I’m Anna Middleton, a dental hygienist and therapist, and I’ve always taken pride in caring for my patients. I founded London Hygienist to change the way oral health care is delivered and improve access to dental services. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to lecture, write, and act as an ambassador for several dental brands and organisations. But even with experience, there are times when you need extra support, and for the first time in my career, I had to call upon Dental Protection.
It all started when I gave a patient my work WhatsApp number because she didn’t use email, and I was only in the clinic one day a week. At first, it was just to answer her queries, which I did. What started as a seemingly simple and innocent exchange turned into nine months of constant messages. The patient’s messages were always work-related or about her treatment, but over time, they became more personal and long; often about her life. Eventually, the messages shifted to being focused on her treatment and complaints about products she had purchased from the practice , even though we had already refunded her. Over those nine months, she sent me over 100 messages. Looking back, I didn’t realise the warning signs were there from the start. I was just trying to be approachable, helpful, and meet my patient’s needs.
Even though I followed the correct clinical process, the situation took a toll emotionally and professionally. Every time we reached a resolution, I thought, “Great, we can move on!”- but the patient would reappear. It became exhausting and started to impact my team too. Professionally, it taught me a lot about patient communication and managing such situations in the future.
I’ve been a dental professional for over a decade, and this was the first time I had to call Dental Protection. I felt a little sorry for the patient and just wanted to help, but after months of back-and-forth, I started to feel on edge, especially as the tone of the messages changed and became more combative. Nothing I said seemed good enough, and I hate confrontation.
The most difficult part was having to say I couldn’t help anymore and that we couldn’t communicate over WhatsApp. I dreaded it. I didn’t want the patient to raise a formal complaint. I even found myself imagining scenarios where I could end up in front of the GDC, which sounds dramatic, but that’s where my mind went. Speaking with Dental Protection was such a relief. They listened, helped me think through the situation, and guided me on the next steps.
Before contacting them, I was nervous but knew I needed advice. After our conversation, I felt immediately calmer. They helped me draft a letter to the patient explaining that we would no longer communicate over WhatsApp, and walked me through how to manage the situation professionally. That guidance was invaluable; it gave me confidence and reassurance, knowing I had clear, supported steps to follow if things escalated.
Looking back, this experience taught me several things: document everything, keep all communications in the patient’s dental records, and never use WhatsApp to discuss clinical matters. I also learned the importance of boundaries; I thought I had it under control initially, but it quickly spiralled.
In one sentence, the support from Dental Protection made all the difference: they were empathetic, reassuring, and provided clear guidance quickly, allowing the matter to be closed efficiently. I’m grateful for their support, which let me return to focusing on what I love most, caring for my patients.