Tuesday 15th November

Im shattered! Ive had enough of weirdo patients today. They all seem to have appeared out of the woodwork coz its a full moon. One patient was telling me how she is disgusted that queensland health have put fluoride in her water. "look at the african kids you see on tv and look how great their teeth look...they dont have fluoride". This was coming from a lady who has 5 teeth in her whole head...maybe something to do with her not using fluoridated toothpaste! She wasnt listening to any of my argument about how beneficial fluoride has proven to be for you teeth so i handed her a leaflet that we have been given for patients about fluoride. Flicking back through her notes, she has Glass ionomer restorations (which contain fluoride) and someone coated her teeth in duraphat (which is FULL of fluoride)...would be funny to point that out to her!!! Every patient i had today seemed so...uneducated. On the medical history form under 'what language do you speak at home', someone put...Australian. Another person wrote ANTIBODICS for antibiotics...Another patient on bisphosphontes didnt even know what she was taking was a bisphosphonate and thought i was nuts talking about antibiotic cover for her to prevent osteonecrosis of the jaw. I explained to another guy i would be taking his denture off him at the next appointment so the lab could make a copy and i would do this that and the other to his top denture. He nodded and smiled. When he got to the desk the receptionist told him to make sure he has his top denture with him next time....and he said rather confusded..."but i havent got a top denture". Another patient in her 50s walked in in bright fluorescent pink socks up to her thighs and brought a sheep skin rug to sit on to "make it more comfortable"...she was only in the chair for 5 minutes! Patients keep telling me they are pulling teeth out after extractions and ignore me telling them its bone...i even show them the tooth after i extract it just to point out IT IS ALL THERE, NOTHING HAS BEEN LEFT and i inform them there may be bone present after multiple extractions...but they dont listen. I did a filling on a guy, replacing an existing amalgam he had and he said to me 'i dont like what youve done'. i said " what do you mean?" he said "youve put a great big groove into the tooth, the previous filling i had was flat." I tried pointing out i had carved a lovely amalgam restoration with the grooves showing the morphology of a natural tooth...he said "well i dont like it, do it again." I saw red at this point and almos tlost my cool. i said i wouldnt do it again as it was a good filling that will serve its purpose. "im not leaving until you do it again." i went to speak to the senior dentist to explain what had happened but he told me i must sort it. I walked back in to the surgery, whacked a great mound of amalgam into the fissure i had made and said "there, hows that." he felt it with his tongue and moaned there was still a groove in the filling. "well i cant get any more amalgam in there for you, its packed." and with that he said " it will have to do." and walked out. TWAT. I CANT WAIT TO GO PRIVATE.

Anyway, rant over...ive posted my CV to one of the private practices in the area because the woman is going on maternity leave. i dont know if me not being able to start till february will make me less favourable for the job but its worth a go anyway!

This evening Gaz, Chris, Ian and i all went over the road for a bbq next to the beach. Ian didnt disappoint with the food...all bought from the butchers he rustled up a great feast. Chris got a photo of a toad (i think it might be a cane toad) on the way back to the house. The weather has been hot hot hot today.