My old dental assistant posted that I endanger patients every day
This account was submitted by a healthcare provider and de-identified before publication. Details that could identify a patient or practice have been removed, and it is shared with the provider’s consent.
On a widely followed community Facebook group, a former assistant wrote that I endanger patients every single day. She described the practice as barely controlled chaos and claimed I rush through extractions without adequate anesthesia. She named our specific charting system and the way we flag emergency add ons in red. She wrote about the internal handoff between operatories that only staff would witness. The post was framed as a brave insider finally speaking up for patient safety. It urged members of the group to warn their friends and family away from me. The group has thousands of local members, so the reach was immediate and wide.
The writer worked as an assistant in my office until that relationship ended, and I cannot legally discuss the reasons. Our anesthesia protocols follow standard of care, and I do not begin an extraction until a patient is comfortable and confirms it. The red flag system she mentioned is a scheduling tool, not evidence of anything reckless. She knew the internal handoffs because she participated in them, not because they harm anyone. This was a workplace grievance recast as a public health warning. The people reading it saw only the alarming claim and none of the ordinary clinical reality behind it. I know the full story, and confidentiality about personnel matters keeps me from telling any of it.
I lost sleep for the better part of two weeks, running the accusations over and over in the dark. Every time my phone buzzed I feared another comment or share. The anxiety followed me into the operatory, where I second guessed routines I have performed thousands of times. A handful of patients asked about the post, and each conversation drained me. My chairside manner suffered because I was carrying a knot of worry all day. I found myself checking the group late at night instead of resting. The gap between what I knew to be true and what I was allowed to say felt suffocating.
I sought advice from a lawyer who confirmed that responding would identify the former employee and expose me to a personnel dispute in public. I reported the post to the group moderators, and while they reviewed it, they left it up as personal opinion. I organized my anesthesia and treatment protocols so I could demonstrate standard of care to any regulator instantly. I spoke privately with my team to make sure they knew I valued their careful work. I asked a few loyal patients whether they would consider sharing their genuine experiences. I preserved dated screenshots of the post and its engagement. Ultimately I chose to let my daily standard of care answer for me, since the public forum was closed to me.