Most people don't change dentists unless they have to. My long-time former dentist retired, and the transition to a new practice was, shall we say, bumpy (can you say Dentist Roulette?). The new dentist who took over that practice is excellent and so is the staff, but a scheduling issue that should never have happened sent me seeking a new dentist.
Got a neon-bright glowing review of Dr. Balikyan and the staff at South Lake Dental from a trusted friend, who too had been having issues with her previous dentist, and was hooked up with Dr. Balikyan. Her whole family goes to South Lake Dental/Dr. Balikyan now. Now so do i.
It was a little strange to me to go to a dentist in a big shopping center with a big sign on the building, having grown up going to ones in medical complexes where there's nothing more than a plaque on the door with the dentist's name. At the end of the day, a building's a building, and parking is hella easier in the big parking lot on South Lake Ave. than in my former dentist's typical medical complex with its smaller lot (which i'm mentioning just for you, dear reader, because i bicycle, so parking's not an issue for me). It was also a little off-putting to see more dental chair setups than in any dental office i've ever seen, not really cordoned off into different rooms as i'm used to from my past. Was this assembly-line dentistry?
NO: it's EFFICIENT dentistry, in a clean, well-lit, airy, pleasant office. Sort of like an open floor plan for dentistry.
Didn't check a timepiece, but wait time was brief, and everything seemed to be on schedule. As a new patient, X-rays were first. What i saw on the screen were the sharpest images i've ever seen... the equipment seems excellent.
The exam came next. My mouth is a minefield of disaster, from heredity, decades of poor stress management, and in my past poor dietary choices. Dental stress is routine in my world, and exponentially higher with a new dentist who's never seen the horrors of my mouth before. Dr. Balikyan's innate natural demeanor is calming. He presented the facts in a straightforward, easy to understand manner that left me calm (not in tears, as i have been in the past at other dentists). The friend who recommended Dr. Balikyan repeatedly made the point that he's a conservative dentist, meaning he's only going to treat what you (or me) need treated, not push deeper work nor added services which aren't truly necessary for one's oral health.
I'm financially challenged, thus price sensitive. I've done some shopping during the last couple of years (the Dentist Roulette period at my last dentist's practice), and Dr. Balikyan/South Lake Dental are excellent in terms of fair, reasonable, lower prices. My former dentist had kept his prices low, because he was very deep into his senior years (eyesight issues), and knew his equipment was old and his skills might not be fully up to date. The price quote i received from Office Manager Nohemy Gonzalez was right around what i'd been paying--excellent! I can afford this! I can keep my teeth!
Dr. Balikyan did a thorough, efficient exam, focusing in on an area where i'd been having pain. He explained things about bone loss i'm having which i believe other dentists tried to explain in the past, but i didn't understand them. His explanation was clear enough that now i understand WHY i need cleanings more often than every 6 months (we're trying 4. It may go to 3) to maintain my bone and keep my natural teeth. No i'm not thrilled about spending the extra money, but less costly than the alternative, and my quality of life will be better if i can stop losing bone--which i now understand because of Dr. Balikyan's clear explanation.
How much do Dr. Balikyan and the staff at South Lake Dental care about your (the client's) schedule?: noting that the hygienist(s?) was(were?) busy, Dr. Balikyan had a free moment and cleaned my teeth himself, to keep things moving! It's hard to imagine service getting better than that! (It should go without saying/writing that the cleaning was thorough and excellent.)
This is only my first time. Things can go wrong, stuff happens, only time will tell. Given that my friend and her family repeatedly have great work done in a timely fashion (my friend is very time-sensitive, related to her work), i'm expecting things will continue to work for me at South Lake Dental. Odds are excellent they'll work for you, too.
Oh--almost forgot: No Pain, and close to zero discomfort. Easy to forget when it didn't happen. read more
