A periodontist in Australia called police on a dental patient after she allegedly told him she did not feel comfortable having an AI note-taking program used during her visit, according to a story published on November 9 in the Daily Mail.
Caerwin Martin, 52, said she was being treated for a toothache when her dental visit erupted into chaos after she refused to consent to the clinician using an AI program to take clinical notes. The periodontist, who has not been identified, allegedly called the police on Martin after she told him she was apprehensive about her private information being uploaded online, as well as the safety of the AI software, according to the story.
Though police arrived on the scene, the mother of two said no charges were filed against her. Martin claimed that the responding police officers were amused by the situation, according to the story.
Martin, who was referred to the periodontist due to ongoing tooth pain, said the visit went off the rails after the dentist asked if he could use an AI program to make notes and write referrals. Martin claimed that the dentist became very agitated after she told him she was a musician and divested from AI.
Then the dentist allegedly looked inside her mouth for approximately 30 seconds and said she needed a referral for another clinician. Martin claimed that the dentist continued to look uneasy, bounced his leg angrily, and broached the topic of the AI program again.
In response, Martin allegedly told him that she had safety and security concerns related to AI. The dentist purportedly told her that her claims were “untrue” and couldn’t allow her to say things like that.
Martin claimed that’s when things went off the rails. He allegedly told her he wasn’t using ChatGPT but wouldn’t provide her with any other details, according to the story.
The dentist then allegedly got very upset, and Martin told him to get himself under control. Also, she claimed that she offered to leave the practice. She left the room and went to the waiting room to pay, but he reportedly chased her and yelled that the receptionist should call the police, according to the story.
Martin said she sat calmly in the waiting room until police arrived. She claimed that she talked to officers while there and there has been no follow-up since that day.
Rattled by the situation at the practice, Martin contacted the Dental Board of Australia for advice. She said the board told her she had the right to deny use of the AI program, according to the story.
