Dentaltown February 2022 - 27

myself what I could've done differently. Had I threatened legal action or had my attorney sent a
cease-and-desist letter citing defamation or slander, it might've limited my exposure over the next
few months.
So recently, another exam: I've just bounced out of my treatment room (6-year-old for two
extractions, numbing complete, doing well). Less than a minute at the exam chair, I hear the
boy in my operatory throwing up (young assistant attempting a B&L impression). I get up and
dart back into the room, help her with the two molds (#L, #S) and return to the exam chair.
Recall mom is obviously perturbed that it's taking me so long. Incidentally I've known her and
her two boys for seven or eight years and she always wants to butt heads with me, my staff, etc.
She should have been dismissed a long time ago. Boys are good for their work, although mom
" only wants extractions " with baby teeth.
Regardless, I'm now wired. Pop back to the chair and I'm throwing gloves on to get this
8-year-old done. He's just sitting there ignoring me and banging one of our handheld games on
the countertop. I snap my fi ngers after having asked him three or four times to come on up. He's
now just staring at his mom, which by her admission is her fault because she told him he needed
two teeth pulled. Regardless, it's awkward and I'm trying to get back to my op and I see the
game he was banging (a handheld water game) is now leaking on the countertop and probably
broken. We also go around about the need for an antibiotic. Resolving, drained, no complaints.
But she's upset because she'd prefer he goes on one, because she's a nurse and knows.
No win. By the next morning, the staff comes to me again like two years ago. She's written
an angry post about my rude demeanor and that I accused her son of breaking the toys in my
offi ce. Further, that everyone should bypass this offi ce, that she sees that my staff agrees too.
She says to her FB followers, " Thank god Mike didn't go that day. " (Mike is her husband, and
a decent guy.) " We would've needed a GoFundMe page together for Mike's bail, because he
would've stomped this SOB. " Wow. So, a dismissal is forthcoming, but what happens when she
goes back to social media? My heart, my mind and my offi ce can't take another viral thrashing.
I reached out to my attorney to pick his brain. Can we send a cease-and-desist (or even just a
threatening letter) to curtail her odd, embellished stories on Facebook? Would a pleasant phone
call with my apologies for being curt save the day?
Suffi ce to say, my attorney says it's not really defamation or slander/libel if she's only stating
her account of an experience. I said what does it matter? Send an angry, verbose letter and put
the fear of God into them. Right or wrong, who gives a damn? You don't need a legal precedence
to tell her that her post is infl ammatory, derogatory and unfair. And further, that a post that
adversely affects my practice is defamation.
So, I've hit my limit on things I'm going to be passive about. I'm not going to sit by and let
slanderous people give unfair accounts online anymore. Had I reacted this way two years ago,
I'm quite sure the idiots who posted in December 2019 would've tucked their tails and run. The
threat of a lawsuit is enough for most I'd suspect.
Opinions? And we've talked about the abandonment discussion. If dismissed, I'd need to
provide a list of others who could perform the extractions. Oddly, if their extraction appointment
comes up soon, I'm pretty certain Mom will get him here. Despite the post. ■
12/14/2021
You could delete your offi ce's Facebook and Google accounts so there would be no place
to leave reviews. You had a rough couple of years, to say the least, so that is one less thing to
worry about. ■
12/14/2021
OldandSalty
Member Since: 04/11/07
Post: 3 of 64
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