Earlier this year, when I had my six-monthly clean and scale at the dentist, it was obvious that the dentist was quite scared of me because of my CP. At the start of the appointment, I explained that my CP…
Earlier this year, when I had my six-monthly clean and scale at the dentist, it was obvious that the dentist was quite scared of me because of my CP. At the start of the appointment, I explained that my CP means that my reflexes are heightened. The dentist began looking in my mouth, and when she started using some of the equipment, I flinched, due to the noise and sensation. I tried to explain that nothing had hurt, and that it was just my reflexes kicking in. Despite this, after a few more attempts with the equipment, and a few more flinches from me and reassurances that nothing was hurting, the dentist said, “I think we should stop”. At the time, my mum and I did not speak up about the fact that we wanted her to continue her job, as we both thought that maybe she just was not a thorough dentist. However, she then gave my mum the full clean and scale treatment that I was supposed to get, so we both concluded that she had only not finish my treatment because she was scared of my disability. I recently had my next checkup at the same dentist. When my mum booked our appointments, the receptionist happened to ask if there was anyone in particular we would like to see. My mum briefly explained our experiences from my previous appointment, and this time we were given a dentist who was extremely caring, and took the time to listen to my needs and make sure I was comfortable. She didn’t seem to be phased by my reflexes. It was really nice to see that she was confident when treating me, and I definitely didn’t feel like she had been unintentionally ableist like the previous dentist.