The hairdresser really cares if I am happy. She even goes the extra mile and dries my hair. Something I don't even do. Partly because the hairdryer has disappeared into Asshat #1's bedroom and I'm convinced he uses it to dry his balls.
Then, even though she knows I am going to go home and immediately shower (can't stand the hair clippings in the bra folks) she either curls it or straightens it. Before I leave she brings out her little hand mirror and lets me admire her fine creation. I've never looked better immediately before stepping into the shower. For that I pay $35.00 including her tip.
The hygenist on the other hand starts by giving me shit for not flossing. Then she proceeds to abuse my gums. When the torture is all said and done? No hand mirror in sight. WTF? Why can't I see your creation? For that I pay $110.00 without a tip.
When I get out to my car I take a gander at my teeth expecting to see pearly whites. WTF? Have you ever wiped one spot on a dirty wall? Looks like shit doesn't it? Yeah, so do teeth if you only clean 1/4 inch from the gumline. There's still a lot of fucking tooth that never got cleaned.
Now I understand that I smoke, and drink coffee and copious amounts of cola. But the last hygenist had no problem getting my teeth beautiful.
This is the hygenist's work.
Do you see how white each tooth is by the gumline? Doesn't the rest of the tooth look fucking lovely?
Now I'm not one of these women that will sit and bawl over a bad haircut. My attitude is hey that shit grows everyday and in six weeks I'll be able to get it fixed right back up.
A bad dental cleaning? Now that had me ready to spend the rest of the weekend bawling. You don't get to have that done every six weeks. That's a 9 month wait until you can get that shit fixed up. At least before I went to the dentist my teeth were uniformly stained.
Did I sit down an bawl though? Fuck no, I got out the baking soda and a washcloth.
This is what I did with a paste of baking soda and water on a cloth and a little bit of fucking effort.
I am quite the fucking handy woman aren't I? Now I don't have to spend the next 9 months smiling with my lips closed.
I will be calling the dentist office on Monday and rescheduling my next appointment. With the previous hygenist please and thank you. I'll bring my own hand mirror.
Oh man, you worked wonders with that baking soda! F- that hygienist! Clearly didn't do her job!
ReplyDeleteThe before picture? Actually better than it really was. I would not have smiled for the next 9 months if that baking soda hadn't helped.
DeleteI am a hygienist....and what i can see on your pics is that you have composite or tooth colored fillings at the gum line. They are whiter than your tooth. That is the color difference. And your after pic is shadowed at the gum line so we can't actually see the same area. I do agree some hygienists go way too quickly and lecture. I am not one of those. I am very thorough and I instruct not lecture.
DeleteI would email the hygenist a copy of this blog post, including pics...maybe knowing she's being publicly shamed for doing a shitty job on your teeth will make her think twice before doing a half-assed job.
ReplyDeleteThank you on behalf of hairdressers! If my clients aren't walking out the door feeling pampered and looking like a million bucks, then I didn't do my job. Also, I don't jab my clients in the gums with pointy objects, so that could be part of why they like me
I got a seriously great cut today and I'm one of those terrible clients that only comes in every 5 months and trims their own bangs in between. I can always tell she really loves what she's doing.
DeleteLOL! What is it about medical professionals that makes them think it's acceptable to browbeat their customers and that they're immune to the usual rules of common courtesy. Most specialists do it too.
ReplyDeleteI really should floss more - I'll keep some by my computer so you all can picture me flossing my teeth while reading your blogs.
DeleteMy dad used baking soda on his teeth forever and he always had pearly whites even way back in the day before all the teeth whitening products. Yay you. Now flash those pearly whites! :D
ReplyDeleteI used to do it all the time, but I've been pretty lazy about my appearance lately - that and the fact that it's damn hard to get a few extra minutes in the bathroom.
DeleteQuite the opposite, I was pleasantly surprised by how pleasant & efficient my last dentist was with me. I still got the crap about flossing, but she even gave a friendly demo on how to do it right the next time.
ReplyDeleteThe guy I went to before her, on the other hand, was clearly the "I'll only be as helpful as your job's insurance coverage forces me to be" type.
This time I didn't even see the dentist - it was my extra cleaning that I always schedule. I used to have a particular hygenist but she retired (the nerve) and I'm still struggling to find one I like.
DeleteOh my gosh, I am going to start using baking soda on my teeth more often!
ReplyDeleteIt works, and it's cheap. The taste leaves a bit to be desired.
DeleteBoth careers I've considered. But I couldn't do either, because I hate people.
ReplyDeleteThat would probably knock out both contenders as life long career plans. Athough maybe you should consider Hygenist - people with sharp instruments in their mouths generally don't talk much.
DeleteYou'd be surprised. I used to be a dental assistant, and I'm still really good at understanding people when they talk with their mouths full.
DeleteI've thought about it too, but then I remember I'm neither friendly nor compassionate, and other people smell funny. Not bad funny, just not like my family funny.
DeleteI had the SAME problem with my last cleaning!! After the cleaning, I still had that nasty plaque film on the back of both my top and lower front teeth! If I got a bad haircut, I'd go back and demand a redo. Did I do that with my teeth? No. I didn't want to have to call, explain, get another appointment, blah, blah, blah! Great post!
ReplyDeleteI haven't called or complained either but I am changing my appointment to get the hygenist who got my teeth clean for the next visit.
DeleteHoly shit! 20,000 is a shit ton of money. I believe you though - I know how much I've invested in my kids mouths.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, you should be getting a cleaning every six months, not nine. You should have an exam with the doctor at least once a year, but most offices do it at every cleaning. And she is supposed to educate you on oral hygiene. Difference between hair dressers and hygienists: one is supposed to pamper you the other is providing a medical service. You don't expect your doctor to give you a back rub, do you?
ReplyDeleteYou are right, I don't expect my doctor to give me a back rub. I do expect my hygenist to get my teeth clean though.
DeleteAs far as getting a cleaning every six months it would be nice to do that. I actually normally love the just cleaned feeling after I leave the hygenists chair. This time, my teeth did not even feel clean.
It sounds to me as if you take the role of hygenist seriously - which I do as well. I am very aware of how gum health can affect the health of your body and have always gone for regular cleanings and exams - even when money was scarce and I did not have extended health coverage. I have also paid for braces and wisdom tooth extraction for both of my kids.
So no - I don't expect a back rub. Just what I'm paying for.
Lol at anonymous, must be a hygienist ! I actually like my hygienist and my dentist is so gorgeous I want to run away with him. Alas, he just got married.
ReplyDeleteBut I digress...
There are multiple posts on Pinterest with recipes where u mix baking soda with peroxide and toothpaste to whiten your teeth at home. Just FYI :)
I think so too, and I'm sorry for it but it isn't as if I was calling out all hygenists. I love the good ones for what they do for my smile.
DeleteThe baking soda works really good too - the secret is to use it on a cloth instead of your toothbrush. It's easier on the gums that way and does a better job.
As a hairdresser, I find this post hilarious and AWESOME :)
ReplyDeleteThank you - I'm glad you enjoyed it. I was kind of peeved at the time. Awesome haircut, terrible smile.
DeleteHi, I have been a hygienist for 22 years. You are right, you deserve a better job. You should let the office know. Just be careful with too much baking soda. It can be abrasive. Beth
ReplyDeletePS, the $110 goes directly to the dentist. The hygienist gets about $25.....
I've changed my next appointment to the hygienist I like. I always think it's grossly unfair when I go for my in-between check ups cleaning that I have to make out the check to the dentist - whom I never even saw.
DeleteI'm m not saying that there are not horrible hygienists, but you have root exposure (periodontal disease, recession) and your tooth root is a different color and texture than the enamel.
ReplyDeleteYes I do have receding gums. What you're seeing is filling that was color matched to my tooth. Or at least it was color matched to the color my tooth used to be.
Delete