The best thing about being a liberal dentist:

[PCIntern]

I get to have C-SPAN/CNN/MSNBC on in my office and I get to watch/listen/discuss with patients all day, and the 4th of January will be no exception. You'd be surprised at the number of referrals I get b/c I am known as the politically-aware, informed, non-radical but sufficiently cynical, somewhat conspiracy-minded (a good thing, not a bad thing), dentist in Center City Philadelphia. And my injections minimally hurt. And I participate with most Insurance plans.

On second thought, I think it's the last criterion that is responsible for the referrals.

Never mind...

[YOY]

1. Do you ever have requests for Fox News...and how do you handle them?

I'm just hoping for a fun story!

[PCIntern]

5. I have a number of Conservatives who will talk politics.

interestingly, although they still despise Gore and Kerry, almost all have given up on *, and are looking forward to his replacement. The meme I've used for them over the years is, "the only way I could be MORE upset than I already am is if I were a staunch Conservative such as those with whom I grew up - you know, the Goldwater/Rockefeller/Scranton folks."

this really gets to them...but you have to remember that they are there to get theri teeth fized/maintained first, politics second if at all. i'm abrogating my responsibilities if I pisss them off, so I don't do it. Except for one guy, whose kid was in the Reserves and...GOT CALLED UP! Some nerve those Federales have!

I got Holier-than-thou on his ass.

No FOX news allowed except for Domestic Breaking Crime news, in which FOX excels in their coverage.

BTW, no TV in the Waiting Room...only in my private office - visible to those walking past, but not featured prominently.

[NewJeffCT]

9. I know what you mean about Republics disliking Bush

I know of several that were telling everybody in the summer of 2004 how they hated Bush and were voting for Kerry. However, because the RW did such a great job in demonizing Kerry, they all admitted after the election that they voted for Bush because they thought he was the lesser of two evils. (I've since moved on to another job, so I have not had a chance to ask them if they regretted their vote)

[suston96]

2. Yeah, but.....

...how do you handle anti-dentites?

[tinfoilinfor2005]

3. Ha ha! Love your post because it reminds me of my dentist,

who is also the worst joke teller in the world. "You made a good impression on me" is always a groaner. I once asked his receptionist if we had to pay extra for the bad jokes. She said (with a pained expression), "No. He throws those in for free." She's been with him twenty years so I think she has a right to request novacaine when she comes to work. :)

[PCIntern]

6. We have great recall card:

It has the Assistant giving the patient earplugs...and she says: It's not for the sound of the drill...it's so you don't have to hear his bad jokes."

[rurallib]

4. My dentist is extremely liberal.

She is just one of the greatest people I know. Does a bunch of pro bono work, runs a clinic and has established a college fund for poor kids.

[PCIntern]

7. There are a lot of us out there...

it gives all the 'downtrodden' hope, that someone who is assumed to be money-oriented (a discussion for another time) is so politically liberal is really something.

[tibbiit]

8. I am a liberal dental lab owner (somewhat retired now)

who came to PA 4 times from across the country for classes in OBI, Level 3. I met many dentists and techs from PA and the east coast and around the world in Washington PA. I love PA. The people were the nicest and the food and wine were great. The only bad thing is all the dentists were bushlovers.
I bet they arent so much now lol.
tib

http://www.bioesthetics.com/about.html

[PCIntern]

10. The epicenter of dental lunacy in PA is in

Ft. Washington: 'Teeth in an Day' crowd...

Is that where you mean...? Lots o' stories emanating from there.

[tibbiit]

12. far from teeth in a day

we have tolerances of 5 micron occlusion on full mouth rehabs.
lol it really sucks it's so difficult.
tib
http://www.bioesthetics.com/about.html

(we were hosted by the goode brothers (orthodontists) and had dentists from canada, germany, alaska, minnesota,colorado etc etc)

[PCIntern]

13. That's a terrific crowd you were with...

You probably know who I was talking about there...

Gnathology was not highly regarded at Penn during the P
Boy those were exciting times...

[tibbiit]

14. Yes some of the best people i have ever met

I went on to take level 4 in Portland. Dentists from Pa, NH, New Mexico, German, Canada, AK, and many other places. All dentists had to bring a tech. We had 9 trips to Portland, another wonderful place! and more liberal. It was fun to see the people change from outright bushlovers in the beginning to actually wondering about America towards the end. It was hard on me being the odd person out but made me happy towards the end when they were kind of hating on GWB (who without question they all voted for twice!)
I just sat back and let them vent during those last classes.
* however they would all prolly vote for him again.
tib


And finnaly i notice post number 1000!
I joined du at member number 10,004 (or there abouts)Been here a long time but rarely post. Happy 1000 to me!

[WiseButAngrySara]

11. My younger brother is a very liberal Dallas dentist too! ....n/t

[rug]

15. Do you use C-Span to save on anesthesia?

[PCIntern]

16. Funny...

no, I show them the bill...and they pass out.

[blueknight]

17. my dentist

i had was/is a money grubbing bastard who wouold not work on his mother for free. i volunteer every friday at a local homeless clinic which is run by a nun.she has called this certain dentist a couple times to see if he could do some pro-bono work on a homeless person. his reply is "no money,no work". i quit going to him,and so did everybody else in my family

[Wiley50]

18. This Sounds like an Advertisment

Too bad I don't live in philly
I need work done

[Sarah Ibarruri]

19. Same here. I'd rather give my money to a lib dentist than to my

fascist one down here in Batista-Cubans Miami.

[PCIntern]

20. Not at all...

One of the things I DO try to publicize is that many many healthcare professionals are die-hard Dems. that they have not let all of the anti-lib propaganda do a job on theri psyches over the years.

I used to have a good friend from college days, a 4-F (a deferment of questionable merit in his case, of course) who later joined the Dark Side of the Force. Like Vader, he had many issues of origin with which he could not contend and saw the errors of his ways after he was ultimately destroyed both personally and professionally by a combination of his 'friends' and his 'beliefs'. It is a tragedy of fascinating proportions, but I won't elaborate here.

[KT2000]

21. Ever seen the movie Thumbsucker?

Keanu Reeves plays the funniest dentist of all time!
If you haven't seen it you might get a kick out of it.

[PCIntern]

22. Haven't seen it...

imdb'd however and it looks like a great cast...THANKS! I'll check it out.


My favorite Dentist movie is Strawberry Blonde (1941)

CAPSULE REVIEW –– A terribly old-fashioned tale that only succeeds in being mildly entertaining because of the pure star power of its' three leads. The film centers on Biff (Cagney), a down on his luck dentist who believes his life would be better if it weren't for the backstabbing ways of an old friend, Hugo (Carson). Not only did Hugo steal Virginia (Hayworth), the girl he loved, but eventually lands Biff in jail for a crimes he didn't commit. During all these troubles, Biff finds comfort in the arms of Amy (de Havilland), Virginia's best friend. However, as happy as he's been with Amy and appreciative of the way she stuck by him, he can't help but wonder what his life would have been like if he'd married Virginia, the strawberry blond of his dreams. A twist of fate brings the old friends together, giving Biff the chance to see firsthand the bullet he dodged in regards to Virginia. She gave up her chance at love for money and status, which turned out to be a bum deal. Hugo's obvious unhappiness allows BIff to truly appreciate the simple life and loving wife fate threw his way. Though the film has some amusing moments and real chemistry between Cagney and de Havilland, it's mostly a rather drawn out affair that puntcuates its' message "to love the life you have" every chance it gets. Cagney's energetic turn makes the proceedings almost worth the time spent

[Rosemary2205]

23. I don't understand the point of having TV in the dentist's office

Can't hear it over the noise of the dental equipment anyway and most of the time my eyes are closed because I'm so uncomfortable having 4 hands in my face.

[PCIntern]

24. In offices which have the TV in the operatory

you're supposed to give patients the option of wearing headphones.

Some offices have it in the waiting room....that's generally OK.

I have it only in my private office but can easily show it to anyone who wants to see something.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

25. PC, I hope that you NEVER do this....

I hope you NEVER install mercury ("silver") fillings. Hg is a known neurotoxin. Toxic and unstable. Had mine replaced with Cerex. The ADA refuses to look at the evidence and even blocks free speech by dentists which is unconstitutional.

Root canals can never be properly sterilized so anaerobic bacteria stay in the root tips and produce toxins. I had mine removed and cleaned out. I got a partial. I feel a lot better. I could think faster within just a few hours after having those two root canal teeth pulled.

www.iaomt.org

It's called Biological Dentistry.

[PCIntern]

26. As a humanitarian and healthcare person

I am very glad you are feeling better.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

27. you didn't answer the question

which is your private business.

However, if I was a dentist I couldn't install Hg fillings, knowing what I know now about the root canals and mercury and my conscience.

I'm just trying to make you aware of it, if you are not already. You seem like you would be aware of those things since you're aware of the cable propaganda machine.

I have a Bachelor's degree in biology. I took Microbiology and am well aware of the toxicity and the fact that anaerobic bacteria are some of the most deadly diseases known to mankind (anthrax, gas gangrene, tetanus), and they are present in root canal tips.

I was SHOCKED when I found out the truth about the lies the dental establishment promotes, and in fact, suppresses dentists who tell the truth.

[PCIntern]

28. I'm not here to advance a professional agenda.

I will not enter a flame war. I'll simply say that you said it best: you're not a dentist.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

31. yes

And the ADA would ostracize and punish you if you expressed the ideas I have, and you could very easily lose your license. Which is a violation of the First Amendment and unfair, but that's the way it is now.

They must be like the mob or something, with a veneer of respectability, from what I have read.

[PCIntern]

36. Let me simply apprise you of some facts:

I do not belong to the ADA. It has never mattered one whit.

The ADA has nothing to do with licensing.

There are many dentists who espouse your meme. It is neither original nor is it legitimate.

The ADA can't even get it together to uphold fluoridation legislation, much less embark on personal vendettas.

If you feel your crusade is admirable, so be it.

[proud2BlibKansan]

40. I have several root canals

Should I be concerned?

Here's a question I have been asking my dentist for years - Can someone please invent a soundproof drill? Novocaine has improved so much over the years. I used to need a double shot but I don't anymore. I finally realized it's that damn whiny drill that sets me off and makes me anxious at the dentist. And I have a great dentist. BTW, he has TVs in every room and gives patients the remote so I can watch whatever I want. But once that drill gets going, the TV is worthless.

[PCIntern]

44. No, you should not be concerned...

In 30 years of practice, you're the first person who asked for a quiet handpiece!!
Just kidding...of course.

Sometimes, when we are trying to anesthetize the lower molar teeth, it is difficult to get them totally numb b/c we're going for a nerve block, rather than an infiltration. A person's individual anatomy can make that tricky.

Anxiety has a lot to do with pain perception but not as much as most think. Generally, it means that you're just not anesthetized enough or that the tooth is really 'hot'.

And I agree about the TV in general. The best thing are the 'virtual reality' glasses so you can watch a movie. They have earpieces and wherever you look, the movie's goin on. Good only for long procedures like periodontal surgery of long crown and bridge appointments.

[proud2BlibKansan]

46. I have lots of fillings

I was very cavity prone when I was younger and flouride treatments were not common when I was a kid. The most painful filling I had was in one of my incisors. I still shudder when I remember that one. My dentist told me not long ago that I will need to replace that filling soon. I told him that I would much rather have that tooth pulled. He of course is trying to talk me out of that plan. :)

[PCIntern]

47. Listen to him/her. n/t

[Lisa]

29. and instead of 1990s-era National Geographics ...

... you can leave copies of "Mother Jones", "Adbusters", "The New Yorker", and "Harper's Monthly" in your waiting room!

My dentist is really into bashing Bush, and we gleefully discuss the number of administration officials and media pundits who have jumped ship since my last visit, as he cleans my teeth ... that reminds me, I promised him I'd get him some new Bushisms, so I'll have to print off the latest from www.dubyaspeak.com before I go in for my January appointment.

[PCIntern]

34. To be precise:

The New YOrker, The New Republic, The New York Times (daily incl. Sat), the Economist. ...and of course, all the trash mags which people DEMAND!

Funn story...a free mag came called 'Cheerleader' - you can guess, all these H,S. kids...and the old men were glued to it. Got it out of the waiting room as soon as possible. Creepy.

[Lisa]

48. a bonus about getting the NY Times ...

... is that you can do away with the standard lead aprons for your patients, when you're doing the X-rays. Just toss a couple of weekend editions on top of them when they're in the chair, and not only is "The Old Gray Lady" thick and dense enough to protect them from the radiation, but it's also heavy enough to immobilize them so they don't wriggle around and spoil the image!

Re: "Cheerleader" -- if you added a couple of those teen idol mags featuring the new "boy bands" (which my landlord's pre-teen daughter swoons over) -- you might end up with Mark Foley as a client! Scary!

[Skittles]

30. my dentist talks non-stop about everything

I have referred a lot of nervous people to him because I tell them his non-stop chattering keeps your mind of what he's doing - it works :)

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

32. Conversation with Liberal Dentist?

LD: How about this troop surge thing? Doesn't it just suck?
Bozo: Mmmgggfff!
LD: Yeah, I don't think they have a plan to draw down the number either.
Bozo: Aggffmmmggh?
LD: I don't know where they can get all the new troops, though.
Bozo: Rrgghharrrhh!
LD: Drug Enforcement Agency? Think if drugs are legalized, the agents can go to Iraq?
Bozo: Agghhfffuunnh!
LD: Yeah, I know it's a long shot.
Bozo: EEIIGGHH!
LD: Did you say you saw Bush on TV? Or you just need more novocain?

[maine_raptor]

37. LOL , JustABozo

Yea, a "conversation" is two or more individuals discussing something. It's kinda hard to hold up your end of the bargain when there is a suction tube, two hands, and some very sharp implements of destruction stuck in your mouth. Why that alone cuts down on the mental energy you can muster up to make your point, never mind the effect on the vocalization.

PS: Love your user name, but always preferred "Don't Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers" myself.



PCIntern:


Wanna move up this way? I got two choices in this town. One is a dyed-in-the-wood, born-again, "you better get right with the Lord" old timer, and the other rabid (and I mean RABID) fishing nut. He'll sit back and take his time and tell ya about his latest fishing exploit while you're just sitting there waiting to get this whole adventure in oral discomfort over with.

Oh, and did I mention that in both cases, should you be there in the afternoon, Limpballs will be blasting over the office PA system. Ain't enough Novocain made yet to get me through that kind of pain!

Seasons Greeting to both of you and all who read this.

[PCIntern]

38. those fishing guys really are a pain...

A buddy of mine moved to upstate PA and became a devout fly fisherman. It is painful to have a conversation with them b/c it is a continuous stream of tying flies/wading/caught thus and so...

You might consider getting them all out and full dentures rather than having to listen to Rush.

Happy Holidays to you too!

[maine_raptor]

55. No Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have a partial already (Long story involving a pick-up hockey game one New Year's Eve many moons ago). :rofl:

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

41. Fishing must be a dentist thing

My dentist has pictures of fish on the ceiling, along with pictures of him in various streams. It's ok, it beats the usual Dental Hygene posters and slogans.

I prefer "pliers" too. But if my handle mentioned "crushing dwarves", I'd get even more accusations of repug freeper than I do now :) Even though I've never crushed a dwarf, nor even bowled with one. hmmmm, I wonder about curling ...


Merry Christmas, folks!

[Kingshakabobo]

49. That's hilarious. I used to have a hygienist that would try....

......to carry on complex conversations with me. I could never understand why she would do that. Maybe she was bored/lonely???

[PCIntern]

50. We can understand most of what you say.

believe it or not.

We do that...not b/c we're bored or lonely, but it's helpful to all concerned. Many pts. think that the ladies are interested in them - not saying that that's true for you by any means. Generally not true and we get a good laugh out of al the 'lovers' who come in on a daily basis.

[Kingshakabobo]

51. LOL. I wish she had told me she spoke gibberish! nt

[cynatnite]

33. At this point I'm not looking at the politics of a dentist...

we're having a tough time finding one who takes both kids and our insurance plan. The one we really like doesn't do kids under 12 :shrug: go figure.

[PCIntern]

35. ...netiher do we unless they're really well-behaved.

Kids to better in a quality pediatric office and become better adult patients.

[coffeenap]

39. Spouse of lib. dentist here and we hear ya! Can't wait to see if

DH decides to put Mike on for his evening patients! (I am doubting it, somehow.) Happy holidays!

[knitter4democracy]

42. Nah, you get referrals because you're a liberal.

:) My hubby, an internist, gets those referrals, too. He has had patients who didn't like that he supported Dean or is as solidly pro-national health care as he is, but the vast majority love that he's a liberal. Well, maybe they love the good care they get more than his politics, but they do seem to like his politics, too.

[lonestarnot]

43. I thought I would love having a liberal for a dentist, one who would discuss

politics with me in the chair as a dental patient, and then I rethought that due to the choking ramification. Heh.

[PCIntern]

45. Thanks to all of you for good wishes...

talk about choking, imagine if your 'provider' started quoting Rush or Sean!

[lonestarnot]

52. EEEK Gag reflex!

[IDemo]

53. I think my dentist orders Cetacaine by the 55 gallon drum for me

Anti gag-response throat spray...

[PCIntern]

54. If it's to get an X-Ray taken...

try forcibly holding your breath. Yo do that by inhaling deeply and contracting the intercostal muscles but not letting the air out. It diverts the tension from the palate to the area further down. Helps lots of folks...but not everyone. In some people the gag reflex is potentiated by the cetacaine and things get worse!

[IDemo]

57. Not X-Rays, any longer at least

He's gone digital and gotten rid of the tortuous "bite-wings". Anything, including dental cleaning, causes it. Dave Barry can relate: - "It went OK, considering that I gagged about 45,000 times. I'm a big gagger at the dentist's office. Sometimes I start gagging in the waiting room. Stanley tries to distract me by talking, as if I'm going to be so interested in what he's saying I won't notice that he has stuffed an implement the size of a lawn tractor into my mouth."

[lonestarnot]

58. Even that doesn't help guard the gag against Limpballs.

[HamdenRice]

56. Anyone know this "Liberal Dentist" quote??? Dentists and democracy

For some reason this stuck in my mind. It was in 1982 around the time of the centenary celebration of the birth of FDR. The Reagan administration and the compliant corporate media were trying to downplay the anniversary, but PBS bucked the trend and did an extensive documentary on FDR and the New Deal.

At one point, they had a segment about federal health services penetrating Appalachia for the first time. They interviewed a late middle aged woman who had grown up dirt poor with no dental care. She broke down and cried when she recalled the first federal dentists coming to her area and fixing her teeth.

In the background they read the speech of one of the federal dentists who designed the program. His reasoning was both moving and a little funny, because like most overly-focused professionals, he tended to see the problem entirely from the perspective of his expertise. The main part of his observation was something like this:

"What this country suffers from is bad government and bad teeth, and the solution is more democracy and more dentists."

That quote has always stuck in my mind, though I'm not sure why. Unfortunately, I've never been able to track down the source or the name of the person quoted.

[Critters2]

59. Do you accept medicaid?

For me, that's the test of a progressive dentist. I used to work for an agency that tried to find health care for the poor. Dentistry was our biggest problem, because so few dentists would accept Medicaid. I left the dentist I was seeing, to go to one who accepted Medicaid, as an act of support for her--to say "thanks" for her concern for her community.

Anyone can watch C-SPAN. For me, the question is "How do you care for your community?"

[PCIntern]

60. In PA, that's not a test of anything...

in fact, those of us who used to take Medicaid were almost put out of business by the combination of low low low reimbursement, ridiculous waiting time for said reimbursement, refusal of the Commonwealth to pay for many patients after the fact, review of services rendered without obvious cause (fraud, over-treatment) at great disruption to the practice, fraud perpetrated by patients by the borrowing of Medicaid cards, etc., broken appointment ratios, propensity for specious lawsuits.

And there's more...

You must understand that if Steven Spielberg does not mandate that low income people may pay les to see his films, then you can't expect the rest of us to subsidize a broken public health system. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that the need for this is not paramount, it just isn't going to happen that all of us, no mattter what we do, are supposed to do pro bono work which costs us a tremendous amount of money to provide. There is going to have to be a reorientation of money away from, say bombs in Iraq, to providing for the common good.