On May 3, 2011, I took my nine-year-old and three-year-old sons into Dr. Rossanne Sosa’s office, and an hour later, upon leaving, I was appalled by the way a professional serving the public would treat a family. My wife and I both hold professions that require strong interpersonal skills - I am a Paramedic, and she is an elementary school teacher - so we are fully-aware of the importance of honest, appropriate communication. When working with families, it cannot be a one-man show, rather, it is a partnership in which the best interest of the child needs to remain at the forefront. Dr. Sosa clearly has not embraced this.
My son needed a filling replaced, and because my wife’s insurance had just changed, this was the third dentist we had visited in just two months. He had just previously had x-rays taken, which we had in hand at the visit. Dr. Sosa needed consent to take further x-rays of the entire head, and I was concerned about his radiation exposure, being that x-rays had just been taken a few weeks prior. Dr. Sosa was agitated and offended by my simple questioning and request for her to further explain information to me before giving my consent for this procedure. She became rude, condescending, and judgmental, all of which was portrayed to and in front of my sons. Throughout the visit, she attacked my parenting skills and ability to give my son proper dental care because he had not been seen in her office for over four years (though he had been seen in other offices under our insurance every six months), stating that I “needed to stop making excuses and own up to the fact that it was my responsibility to bring him to HER”, even if I was paying out-of-pocket. I explained to her that I wasn’t trying to skip the procedure – I wanted the work done on my son - I just needed all of the information in order to make an informed decision, but she consistently interrupted me, repeatedly stating that I “just need to go find another dentist to do the work”. Again, I calmly tried to explain that I didn’t need another dentist – I just needed her to stop the attitude so that we could work it out. She threw down his file and walked away, demanding that we leave immediately. I just needed his x-rays back (which belonged to our family) and I would be gone, but it wasn’t that simple. In a controlling show-down, she refused to hand over his x-rays, insisting that I be ushered out first. Once again, this huge display of lack of discretion and professionalism all took place in front of my two sons, who were horrified.
We have taught our children that a large part of developing character is having the confidence to be assertive and ask questions when you need clarification. When it comes to your healthcare, we must be as informed and knowledgeable as possible – it’s our responsibility. My children were confused and scared at Dr. Sosa’s lack of self-control and display of anger and impatience. Dr. Sosa is clearly irritated and frustrated with parent involvement and interaction, and I believe that she needs to strongly consider the implications of her negative, patronizing attitude, especially considering that she works with children and families. She should NOT be practicing with children/families, considering her abrasive, verbally-abusive manner, and I have reported this to the CDA.
I know this doctor: 4 years
out of 5 stars
