I had an appt to get a failed root canal tooth extracted. I went into the office on the day of my appt and I was called in to have a 360 degree angle x-ray done prior to the surgery. It was in a small room and I was told that, for the X-ray, I needed to take off my mask. I wear a mask because my mother lost all her B cells, which give the ability to create antibodies, from cancer treatment. She got the covid vaccine, and her dr ordered a blood test to see if it worked. The test found no covid antibodies. Her immune system is too weak to do it. Any viral infection would be serious, let alone covid. I wear a mask because I am her caregiver. I am vaccinated but it is still possible to shed covid if I was to catch it and be asymptomatic. I anticipated only taking my mask off when I was in the dentist chair with the other people in the room masked.
When the dental technician told me to take off my mask, I asked if she would lift hers up. It was down under her chin. She said I’m vaccinated so no I won’t. I explained the situation about my mother. She got angry saying she was not obligated and she didn’t have to. I was repeating to her it wasn’t for me, but my mother. She said it didn’t matter. This upset me. I said I wanted speak to the dentist. I walked out of the X-ray room. The technician turned around and yelled at me to leave the dentist office. I said no, knowing she did not have the authority to make such an order. She expressed intense resentment towards me over and over and over. She never wavered in her decisive lack of concern for an elderly woman whose health was in danger and verbalized it.
For some reason the receptionist got involved, talking to me a few feet away without a mask on her face as well. She repeated her coworker’s phrases about not caring why I was asking and she wasn’t obligated. She told me to go to the waiting room because I was refusing the X-ray. I said I wasn’t refusing the X-ray. At the end, I was just begging. I tried to repeat their phrases back to them, I’m not saying you’re obligated, I’m not saying it’s the rules, I’m just asking you to be compassionate. Still the answer was no. I’m just asking you to care about somebody who isn’t well. We don’t have to, so no.
I’m on the autism spectrum and have no other family than my mother. I’m her caregiver when I barely can handle taking care of myself. It is frightening to have to contend with people in a medical office who don’t seem to understand that the covid vaccine doesn’t make everything safe for everyone.
Regardless, I believe that the dentists that own the practice condone everything that took place. I don’t believe that these two employees would have been acting the way they did if their bosses didn’t share their feelings and beliefs. Dr Glenn Prager and Dr Todd Prager. They appear to own multiple dental practices and were not there that day.
If you are concerned about a vulnerable loved one, do not visit these drs facility. They are so cruelly indifferent, I’m still finding it hard to believe their lack of compassion. I am cross listing this review.
