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Open Wide - Dentists Urge Patents to Stop Texting During Treatment
Dentists are complaining that too many of their patients are trying to send text messages while receiving dental treatment. A survey by the Chicago Dental Society found that four out of five dentists reported problems with texting patients.
In addition to the dentists who said their patients regularly text in the dental chair, 46 percent said this habit hampers their ability to provide care. The high number of dental chair texters is also surprising, given that 32 percent of the dentists indicated they have a cell phone/mobile device policy posted in a visible location in their office.
One dentist even reported that patents will "sit up during treatment to answer a call or text."
But not every dentist views texting as a societal evil. Dr. Cissy Furusho, a pediatric dentist in Chicago, said her young teen patients have mastered texting to the point that they don't even have to look down at their phone keyboard during treatment.
"This may surprise people, but most of my younger patients are very polite about using their cell phones in the chair," she said. "The kids never answer their phone while getting treatment."
Niles, Illinois dentist Dr. Alice Boghosian said that there is a time and place for most things but texting or talking in the dental chair is a breach of etiquette.
"I'm not militant about it because I know that there are parents with kids in school who need to be in touch with their kids at times," she said. "However, one young patient of mine had to interrupt me when his phone was buzzing in his pocket." Dr. Boghosian said she was also surprised when a member of the clergy kept answering his phone even though he admitted the calls were not urgent.
Posted to the site on 28th August 2009