Let's face it, kids and dentists are NOT a match made in heaven.
And as the previous Yelper was kind enough to point out, there are *other* pediatric specialists, but some of them (some of them being here in Douglas County) are a little creepy. Or they have scary offices. Or even just intimidating drills.
Dr. Shah's practice is tucked away behind the movie theatre near the Meadows subdivision, and it's a small, personal-feeling, modern little shop that's rarely crowded. Dr. Shah herself is a cute, charming wisp of a lady with a penchant for pet-names for your kids: expect a liberal dose of "sweeties" and "precious" and other terms of endearment as she works her magic winning them over. They don't push the x-rays/ radiation exposure with their younger patients, which is a plus, relying instead on a very skilled hygenist to do their initial assessment, whose work Dr. Shah re-inspects and reviews with you while your child is still in the chair. This process is facilitated by the viewing monitors attached to the ceiling above each dental chair: OF COURSE your little angel won't mind another few minutes of molar probing and adults' discussion with Thomas the Tank Engine dancing just above him!
We have even had a weekend issue-- our older son fell and had a tooth go through his lip/ knocked a tooth loose doing stairway gymnastics on a Sunday afternoon. We called the weekend phone line, and though it didn't seem truly "emergent," Dr. Shah still wanted to see him immediately. She met us at the office approximately 30 minutes later, ran the first dental x-rays he'd ever had (despite having seen her for two years prior to this incident), and called to follow up with us on both Monday and Wednesday after the accident! No, not her office staff-- Dr. Shah herself. Because she seems truly concerned with and about her patients. Which is more than I can say about some of the adult dentists we've seen since moving to Colorado!
And surprisingly enough?
No charge for that weekend consult.
We also have a younger kiddo whose teeth have only begun erupting the last 6-8 months, and he's already had an initial appointment with Dr. Shah. At this age, the dentist just examines them in mom's lap, and most of the exam time is spent building their comfort levels with being at the office, in the exam area, and having a dental mirror stuck between their teeth. The littler guys are not as easily distracted by Dr. Shah's technology bells and whistles, but her exceeding level of patience is highly apparent during these toddler assessments. Our kids both have celiac disease (inherted gluten-wheat allergy), which can sometime have unfortunate side effects for formation of teeth enamel and bone strength; if yours don't have some squirrelly medical condition, maybe it's not as worth it to you to begin dentistry before they're 3, but in the case of our younger child, his initial molars had come in without ever hardening. Of course Dr. Shah was the professional making this diagnosis, and offering us a treatment that allowed him to keep his two questionable teeth healthy without capping or drilling them.
The only "issue" we've had, over the course of almost three years with this practice, has nothing to do with Dr. Shah or her clinical staff, but in the length of time it's taken to process (pre)approvals or requests through insurance via the front desk staff. Turnaround has been a little excessive at times, but other than this, (and if you have more patience than I do!) it's been smooth sailing.
On the whole, it's a friendly, happy little clinic staffed by adept folks who seem genuinely interested in both your kids and their health-- and when it comes down to it, that's a rare and difficult combination to find these days. Highly recommend Dr. Shah and this practice. read more
