Dental terminology can be complex and confusing for both patients and sometimes even the dental staff, as evidenced in this excerpt from the Dentaltown message boards.
StubblefieldDMD
Despite my best efforts, my wife still calls “sealants” as “silly-ants.”
SSJ
I wish I could think of all the good ones I have seen and heard from my assistant-in-training. I got a chart back the other day with exam notes that read “gross decay on buckles.” Those darn buckles will get you every time.
rscrawfo
One of my previous assistants kindly corrected my wife by pointing out that calculus was a subject in math; the stuff on teeth was called calcus.
whitecusp8
Scaling and root planning, so that we can plan to do a big case.
Geoff with a G
When I get asked to “access” a tooth, rather than “assess” it.
timmy
I once had a gentleman ask me to “subtract his impounded
wilson teeth.”
teddy
Or how about the sales rep at a trade show that was trying to sell my staff some toothpaste that would demineralize the teeth.
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hmgentry
One of my assistants noted in several patient charts “Swollen lymph noids” – isn’t a Noid that thing on one of the old Domino Pizza commercials?
jawbreaker
How about “exrays” written on their info sheet as to what they had done last.
LMD
I once saw a patient with “gingerbitis.”
Albodmd1
Just the other day, I had the following conversation with my assistant:
Her: “Dr., we have to order a scapula.”
Me: “Uh, OK, but what do we need that for?”
Her: “So I can have something to mix the cement with!”
Me: “Of course, silly me for asking, order a couple of femurs while you’re at it!”
mjreyn
I can’t believe no one claimed hi-geenist yet. That one always makes me laugh.
ghanfdmd
It makes me crazy when our colleagues refer to “supraeruption” or “supereruption.”
Geoff with a G
I had a husband and wife come in, both for new dentures. They weren’t happy with their previous dental mechanic.
To add you favorite dental mispronunciation, visit www.dentaltown.com, type in “Mispronouncing Dentistry” in the global search box above the header and click “Search.”
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