Pediatric Dentist de Sade

So I went on a quest for a dentist for the twins with TWO hard and fast requirements.

1. No sedation
2. We must be present with them during dental work

I wasn't trying to be a hard ass - but frankly I read too much of "small child dies at dentist because they were over-anesthetized" AND - my little guys can't/don't follow instructions for anyone but us.

They can't communicate needs or wants or pain, they just FREAK OUT if you don't know what they need.

So imagine my delight when calling my oldest sons dentist to discover that they handle special needs and completely agree with me on all counts. I was thrilled because the big boy had such a POSITIVE experience with them last year and we NEEDED our school forms for the twins.

I take the big boy for his annual visit and it's all sunshine and lollipops. A wonderland of dental happiness and overwhelming care for my child. I couldn't be happier. I just knew it would be a GREAT experience for the twins too - these people were so nice.

And then we took the twins.

First off. "Oh No You can't go back with them. That's the doctor's policy sorry."

We tried to explain THEIR special needs and were told, with a SNORT of disgust "I KNOW what autism is, I HAVE an autistic Uncle." My blood started to boil but I kept my silence. (oh btw, this would have been the equivalent of me saying to her "I KNOW what racism is, I KNOW some black people!")

We tried to explain that their should be accommodations for special needs clients and were told SNORT! NO! This is the DOCTORS POLICY!

We asked to see the Doctor and this is when all sentences started to begin with "Look, SIR" - directed at my husband. (Hint to all business owners, this is a bad employee. She represents you poorly.) We were let know in NO uncertain terms that the dentist did NOT have any time to speak with US about our requests and that she would be taking time away from other patients and that just wasn't going to happen.

We asked if our oldest son could go back - at least he could translate for the twins needs and maybe they would listen to him......SNORT no.......

then apparently we had just disgusted her TOO much with our requests and SOOO MANY WORDS. She stomped off and returned to with the dentist, where we learned that at THIS dental office it was only sunshine and lollipops if you didn't look behind the curtain. Once you have seen the man behind the curtain it's OFF WITH YOUR HEAD.

The dentist came out, was a nasty bitch and really point blank let us know that no indeed she couldn't change the policy (ummm - the policy YOU made?) Her statement "If I change it for YOU I have to change it for EVERYONE!" to which we asked if ALL her patients were autistic? We tried to explain that exceptions had to be made, accommodations for special needs children which was apparently some sort of unheard of practice (hey how come you have handicapped parking spots outside then?)

We gave up and let them take our children back without us for the VERY brief school screening. Where we heard them scream and cry and shout the whole time. What a lovely positive experience. They didn't even know which twin was which.

That very afternoon my husband got into the car and drove to another dentist office, a pediatric dentist office, who we will now be patronizing. We're paying out of pocket for the big boy to get a NEW exam and the NEW office will do his filling work for us today.

I drove to the Dentist de Sade yesterday and picked up our medical records and xrays.

The new dentist has one dentist who specializes in only working on special needs children.

And that is who will be seeing my special little guys.

Apparently a family of three children with good dental insurance wasn't worth anything to Dentist de Sade. You'd think that if the milk of human kindness and compassion didn't mean anything to her, that the dollars would have.