If you have any level of dental anxiety, please read…read more
I went to Dr. Duggan for a root canal after being referred to his practice. I drove from Fredericksburg--a four-hour round trip--leaving my 7-month-old and taking an entire day off. Because he came recommended, I trusted I would be in good hands.
I was understandably nervous. I've had root canals before and experienced significant pain afterward, so I communicated that anxiety openly.
From the moment Dr. Duggan entered the room, his demeanor was dismissive and arrogant, but I tried to brush it off. As he began administering the numbing injections, my anxiety increased. Before the third injection, I asked to pause for a moment to collect myself. I even tried to lighten the moment by mentioning that I had labored naturally and wasn't sure why I felt so anxious. At that point, he had spent no more than five minutes with me total.
His response was shocking.
He became visibly frustrated and said, "You're wasting my time. You need to let me do my job or get out of this chair. I know what I'm doing--you don't."
I was stunned. No patient--especially one who is anxious and vulnerable--should ever be spoken to this way by a medical professional. I sat up in the chair, in tears. He then made an incredibly condescending and inappropriate comment, saying, "How did you ever labor naturally?" and walked out of the room.
I went to the waiting room and broke down. When my husband confronted him, Dr. Duggan denied everything. We left immediately.
This was not simply poor bedside manner. It was unprofessional, demeaning, and completely unacceptable--particularly toward a young mother who simply asked for a moment of compassion.
For a procedure costing $2,700, I strongly recommend taking your business elsewhere. Choose a provider who respects patients, listens, and treats people with basic human decency.
