Let’s a play a word association game. If I say “water” you might say…”wet”. If I say chocolate you might say….”heaven!” OK, let’s make this harder. If I were to say “dentist” would you respond with…..”fun”?? If not, I want you to stop reading this and immediately call my office (410-321-5777) to make an appointment. On second thought, why don’t you finish reading this first and then call.
What made me think along these lines was the kind of day I had in the office yesterday. Among the 6 patients I saw (I run a small office that only sees one patient at a time- this is for my sanity as well as for the patient’s experience), I saw 2 women- both were in the chair for 2 hours and both had crowns made on 2 back teeth.
Caitlin is a new patient who heard of me through our mutual Yoga class. (As an aside, I have been doing Yoga for 8 years and I can’t say enough great things about it- if you want to feel better, have more energy and less aches and pains, do Yoga!!- check out www.easingintoyoga.com) Anyway, Caitlin needs many teeth restored because she has a mouthful of old fillings that are breaking and getting decay. We decided to start with 2 teeth for financial reasons as well as her tolerance for dental work. I gave her Lidocaine to numb the area, removed the decay using a drill (an electric drill that is much quieter and more comfortable than the classic air driven drill) and shaped the teeth to be the foundation for the crowns. Then instead of a nasty impression that tastes horrible and gags the patient, I took a digital scan of the teeth (takes literally 30 seconds). We then had a 20 minute break while the crowns were being milled by my Cerec machine (www.sirona.com › CEREC) . That’s right- the crowns were made while the patient relaxed and read the paper– no temporary, no having to come back for an additional appointment (which might mean more Lidocaine shots, time out of her busy day)….No, this is all done at one sitting!
In any event, after close to 2 hours in the chair, as I was preparing to bond the all porcelain crowns that beautifully matched her other teeth, I over heard Caitlin saying to Edie, my assistant of 25 years, that we had to figure out which teeth to tackle next and that she couldn’t wait to come back because,,,,,she was having fun in the dental office!!! I am not making this up- she actually spoke those words. The only thing that makes me feel better than providing the highest quality dentistry possible is when I know that the patient has had an enjoyable experience.
And, without beating a dead horse, the very next patient also had a 2 hour appointment, also had 2 teeth restored and also commented on how pleasant the entire appointment was. I’d like to say that this happens every day in our office- I’ll just say that in the vast majority of our patients, having exquisite dentistry performed in our office is a pleasant, bordering on “fun” experience.
So, once again, if the words “pleasant” or “fun” don’t immediately come to mind when someone mentions “the dentist”, call my office right now and make an appointment for a complete exam or, if you like, just make a complimentary consultation appointment- come see the office, meet the staff, have a cup of coffee and we’ll talk about whatever dental concerns you have. I look forward to meeting you!!
