Can a dentist refuse treatment if parent insists on being in room?

[Milkymommy]

I'm kind of thinking out loud here. What can a dentist do if a parent insists on being in the exam room if it is against the "office policy?"

Can the dentist refuse treatment? Does the office policy outweigh the parent's rights? Legally can the dentist bar the parent from the room or is a request issue?

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

I think because it is their practice they can refuse to treat the child. : Just like some Dr's can refuse to see a child if the parent chooses to not vax.

That would be a excellent sign for me to find a new dentist tho.

[Cassandra M.]

Yeah I believe they can. There's a few pediatric dentists in my area that do NOT allow parents in the back with their kids, period. It's one of the first questions I ask and I just cross them off the list.

[Milkymommy]

Yeah, well it's the only pediatric dentist within a 100 mile radius that is in our dental insurance network. I'm not going to bring DD there. No way.

After about a dozen calls and several hours on the phone I finally got our insurance company to agree to an out of network referal to our old pediatric dentist (who is awesome and wants parents in the room.)

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

Our new dental insurance only covers one ped. dentist in drivable distance : I havnt called them yet because the insureance is still all mesed up but if they have that policy i dont know what I will do. I love the dentist we have now but he isnt on the list :

[Cassandra M.]

You might want to ask to specifically talk to the dentist about the topic. I have found that sometimes hygenists push issues that dentists don't push so much.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

I decided to call the only pediatric dentist listed within driving distance and this is her exact words "At 2 yrs old you would probably need to be back there with him" Probably?!?!?!? : and for older kids "as they get older it is better for both the parents and the kids if the kids go back alone" :

Sorry to highjack you thread OP

[tylertyler]

horror story

Dear members
My personalhorror story regards this subject.

When my son still had his babyteeth,we went in for a checkup detal visit. I was not allowed in the exam room. Thinking nothing of this(but feeling uneasy leaving him alone) i said OK and waited. Over an hour later my son came out with ALL OF HIS TEETH COVERED IN SILVER METAL CAPS (prob. containing merc.) I dont mean one tooth but ALL teeth. The only justification i could see was "i had good insurance at the time and the dentist was a greedy crook and did as much work as possible to bump up the fee's"..............I asked around if this was normal....................EVERYONE SAID "NO". Later on on found out this same dentist was arrested for malpractice,he did this on many many children over the years.

So to all of you mothers out there listen to your female mothering intuitions. If it feels wrong to you,it prob is wrong!
Walk out next time a dentist does this.Now we all go to Holistic Dentists (dont use merc. silver fills,dont use floride for cleaning)

TYLER