Friend #38

Again, going with the theme of medical personnel this week, we have the Doctor of Inappropriate Comments ...a.k.a. Dr. Brian, my boys' dentist.
My boys have been to Dr. Brian twice per year for five years now. I've stayed loyal through four different houses/areas of town because of his dental hygienist, Peggy. Peggy is the mother of four boys, all in their teens. She knows, loves, and fully understands boys. She knows how to get them to open their mouths "Open as wide as you do when you yell at your brother," make the spit go through the vacuum "Kiss the straw," and what questions to ask, "Do you have a girlfriend or are girls still yucky?"
On this visit, everything went as planned. Peggy performed x-rays, cleaned the boys' teeth, did a fluoride treatment, handed out prizes, and then excused herself while we waited for the dentist to go over everything.
Dr. Brian came in. He first checked Jack, who was very excited to show him his first lost tooth. Dr. Brian confirmed my fears that Jack will some day need braces. Cha-ching. Luckily, he is not our orthodontist, otherwise I'd assume he was in it for the money. Next he examined Isaiah's braced-up teeth. "What is the orthodontist planning for the gaps in his mouth?"
I replied sheepishly, "He's going to close the gap. He offered to do implants but I'm not big on cosmetic stuff unless it's medically necessary. It's $4,000 to do implants." Dr. Brian was not happy. But I was standing my ground. And that's when Dr. Brian became our former dentist Dr. Brian.
"If it were my kid, first of all, he wouldn't be wearing an Obama t-shirt." GASP! The two nurses in the room and I literally were taken aback. "Secondly, I'd make sure he got implants because by the time he's old enough to get them, he can pay for them his self."
Whoa, whoa, whoa, back the truck up for a second. "Did you just knock our President?" The dentist smirked. Even if Isaiah weren't wearing an Obama t-shirt I'd be offended. Even if Isaiah didn't 1000% look up to Obama because he, also, has a white mother and a black father, I'd be offended. Even if Obama had lost the election, I'd be offended. Even if it didn't put a tear in my child's eye at the thought of his dentist commenting that he didn't like his t-shirt, I'd be offended.
I could tell that my 12-year-old future astronaut/engineer/artist/filmmaker/president/actor was confused and dumbfounded. So we left. I told Dr. Brian that it is not his place to comment negatively on his patient's clothing, nor is it his place to smirk when called on it.
I passed the check-out desk that I've checked out of at least ten times before and asked that my records be mailed to me so that I could transfer dentists.
Looking back, I usually realize that I was over reacting with things of this nature, but when you hurt my child, Mama Bear means business. Goodbye Dr. Idiot.