Brushing it off
Thanks again to everyone who gave their input this week, validating my theory that maybe it's just a tiny little bit NOT AT ALL APPROPRIATE for a dental hygienist to ask out his patient. Fueled with your support, I today wrote my dentist to tell her. This was her reply:
Lori,
Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I am dealing with the situation and disciplinary action will be taken. I am sorry for any inappopriate behavior on my employee's behalf, and promise you it will never happen again.
I hope I can continue serving your dental needs and once again apologize for any unprofessional conduct by my employees.
[Redacted], DDS
So, I feel better, although the paranoid part of me is thinking about the fact that if he could take my phone number out of my personal file, he could just as easily find my address and come to my apartment and get revenge for ratting him out. But that's just being paranoid, right? Or self-absorbed at the very least. Given that I barely even spoke to him at my appointment, he probably does this to every patient and I don't even register as a blip on the radar. I hope.
Isn't it ironic that by doing the right thing - reporting him - I ended up with something else to worry about? And here I thought that my biggest dental issue of the week was going to be something boring, like plaque.
posted by Lori @ 6:38 PM
4 Comments:
Good for you for reporting it! That's great and your dentist's response is reassuring. I mean, think about it: if you had an employee who was scanning numbers off confidential (goodness, not even MEDICAL) files, you'd want to know about it, right? And you'd certainly want the opportunity to KEEP the customer.
A couple of thoughts:
1. You're probably not the only one to whom this has happened in the office, so it'll be unlikely that the hygenist will know who ratted him out.
2. Certainly, the dentist will secure patient files before having the big talk with the hygenist, meaning he won't likely have access to your file to grab your address and get all stalkerish. And I can't imagine that he did more than get your phone number from the file initially.
Hang in there! You did the right thing. This'll probably all blow over without you ever hearing anything else about it. {{hugs}}
Good job Lori and I agree with Bonnie, you did the right thing and I'm sure your personal information was kept safe before the conversation took place. Are you going back to this office or find another dentist?
Caution is neither paranoia or self absorbing.
Well put, Brandi Love.
Yes, I'll go back to the dentist. I like her, just not the hygienist. It's not worth the hassle of finding another dentist.
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