Dental hygienist was in the middle of cleaning a client’s teeth. Then, her client accused her of ‘retaliation’

Sam Kepp (@samstack4) told social media that, after thirteen years as a dental hygienist, she had to dismiss a patient for the first time. The patient allegedly accused Kepp of ‘retaliation’ while cleaning her teeth.

“I was shaking like a leaf,” Kepp said of the encounter on TikTok. Kepp said this wasn’t her first encounter with the patient. The last time she cleaned her teeth, the patient allegedly called to complain about how Kepp cleaned her teeth.

“She said she didn’t like how I polished in the middle, which I scale the bottom teeth or a Cavitron, then I polish, then I finish scaling after that,” Kepp explained her process. Her patient preferred a coarse polish and alleged her teeth “felt grimy” and were “in a different color” after leaving Kepp’s service.

“So, even though she didn’t like my cleaning and she called to complain about me, she said she only wanted to see me and to let her know if I’m ever out of the office so she can reschedule with me,” Kepp alleged. Although the woman wasn’t satisfied with Kepp’s service, she still wanted to see her, much like a Texas customer who kept returning to the same lash tech after complaining. After rescheduling, the woman returned for Kepp’s next available date.

When the woman sat in Kepp’s chair, she allegedly admitted she had called and complained about her. Kepp said she knew about it and had read the note from the front desk. She claimed to be mentally prepared and ignored her patient’s remarks. “I was mentally prepared to have a harder cleaning and just try to be as kind and professional as possible,” Kepp said.

Then, her patient allegedly complained about waiting five minutes at the dental office. Kepp said she apologized immediately and said that sometimes patients have to wait. Nevertheless, she allegedly reassured the patient that she would finish the service on time.

She didn’t finish cleaning the woman’s teeth

“Then, I showed her in the mirror what calculus and plaque is, and why I polish first and showed her how easily it comes off with the polisher and how tartar doesn’t come off,” Kepp said. Nevertheless, Kepp also told her patient she would be happy to polish her teeth at the end instead of at the start. Kepp also suggested the customer book a different hygienist who polishes differently next time. The patient allegedly became upset and told Kepp to “just do it the right way” because she wanted to keep her as her hygienist. Kepp said she wouldn’t let someone less knowledgeable dictate how she does her job.

She started Cavitroning and explained to the customer why it was necessary. Kepp said she explained it to the customer “like she was a toddler” to avoid miscommunication. The customer allegedly tolerated the Cavitron until she proceeded with the lower left section.

“She’s like, ‘Is this some retaliation going on?’” Kepp removed the relief, and the patient allegedly asked if she was ‘retaliating.’ Kepp explained she wasn’t, and that her patient had buildup below her gums. She also placed her hand on the patient’s shoulder and promised she wouldn’t retaliate or hurt her.

Regardless, the patient allegedly raised her voice and said, “Well, finish up.” Kepp started with the Cavitron again, but then changed her mind. “No one’s gonna come in and treat me this way. You are not talking to me that way. You’re not gonna dictate how I do your cleaning,” Kepp said. She told her dentist about the incident, and they backed her up and dismissed the patient. Although the patient eventually returned, Kepp confirmed that a different hygienist handled her. While Kepp’s patient allegedly spoke ill of her services, she didn’t sue her, unlike this mechanic, who got a $100,000 lawsuit over an air filter change.

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