I came in as a new patient to establish a new dentist after having moved and last saw a dentist a…read moreyear ago. I was glad to have been able to make an appointment within the week and didn't have to wait in the waiting room long. The dental hygienist got to taking x-rays right away and did a good job about not pinching my gums or cheeks too much during the process, which I know sometimes is a struggle.
When Dr. Chris came in, there wasn't any niceties exchanged, barely an introduction. It felt very short, abrupt, straight to the point, and not conversational. I've always liked going to the dentist and felt comfortable at the dentist, but I can imagine for someone who doesn't like the dentist that this interaction would not have put them at ease or made to feel welcomed.
I was told I had cavities and they were able to take care of them right away. Convenient for me not to have to come back another time, so that was great! What really threw me off was that during the process, Dr. Chris just announced out loud, "Time for a break!" And dropped everything and left the room with the hygienist. I was so confused and baffled. How could they take a break in the middle of filling my cavity?? I was stressing because I wasn't sure if he hurt himself and needed to go take care of it, if he went on a lunch break, or if something else was going on. I was left in the dark, figuratively. It felt like awhile before another hygienist came in looking for supplies when she asked if I was doing okay. I said I was fine and asked if everyone else was okay. She said that Dr. Chris needed to tend to an emergency with another patient momentarily. I felt a little better after knowing that. When he came back, I thought he would at least address his absence with something like, "I'm sorry for the interruption. I had to attend to an emergency." Or a, "Thank you for waiting." But instead, I got, "Okay let's keep going." As a healthcare professional myself, I understand the importance of transparency and helping manage expectation to help put patients at ease. A simple, "I will be back in a few minutes. I need to go help another patient" wouldn't have left me stressed out about what was happening and when/if he was coming back.
We ended up getting interrupted again but this time I heard the other hygienist say, "I'm so sorry but I need you again." Dr. Chris said, "I'll be right there." And he left the dental saliva ejector mouthpiece in my mouth when he stepped out. I think he thought he'd be back right away so he didn't take it out but it ended up staying in my mouth so long I was so dried out and uncomfortable. I was tempted to remove it myself and honestly probably should have, but I kept thinking he'd be back any moment. Finally, he came back, again with no apology for stepping out. He finished up quickly and I was out.
My mouth and tongue were still numb so it wasn't until the next day where I felt the grooves of the filling and I wanted it smoothed out. I called the office and they were able to get me in that same day. I was taken care of by hygienist Lynne and she was fabulous!! She was approachable, conversational, answered my questions, and checked up on how I was doing often. She helped me smooth out the rough edges of the filling so that it felt more seamless. She thanked me for coming in and told me to request her the next time I was in.
I'm giving this dental office a 4/5 because of the timeliness of the appointments, the attentive hygienists, the cleanliness, and the good final product of my fillings. My major critique is just the bedside manner from Dr. Chris and the process of getting my filling. I'm hopeful and willing to give it the benefit of the doubt that it was just one bad fluke of a day. It wasn't bad enough for me to be turned away. I guess I'll see again at my 6 month appointment.