SINCE UNDERGOING dental trauma as a child, I've kept my visits to the dentist to a covert minimum. But what do you do when your front tooth falls out, and you shatter what remains of a molar broken a decade ago? My usual go-to dentist, who re-cements my "Marilyn" bridge (that front tooth) every few years, had decided on a whim to take off for a couple of weeks. While I don't mind playing pirate in the short term, the splintered remains and throbbing pain of that top rear molar wouldn't wait.
What to do?
It turns out the office of DR. OSCAR DALMAO--who bears a passing resemblance to former Jays manager Cito Gaston--is actually closer to me than my regular dentist. I dropped by as a walk-in, hoping for relief, and was triaged almost immediately. The man's a pro, with a hunter's precision when it comes to all things dental. We scheduled the extraction and bridge recementing for the same week, which I was grateful for. Less bearable was the strange haggling over insurance and what services were needed (I am a senior and government-insured). While everything was covered, plus the cleaning the doctor insisted on as a prelude to the extraction, I was presented with upcharges for all the procedures, which I found suspicious.
It was an extra $100 each for the extraction and the recementing, now called a "re-resin" (still unsure what that means), and I never got a clear answer on why the extraction cost extra. When I pushed back, the cost for the cleaning was waived as a sort of favor. Odd. I signed the papers and left, set to return in a couple of days.
THE GOOD
I've already mentioned the quick response. The staff is warm and coordinates well for the most part (see "The Bad" below). Special commendation goes to Nav (RDH, Navjot), who started my three-part appointment with a cleaning that hadn't been done in forever. The backs of my teeth looked like the side of a rusty ship. I was in pain from the broken molar, which would be dealt with last, and I told her I wasn't in the mood for any extra discomfort.
Nav, a former dentist in her home country, was superb--gentle and thorough. She promised the cleaning would be painless, and she delivered. By the end, my teeth were completely gunk-free, probably for the first time since the Jays won a World Series under Cito!
Bravo, Nav! :))
Julie at the front desk and the oral attendant (whose name I didn't catch) were also great. The attendant took my X-rays and assisted Dr. Oscar, handling all the ancillary third-hand work and prepping.
THE BAD
Negatives are few but worth mentioning. The office manager came across as a bit mercenary and stumbled through her explanation of why my new government insurance didn't fully cover the relatively minor work I needed. I get that it's easy money, but I bristle at anyone taking advantage when they see government or private insurance ready to foot the bill.
It failed the smell test.
The same office manager also informed me I'd need to start antibiotics before the extraction but never mentioned she'd handle the prescription. I called back to clarify who was prescribing the antibiotics (it was them), and when I asked what medication I'd be taking, she said Amoxicillin--a problem since it doesn't work for me or most people over 40, who are generally resistant. The conversation ended abruptly, and I later confirmed with my pharmacy that no prescription had been sent.
The next day, I called back, requested Azithromycin instead, and was told Dr. Oscar had already signed the script, and nothing more could be done. My pharmacy still hadn't received the fax, so on the day of my appointment, I had to call the dental office from the pharmacy and wait for the prescription to be faxed--meaning I couldn't start the antibiotics the night before, as instructed.
Stress!
NOT UGLY, BUT...
There isn't much to say here. Dr. Oscar gets the job done with the bedside manner of a field medic--efficient, no-nonsense, and competent. I had pain at the extraction site for a week, and there's now a visible line of resin between my front teeth that I'm not thrilled about. When I mentioned it while having my stitches removed, he said it couldn't be fixed.
In truth, I don't have much to compare this experience with. I'm genuinely appreciative of the fast service but strongly advise the office to pay as much attention to the finer details as they do to payment.
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