After moving to the Livonia area we were hoping to find a dentist that was nearby to save us the 45…read moreminute trip to the dentist that we've been going to for more than 20 years. We were dreading this process because we've heard stories from other people of the frustrations they've faced when trying to find a new dentist, and unfortunately, had our own bad experience at a dentist. We tried another dentist in the Woodhaven area when we were still living Downriver, which was only a few minutes from our house, in order to avoid a longer commute to the dentist and regretted doing it because they were focused more on selling needless items and procedures than they were on customer service and care. We quickly returned to our former dentist and gladly put up with the longer drive. Fortunately, the terrible experience we had at that particular dentist taught us a lot about finding a new dentist after we moved.
After moving, we researched every dentist within a certain radius from our house in the Livonia area. When I say every dentist I literally mean EVERY dentist within that particular radius. It was time consuming but well worth our efforts. After narrowing it down to several dentists we waited a few days and then reviewed our listing again to narrow it down to three dentists. Once again, we sat the list aside and revisited it a few days later and narrowed it down to two dentists. After reviewing all of the reviews of the final two dentists on Yelp, Google and Facebook, and after visiting each dentist's website to read the reviews that were listed there, to view the photos of the offices, and to compare office hours, we decided to go with Livonia Dental Care. We had our first visit yesterday and walked away very happy.
We like the fact that they have extended office hours that fit into our busy lives. Even though the initial visit is scheduled to take 1.5 hours we were able to get a late evening appointment rather than having to leave work early. We were greeted quickly upon entering and was pleased with the friendliness of the front desk staff. As we sat down to complete the new patient paperwork we noticed that the office was clean, bright and contemporary. We especially liked the fact that the TV wasn't tuned to a news channel. There's nothing worse than going to a medical office of any sort and having to sit and endure all of the depressing and negative news stories. Instead, their TV was tuned to either HGTV or the DIY Channel, which helped to create a comfortable feel in the waiting area.
We were called back to begin our initial visit shortly after completing the paperwork. Again, it was nice to be in the exam room without a TV blaring the news. Instead, the large screen TV that was on the wall actually showed the results of my x-rays as they were being taken. Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself.
The hygienist assigned to me was Angela. For the initial visit, they take photos of your teeth & mouth, as well as x-rays, and they ask all of the necessary questions regarding medical history. Angela was professional and explained everything in detail during the entire process. My wife and I were both pleased with the level of technology that the office was using. They had machines that we had not seen at our prior dentist that helped them learn more about my teeth and know what areas needed attention.
The dentist, Dr. Ali, visited with me once the tests were completed to go over the results and answer any questions I had. He patiently went over the results and never gave the impression that he was rushed or was in a hurry even though it was now later in the evening. After Dr. Ali completed his consultation Angela began the cleaning. She was thorough but gentle during the entire process. One simple thing that I enjoyed was being able to choose the flavor of the polish that was used during the cleaning. They have mint, vanilla and cherry flavors of polish. I chose the mint and was satisfied with the taste. As I mentioned earlier, the initial consultation was scheduled for 1.5 hours but, in our case, only took less than one hour. At the end, rather than just giving us a toothbrush and floss we were given a nice welcome gift of a coffee mug with various items in it. Also, we were given a card that had the dentist's cell phone numbers on the back in case of a dental emergency.
I've listed a number of good things about the office but the thing that really sealed the deal for us is that neither Angela nor Dr. Ali tried selling us any products or any unnecessary procedures. This was the one thing my wife and I were on guard for during our first visit and were willing to move on to another dentist if that were to occur. We were both happy to leave the dentist office and not have to endure the constant sales pitches or the pressure to have unnecessary procedures done. Overall, we can happily say that we have found a new dentist and will recommend Livonia Dental Care to anyone that is looking for a dentist.
