask the receptionist ‘hey, I was just wondering if theres been a lot of complaints about that guy, he was pretty rude’ but unfortunately my mouth was numb, full of gauze, and I already have a bit of a speech inpediment to begin with so she just couldn’t understand me at all and I didn’t want to keep trying and make a scene.”
OP had to find a new way to share what went down.
“So I got home and it kept bothering me more and more, and about an hour and a half later I decided to call the office and cancel the appointment I just made to have my teeth cleaned, and naturally they were confused and asked why…”
“…and when I told the receptionist what happened she thought it was pretty fu**ed up and ensured me that the manager would call me as soon as they were in.”
“Its a long weekend so I probably won’t be hearing from them in a few days, but I plan to bring it to their attention, mostly because everyone else there was so friendly and it doesn’t seem right to have this one guy bringing the business reputation down.”
“Thats also why I refuse to just give them a bad review online.”
But OP’s confidence wavered a bit.
“And just to elaborate, it wasnt just the fact that the guy insulted me. I’m mostly offended because he did it in a situation where I am essentially helpless and can’t explain that the remark was rude and unprofessional and offended me.”
“So AITA and taking this way too seriously?”
Anonymous strangers weighed in by declaring:
- NTA – Not The A**hole
- YTA – You’re The A**hole
- ESH – Everyone Sucks Here
- NAH – No A**holes Here
Most Redditors agreed OP was not even close to being the a**hole here.
Many chose to lay into the dentists’ stunning behavior.
“NTA. That was unbelievable. So rude and unprofessional.” — Stormywillow
“NTA. Having an extraction is so unpleasant, the dentist really needs to put you at ease and make it as painless and stress-free as possible. His attitude was really unprofessional.” — WebbieVanderquack
“I work in dentistry. Comments like that are totally unprofessional. Not giving you follow up instructions AND verifying you understand could get him in trouble with the state board.”
“You have every right to complain. Doesn’t matter if he’s having a bad day, if he can’t treat patients with respect, he shouldn’t be in direct patient care.”
“BTW, eat liquid/ soft foods, DON’T SMOKE, and don’t drink through a straw for at least 24 hours….to late. I know.” — cruelblush
Others advocated for the benefits of reporting him.
“NTA. Giving honest feedback is a good thing. If the guy learns that behaviour is not acceptable then you might save someone more sensitive than you from a similar or worse experience later.” — scarletteapot
“Absolutely not. A lot of people have dentist phobia. I used too, but the dentist I have now is super lovely, which encourage me to keep attending. This guy would scare me away. His behaviour was appalling and you should have aftercare advice.”
“Report him and hopefully management will do something constructive about his behaviour. NTA, hope you feel better soon.” — AmIarealbunny
“NTA. Not only are you NTA, but this is really one of the best ways to handle this type of situation. Best would be address the dentist personally, but you obviously couldn’t.”
“Instead of leaving scathing online reviews, threatening litigation, making a scene, etc., you are telling the manager you had a bad experience and giving them a chance to rectify the situation. You know, the way rational people do.”
“Well done on your part – the world needs more people like you.” — christian_austin85
Here’s hoping OP has a smooth healing process and he’s able to have his feedback heard loud and clear.