Sam Kepp (@samstack4) said on social media that after thirteen years as a dental hygienist, she had to discharge a patient for the first time. The patient allegedly accused Kepp of “retaliation” while she was brushing her teeth.
“I was shaking like a leaf,” Kepp said of the TikTok encounter. Kepp said this was not his first encounter with the patient. The last time she brushed her teeth, the patient reportedly called to complain about the way Kepp had brushed her teeth.
“She said she didn’t like the way I polished the middle, that I would scale the bottom teeth or a Cavitron, then polish, then finish scaling after that,” Kepp explained her process. His patient preferred rough polishing and claimed her teeth “felt filthy” and were “a different color” after she left Kepp’s service.
“So even though she didn’t like my housekeeping and called to complain about me, she said she only wanted to see me and let her know if I’m coming out of the office so she could reschedule with me,” Kepp alleged. Even though the woman wasn’t happy with Kepp’s service, she still wanted to see her, much like a customer in Texas who kept coming back to the same lash technology after complaining. After rescheduling, the woman returned for Kepp’s next available appointment.
When the woman sat in Kepp’s chair, she allegedly admitted that she had called her and complained about her. Kepp said she was aware and had read the note from the front desk. She claimed to be mentally prepared and ignored her patient’s remarks. “I was mentally prepared to do a tougher cleanup and just try to be as nice and professional as possible,” Kepp said.
Then, her patient allegedly complained about having waited five minutes at the dental office. Kepp said she immediately apologized and said sometimes patients have to wait. However, she allegedly reassured the patient that she would complete the service on time.
She hasn’t finished cleaning the woman’s teeth
“Then I showed him in the mirror what tartar and plaque are, and why I polish first, and I showed him how easily they come off with the polisher and how the tartar doesn’t come off,” Kepp said. Nonetheless, Kepp also told her patient that she would be happy to polish her teeth at the end rather than at the beginning. Kepp also suggested the client book a different hygienist who will polish differently next time. The patient was reportedly upset and told Kepp to “do things the right way” because she wanted to keep her as a hygienist. Kepp said she wouldn’t let someone less competent dictate how she does her job.
She started Cavitroning and explained to the client why it was necessary. Kepp said she explained it to the client “as if she were a toddler” to avoid any miscommunication. The client reportedly tolerated the Cavitron until she moved to the lower left section.
“She said, ‘Is there retaliation?’ “” Kepp withdrew the relief, and the patient reportedly asked if she was “fighting back.” Kepp explained that this was not the case and that his patient had buildup under her gums. She also placed her hand on the patient’s shoulder and promised her that she would not retaliate or harm her.
Regardless, the patient reportedly raised her voice and said, “Well, finish it.” » Kepp started again with the Cavitron, but then changed his mind. “No one is going to come and treat me that way. You’re not going to talk to me that way. You’re not going to dictate to me how I do your housekeeping,” Kepp said. She told her dentist about the incident, who was supportive and referred the patient. Although the patient eventually returned, Kepp confirmed that another hygienist attended to her. Even though Kepp’s patient reportedly spoke ill of her services, she did not sue her, unlike this mechanic, who was awarded a $100,000 lawsuit for an air filter change.
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Gn Health
