Today, I tried to go to my school's dental school. Last week, on Halloween, my crown fell off my tooth, and I went to get it fixed. They refused to use permanent cement, arguing that if something were to happen, it would anger the other dentists who had worked on my teeth. I suppose this made sense--everyone must be extra careful in this world we live in where people not only sue over medical malpractice, but also over spilling hot coffee in their laps. So I agreed for them to use the temporary cement. Three days later, the tooth began to wiggle, AGAIN. Frustrated and angry, I called home crying, because by then it was 4:45 on a friday afternoon, and the dentists would be long gone. My dad called my dentist and periodontist at home, and they agreed it would be best if someone used permanent ement on the crown, and then they would look at it when I came home for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, after I waited for an hour and a half in the dental emergency room, I was told that no, they would not use permanent cement, because it was not their work. Even though my dentist explicitly gave them permission, they refused. Not only was I delayed significantly by bureaucracy, but I was also told that no, they would not help me. Dentists, similar to doctors, take the hippocratic oath, vowing to help patients. Well, I was not feeling helped today. But the point of this story is not about the dentists, it is about this society of fear that has been created. Doctors and dentists are so afraid of being sued that they will not help a patient in need. Teachers at schools cannot help kids with bleeding wounds because they are afraid of being sued for "interferring." There are so many limits on helping people now, because of the fear of what repercussions may come later. So instead we stand by, watching a person bleed to death, because we are afraid they will sue us if we mess something up. My sophomore year in high school, my world history teacher shared with us outrageous court cases where someone sued someone else over incredibly pointless things. This one was my favorite. "A man, after robbing a bank, sued the police who were chasing him, because they did not catch him soon enough, and he got frostbite." Want to know the sick part? The robber won. Clearly something is wrong with this society in which we are all so afraid to help one another. I don't know how to fix it, but I wish we could all help without fear of repercussions.
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