TLDR: I always had mixed feelings about going here, but after a very bad visit today I won't be going back.
I've gone to Dr. Thompson's office for years, always for routine cleanings. My dealings with Dr. Thompson himself were thankfully limited, and I say "thankfully" only in the sense that I didn't have any serious problems needing his attention. When he did come by after each cleaning, he was always very nice, and each time, I left with a positive opinion of him . . . until today.
So if I liked Dr. Thompson before today, why the mixed feelings about going there? Because I rarely ever had the same hygienist cleaning my teeth more than once, and the quality seemed to vary. A lot. Some cleanings were practically painless, while others were pretty rough, and I'm sure it had a lot more to do with the particular hygienist I got than the condition of my teeth and gums.
Today's cleaning was one of the more unpleasant ones. Maybe even the most unpleasant ever, but it's hard to rank a thing that occurs over such a long period. Anyway, towards the end of the cleaning, the hygienist talked about gingivitis and suggested that I start coming in more than once every six months, but I politely declined and said I prefer to keep going in twice a year.
When she was done with the cleaning, the hygienist called Dr. Thompson in, and he essentially repeated what she had said, being as polite as he always had been, so I was surprised at what came next. I asked him if my gums had gotten worse since my last visit, and he ignored the question and talked more about gingivitis. Since he hadn't answered my question, I waited for him to finish talking and then asked again (still being polite) if my gums had gotten worse. This time, he answered and said that they had gotten a little worse. I asked how they determine when gums have gotten worse, and he explained. I summarized what he'd said and asked him if that was correct, and he essentially said it was.
Again, all of the above had been very polite on both sides, at least in my opinion, so I was a bit surprised when Dr. Thompson then added, "We're not here to be combative; we're just trying to do what's best for you." At that point, I think I just stared at him because I was surprised by his implied accusation that I was being combative. He obviously recognized my surprise because he then said, "It seems like you don't believe us about the gum problem." I responded, "I just asked a couple of questions. Is that okay?" to which he said, "Sure," but clearly it wasn't really okay. I don't believe I ever was combative or implied that they were lying, but even if I had been guilty of those things, his attempts to "call me out" don't seem very professional. What I know for sure is that I've never before had a conversation like that one with a dentist or any other kind of doctor in my entire life.
At that point, I decided I wasn't going back, but that wasn't quite the end. When I went to check out, I was informed they would be charging me extra for a "gingivitis cleaning," which was news to me up until that point. I pointed out that I hadn't been told there would be an extra charge before the work was done but said that I would pay whatever they felt I owed, though the lady nicely insisted on not charging me since I hadn't been told in advance. So, I ultimately didn't have to pay the upcharge, but it did bother me that there was one in the first place without my being told in advance.
I don't know; maybe Dr. Thompson was just having a bad day. Or maybe he resented my not taking the more-than-twice-a-year advice. But the bottom line is that the hygienist "lottery" had me already on the fence, and today's strange experience was enough to push me off. Will you have a good experience if you go here? Maybe. But maybe not. read more