New Dentist: What do you think?

I recently made an appointment to get my teeth cleaned at a highly recommended dentist in town. When I called, I told the secretary that I did not want to have x-rays so she could take that into account when planning the time for my appointment. I used to be a dental assistant years ago, so I know that this was a decent courtesy for schedule planning.

To my surprise, she said to me that if I didn’t get x-rays, the dentist wouldn’t see me. That was a first, ever.

I politely explained to the woman that I had just seen another dentist to have a cavity fixed, and that I didn’t need x-rays again. I had just had a full-mouth x-ray at this other dentist, and I could bring along the records.

She apologized, but told me that this was their policy that upon seeing this dentist, he would do a full-mouth x-ray, even if I just had one. It was their policy.

Read more I was a bit floored, but since he came so highly recommend, I explained the woman that I found flaw with their policy hoping I could convince her to reconsider. I stated that I was not going to subject myself to more radiation (a second time in a matter of weeks) when it wasn’t necessary — just because this doctor thought I should, and I asked her to talk to the doctor for me.

She told me he wouldn’t budge on his policy, but she’d have him call me.

He did. Here is what he said:

I really care about my patients teeth, and if you want to come see me, I need to do a full x-ray of your mouth, even if you’ve just had one. I want to make sure they were done properly, and I want to ensure you get a quality checkup.

How can I do a good job if you take away my tools?

You could come back later, and say I didn’t do a good job if I didn’t take the x-rays to spot all potential problems, and I don’t want that, so for the first time, I require x-rays. By not getting the x-rays, you are putting me in a position where I could be held liable. And I don’t want to rely on another person’s x-rays. I don’t know how good they are.

Once I do this full mouth x-ray, however, after that, I don’t care what you do. You can do whatever you want. If you never get another x-ray again in my office, that’s fine with me.

What do you make of that? Is this a good, caring dentist, or someone who should raise an alarm bell?

My Thoughts

This doctor is inconsistent in his behavior. He tells me that he cares, and because he cares, he requires that I get a full mouth x-ray because my old dentist may not have done it right.

Okay, that’s fair, so I would expect him to continue to require me to get a full-mouth x-ray every so many months, if this is his belief. But he doesn’t.

He tells me that if he doesn’t give me at least one set of x-rays, he can be held liable. After that, he says he doesn’t care what I do.

I suspect this means this man doesn’t care what I do so long as I cover his liability risks. Or, I would expect him to tell me why and how come his policy is so important, but he doesn’t. This is inconsistent with someone who is caring about my teeth.

This dentist is not someone I would trust, personally. I consider this inconsistency easy to spot. How about you?

McCanns Release New Sketch

The McCanns have released a second sketch in the hunt for Madeleine on Sunday. According to Clarence Mitchell, a vacationer in Praia da Luz, Gail Cooper, spotted this man on April 20 on the beach of the resort where the McCann’s stayed. They noticed him because he stood on the beach, alone, in the pouring rain.

Furthermore, he approached Cooper, and told her he was collecting money for a local orphanage. Then a few days later Cooper says she saw the man on the beach with a group of children. Yet when investigators working for the McCann camp looked, they found no such orphanage.

It’s a bit odd.

Furthermore, does this sketch resemble the sketch created by Jane Tanner’s description? And corroborated by Irishman Martin Smith?

I believe it does.

Source: CNN

Interpreting Body Language: The Head Shake

A reader asked me the following:

I have a question that I wonder would be of interest to your website viewers. On this video clip, Hillary Clinton keeps make affirmative statements, but her head keeps shaking “no”. The back and forth ‘no’ motion on her head seems to be opposite her words, and it is very distracting. I do not have any political judgments, so I am not being biased about Hillary. I just am perplexed. Her body language makes me feel very uneasy and mistrustful.

This interview with Senator Clinton is just after she won the New Hampshire primaries.

What Senator Clinton is doing here is what I would call a head swagger. It’s actually her confidence that is causing this, and it is not what I would call a head shake no when she is saying something affirmative.

Read moreWhen people shake their head no when they say yes (a gesture, I believe), it is a quick, swift movement. It comes from the subconscious, and it is most alway brief. It doesn’t languish on like this does, and furthermore, when conscious thoughts kick in, the person usually stops the “no” movement abruptly and switch to a “yes” motion. You can see the thoughts “kick-in” to conscious awareness. It quite fast, and fascinating to witness.

I bet if you were to ask Senator Clinton if she was aware that she was shaking her head in this interview, she would tell you she had no idea until she witnessed it firsthand by watching the video herself.

Here is another post on the head shake (sentence and link added 10/09).

Got a question about a candidates body language or facial expression? Ask me.

Note to Readers:
(1)
I do not endorse any candidate. I am merely trying to help people understand the candidates as best as I can. (2) I do not wish to get involved in the political debate. I merely wish to answer genuine and honest questions about body language, and facial expressions.(3) As long as I believe I can remain unbiased, I will continue to do so. (4) I do not moderate my comments, and I don’t plan to, but if people decided to make my blog a political place to vent, I will start moderating until the elections are finished, or I will stop talking about politicians in general. (5) Respectful opinions are welcome, however, political bashing will not be tolerated.

Brodsky: In His Own Words

Attorney Joel Brodsky talks
about representing Drew Peterson
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check this out…

What is Brodsky thinking? Or, is he thinking at all?

Please know it is my policy to not comment on any attorney or his behavior. I believe all people deserve to be represented because if we didn’t represent everyone, including people we are suspicious of, we wouldn’t have a fair legal system.

Link sent to me by a reader. Thank you!

Joran Van der Sloot Acts Out

Joran Van der Sloot showed poor impulse control on a Dutch talk show Friday. After a the show ended, Van der Sloot is seen getting up and tossing a glass of wine into a crime reporters eyes: a crime reporter who questioned Van der Sloot’s honesty.

This does not bode well for Van der Sloot considering he is still a person of interest in the disappearance of Natalie Holloway. Does Van der Sloot have a problem when he doesn’t get his way?

I’ve always liked Clint Van Zant. What he says in the video above reflects my own feelings as well.