Friends and Family.

Patients April 1st, 2007

Is it just me or do you guys find that the fuck up factor is magnified significantly when you’re working on friends or family?

And even if you don’t screw anything up, the procedure inches towards the (negatively) unlikely outcome.


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  • Dr. Mommy, D.D.S.

    uh oh, what did you do???

  • Ameloblast

    Nothing yet. I’m just remembering cases from the past…and my great aunt has an abscessed tooth that she wants me to treat for her.

  • Ameloblast

    Well I shouldn’t say “nothing yet”. I have had problem cases with relatives in the past.

  • Dr. Mommy, D.D.S.

    i have sort of a similar problem when it comes to working on family. i started working on my dad four years ago when i was in dental school. he’s in the middle of two root canals that he never finished (started by PG endo dept because they were retreats and molars which i wasn’t allowed to do). he has two prepped teeth where i started a bridge, took the final impression, and he never came back for the coping try-in, the temp broke after 3 months and he never replaced it. the teeth have subsequently super-erupted and now the molar will probably need intentional endo to prep it properly. i’ve worked in all sorts of different places while i was in new york, some close by, some not so close and i’ve given him ample opportunity and pushing (rather fiercely, i might add) to come and get this work done. i can even finish the endos, as the canals have been accessed and the gutta percha removed, i just have to irrigate (for about 2 years at this point) and obturate. my lab will do the bridge work for me for free and in a short amount of time as well. and do you think he would have scheduled the work when he comes to visit me??? hah!

    not to knock my dad. he’s a great guy and i’m so happy he’s here. but dentally, he’s a nightmare. same with my mom. she needs two implants and i’m just screaming to get my hands on them. at least i have the excuse of being too busy fixing everyone else’s teeth to work on my own. what’s their excuse?

  • Dr Sasha

    Let me quote:

    Posted by: Ameloblast at 1:37 AM
    “Is it just me or do you guys find that the fuck up factor is magnified significantly when you’re working on friends or family?”

    Fuck up factor. I’ll have to remember that ;-)

    On friends? Significantly, yes.
    On family? Absolutely!

    Not that I’m a bad dentist. But they all waited until I got diploma, and some teeth got FUBAR (fucked up beyond all repair, it’s from Hackers Dictionary).

  • Ameloblast

    I also used to get nervous working on dentists, but with time that has changed also.

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