Social Media Drills Bakersfield Pediatric Dentist Dr. Dove

Now, dentists will maybe understand why they should hire online social media consultants.

Christopher Cook of Bakersfield started the Facebook pace, "I hate Doctor Dove."

It's probably the best way to get the word out, it went from two people last night, I believe there is 74 people on there right now," Cook said. "I have about six different stories of the same incident or the same type of incident with Dr. Dove."

Cook said, on Monday, he took his 5-year-old son Rogan to Doctor Edward Dove's office on Union Ave. to get a tooth pulled. Cook said Rogan drank a sedative, but threw up more than half of it, still cook said the dentist went ahead and pulled the tooth while his son was still awake.

"They strapped him to a board to hold him in place and pulled his tooth out," Cook said of his son. "He was hyper-ventilating he couldn't talk, he was in shock, he's five."

Doctor Dove disagrees with the father's assessment.

"I'm an ethical pediatric dentist, first of all, he (Cook) said he (Rogan) was not numb, which is impossible because he had a full cupful of anesthetics," Dr. Dove said on the phone. " He didn't even know the tooth came out, he didn't flinch."

But Cook is filing a complaint against Dr. Dove with the California Dental Board. Beyond the complaint, he's giving others a chance to tell their stores via Facebook. But it seems like you can hate anything these days on the Internet, a simple search for "I hate" turns pages like "I hate Justin Bieber," "I hate exams," "I hate cheaters," the list goes on and on.

But, what I do not understand is what issue does the father have with the dentist?

Cook, who works in the oil industry, says he created the Facebook page Monday night as "a vent." He was frustrated with his five-year-old's morning dental visit to extract a tooth. His son, who was given an oral sedative, threw up some of the mixture, he said.

During the procedure, which Cook was not permitted to watch, his son urinated on himself. Cook alleges that his child, who was physically restrained, was not numb, and should not have been operated on.

He should NOT have been treated? And, from what dental school did Cook graduate? There seem to be some facts missing here.

Here is the search on Facebook for the Facebook page in question which appears to be a members only (Ask to Join) Facebook group.  Only 350 members as of today. The link is here.

The problem for Dr. Dove is not from the California Dental Board but from the community. I recommend that he hire a good PR firm and start to undo the damage.

And, remember just because you claim something in social media, like on Facebook, it does not necessarily mean it is true.

Remember, you are not relieved of liability, if you unfairly/untruthfully defame someone. So, be careful on what you say on and offline.