Screaming 8yo Patient Gets "Offensive Touching"; Dentist Dr. Bruce Fisher Charged

[Dakota Valkyrie]

http://i0.simplest-image-hosting.net/168bf183b2abe8bc9188aacc163dd507/20120311-01.jpg
A Sussex County dentist has been charged with offensive touching of an 8-year-old patient who began screaming after a medical procedure, state police said today.

The incident occurred about 10 a.m. Wednesday at the office of Dr. Bruce Fisher, First State Oral Surgery, in the 33000 block of Wescoats Road near Lewes, police said.

When the child began screaming, “Dr. Fisher immediately covered the victim’s mouth with his hand and told him to ‘shut up,’” said Master Cpl. Gary Fournier.

He said a family member who was in the room during the procedure informed police Wednesday afternoon.
[...]

The boy was not injured, Fournier said.http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20120309/NEWS/120309041/Dentist-charged-offensive-touching-young-patient

[kniption]

Police? Really?!? Isn't this something more in the domain of a medical board?

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Police? Really?!? Isn't this something more in the domain of a medical board?
I was thinking it was more the job of the "family member" sitting right there with the dentist.
Almost titled this "Dentist Charged For Doing Mom's Job".

[TheMeaningOfItAll]

I can imagine the type of shit pediatric dentists deal with on a daily basis. I'm sure there's a point at which they want to snap and say, "Shut the fuck up already, kid!"...or put their hands over the kid's mouth...But, it's called self-control. Being a professional. If you can't handle kids screaming, don't work on them. Hell, I know some adults that scream at the dentists. Nobody likes a dentist visit. The mother should have said, "Hey, let's wait a few minutes until he calms down." Then she should have quietly explained to her kid that he needs to be quiet and let the dentist do his job.

[Silvahalo]

A Sussex County dentist has been charged with offensive touching of an 8-year-old patient who began screaming after a medical procedure, . . .As offensive as it was, I really think it's outrageous he was charged with anything by the law---how did that even happen?
As a mother i would have reported his unprofessional behavior to the board, his boss, but the police? So if I covered my child's mouth at a store as he screamed top of his lungs it's possible I could be arrested for that act? unbelievable.

I hope he has a good attorney and he rethinks his profession as a screaming kid is part of the territory in being a pediatric dentist.

[kniption]

I was thinking it was more the job of the "family member" sitting right there with the dentist.
Almost titled this "Dentist Charged For Doing Mom's Job".

Agree. The dentist and the family member have different motivations, though. A pediatric dentist has a waiting room full of kids who will end up completely freaked by primal-boy. ..but the "family member' would probably just rather the kid get it all out.

Add to this, if the kid was some little pumped-up drama queen, the parent was probably a Toddlers-and-Tiaras-class enabler. That makes the dentist the only one in the room in the position to stop an unnecessary and probably galactically annoying meltdown.

Also, when I say "isn't this an issue for the medical board," I don't mean for punishment. I mean to sort it out. As soon as someone complains about his behavior, someone else has to figure out whether the guy was out of line. Does it have to be paid for by the taxpayers? Can't the medical community police this one out themselves?

[kniption]

For some reason, as I was reading DVs original post, I thought of this video. It has nothing to do with kids or dentists. It does represent the bullshit and theatrics that cops have to deal with. I may have thought of it also because of the howling of the woman when she gets tasered the second time.

The cop says something like "Ma'am. Quiet down. We've been tasered. It doesn't hurt that much."

If I were a pediatric dentist, I would want a taser.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGXH-MwUt5E

[Occucrabs]

somehow nothing surprises me anymore......this guy is truly abusing his job; he could have killed her for making a phone call?? really? listen to her moaning, wait, maybe he seized her into the big o

[lespacino]

I love that the woman's howls increase as that car passes! lol. I could never be a cop, I'd be one of those cops that ends up shooting about 800 people.

[malq]

Agree. The dentist and the family member have different motivations, though. A pediatric dentist has a waiting room full of kids who will end up completely freaked by primal-boy. ..but the "family member' would probably just rather the kid get it all out.

Add to this, if the kid was some little pumped-up drama queen, the parent was probably a Toddlers-and-Tiaras-class enabler. That makes the dentist the only one in the room in the position to stop an unnecessary and probably galactically annoying meltdown.
i agree knip, like the brat on the airplane and the jet Blue pilot had to remove them

[colliefreak]

I don't think that this is ok at all. I don't know who I would call, but if a dentist were to do that to my child, someone would hear about it.
We don't really have any info on this. For example, did the dentist give the adult a chance to handle the situation before snapping? Was this a special needs child? An 8-year-old screaming? That seems a little off, even if he were afraid. It almost sounds like the response that a kid with autism or aspergers would have. In any case, it is no more appropriate for the dentist to tell a kid in his chair to shut up and slap his hand over the kid's mouth, than it would be for a dentist to tell an adult patient to shut up.
Although my dad happens to be a dentist and did ask a new patient who was a pain in the ass, that he didn't think that they could continue to work together and left her in her chair, jaw on the floor (from shock, not because of anything he did). I thought that was pretty hilarious.

[badfish76]

I'm surprised the parent didn't intervene before it got to that point. I would have immediately tried to talk to my child and calm them before the dentist could have gotten that worked up unless he immediately did that at the first whimper. I would also have been alarmed and wanted to see WTF the dentist was DOING to get my kid screaming.

I don't think 8 is too old to be that afraid/mad/hurt. That's still a pretty young kid and would have had my full attention as a parent.

[VAS1326]

I don't think that this is ok at all. I don't know who I would call, but if a dentist were to do that to my child, someone would hear about it.
We don't really have any info on this. For example, did the dentist give the adult a chance to handle the situation before snapping? Was this a special needs child? An 8-year-old screaming? That seems a little off, even if he were afraid. It almost sounds like the response that a kid with autism or aspergers would have. In any case, it is no more appropriate for the dentist to tell a kid in his chair to shut up and slap his hand over the kid's mouth, than it would be for a dentist to tell an adult patient to shut up.
Although my dad happens to be a dentist and did ask a new patient who was a pain in the ass, that he didn't think that they could continue to work together and left her in her chair, jaw on the floor (from shock, not because of anything he did). I thought that was pretty hilarious.


I have to agree. I do not think the dentist had any right to place his hand over the child's mouth and tell him to shut up. First it's very unprofessional and second it could lead to a life long fear of the dentist for this kid.

If he was having a problem with the child he should have asked the parent to step in and handle it or informed the family member in the room that they would have to remove the child if he couldn't calm down. My son was 6 when he had his first cavity. He went into a panic the first try to get it filled. He refused to open up and co-operate while crying at the mear thought of getting his tooth filled.
I was told politely after a few minutes of trying to coax him into calming him down and letting them do the procedure that "he wasn't ready and maybe we should try again another day" I got the hint and rescheduled. They understood and it's common for some kids to act that way. At no point were they mean or nasty to either my son or myself.

I guess the main question is how long was the kid screaming? Did he give the family member an opportunity to intervene. Why was he screaming? I'll tell you what my last filling they did not numb me enough and when they started drilling I wanted to scream out as tears welled in my eyes. Who knows why the kid was screaming since the article doesn't specify. What if he was in pain with a tool in his mouth and screaming was all he could think to do? The article says during a procedure but doesn't say what type of procedure so maybe something the dentist did hurt the kid. Maybe the dentist had a knee jerk reaction and did what he did without even knowing why the kid was screaming.

Honestly I think the dentist was wrong period. I really don't care why the kid was screaming. If he was too unruly to treat then send him home. Can I say I would have called the police? No probably not. I would have reported his ass to the American Dental Association and any other authority in dentristry I could find that would need to be aware. Then I would look for a new dentist.

[curethispain]

My 8-year old had dental surgery at the age of 5. I don't know why, but when I first read "medical procedure", that's immediately what came to mind. I hope that it wasn't that situation, because I remember being told that when children come out of anesthesia, they often do scream and go crazy. If the child was just at a regular dentist appointment, then the mother really should have been handling the child.

That being said, I can't imagine my daughter or any 8-year old I've come in contact with screaming for a simple dental procedure. I would reserve that more for my 2-year old...who didn't even flinch when she was in the dentist's chair.

[Obsolete]

This is a photo of my sweet little princess at her first dental appointment. Moments after this photo was taken, the dentist walked in and my sweet little princess turned into a stubborn little shit who wouldn't open her mouth even after I tried to bribe her with a new horse (toy).

The dentist was patient and understanding, he explained that it happens all the time and suggested instead of trying to force/bribe/threaten her, that we should allow him to just talk and get to know her. He spent 30 minutes just getting to know her, he even read her a story while we were there. Since then she had no problems at the dentist.

Maybe Dr. Bruce Fisher should stick to working on adults.

http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy135/mita97330/Sissydentist.jpg

[curethispain]

This is a photo of my sweet little princess at her first dental appointment. Moments after this photo was taken, the dentist walked in and my sweet little princess turned into a stubborn little shit who wouldn't open her mouth even after I tried to bribe her with a new horse (toy).

The dentist was patient and understanding, he explained that it happens all the time and suggested instead of trying to force/bribe/threaten her, that we should allow him to just talk and get to know her. He spent 30 minutes just getting to know her, he even read her a story while we were there. Since then she had no problems at the dentist.

Maybe Dr. Bruce Fisher should stick to working on adults.

http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy135/mita97330/Sissydentist.jpg

Too cute! That's the way a dentist should be.

[badfish76]

the dentist I take my daughter to doesn't fuck around. If he thinks a kid won't be cooperative he will schedule them in for anesthetic and knock them out. LOL! They do wake up cranky, tho!