This was my first time at Dr. Whiteman's -- and my last. The receptionist, Hieu is great -- very warm and friendly, and offered me a chocolate (ironic in a dentist's office! -smile - ) when I noticed my blood sugar was low while waiting for my appointment.
The other two people (Dr. Whiteman and the dental hygienist) I interacted with were not friendly. I don't get the postings here on Yelp! Maybe it's on a case-by-case basis that they're friendly?
My dental hygienist was not friendly. When I asked for a tissue (as there were none in sight) she acted as though it was an Act of God to get me one. When I asked for a paper towel to wipe the mess of blood from her very thorough cleaning, (I got a little too enthusiastic with the mouthwash in the bowl and wanted to wipe it -- not myself) -- she barked, "Use your bib!" I felt a bit condescended.
She did, however, inform me that if I wanted the fluoride treatment she recommended that it would cost extra, and that was thoughtful, and that my previous dentist's suggestions were not based on research. Thanks.
Dr. Whiteman was, in my opinion, perfunctory at best. I met him during the last 10 minutes of my visit. Yes, I know he's important, and his time is slim, but anyway, I expected that in those ten minutes, we might make a connection. He examined my teeth and poked around at the inside of my mouth (for a cancer exam) and at my teeth. He recited which numbers had cavities. He asked where I was from and what I did (SF and counseling), and hrmphed in response. He made good eye contact but was clearly disinterested. Maybe I was asking too much?
I had listed on my medical form that I have a heart murmur, and every dentist office I've ever been to asks me to verify whether I need antibiotics or not before performing any work other than cleanings.
Based on the fact that he did not comment on my heart murmur and seemed surprised I had TMJ, I suspect that Dr. Whiteman had not read my medical form before he met with me, and said nothing about that. I'm not a mind reader, and so if Dr. Whiteman did read my medical forms, he did not relay that to me in our first meeting where one usually discusses such things with patients.
And, when I was telling him at the end that I had TMJ and would probably need two separate appointments to drill my cavities because it's hard to keep my mouth open for a long time, he replied, "Well, do whatever you feel you need. It's up to you." And then he excused himself.
Yes, it is up to me! This was not attentive care. And, that's why I'm not returning. (Again, people, this is about level of attentiveness, not about standards of medical care).
I want to go to an office where tissues and paper towels are not too much to ask for and where the dentist truly cares about my well-being.
Positive points about this place? Hieu the receptionist, top-rate equipment, and easy parking.
*******
UPDATE
I just want to add that I received an extremely negative response from Dr. Whiteman about this review. I just want to say that I don't write reviews to hurt people or businesses; I'm not a mean person; I write reviews to convey my experiences to help people make informed choices.
Dr. Whiteman in his response seemed to think I'd written the review to "get" him. He seemed only concerned about his reputation, telling me that he thought my review was out of line, and that I was clearly going to the dentist ONLY to write a review, (Imagine! instead of the fact that I needed work done), rather than apologizing for not taking the time to ask me about my medical issues or about the behavior of his dental hygienist.
You'd think that someone in his position (who wants more patients) would think about his response and TRY to be a bit diplomatic. Clearly he doesn't get advice from others before he responds.
All he had to say was, "Wow, sorry you had a negative experience." Or, "Oh, actually, I did read your medical forms and I'm sorry you got the wrong impression. Let's try this again. " etc. I've changed several reviews on Yelp before with positive responses.
Dr. Whiteman's response, on the other hand, I thought was quite telling about who he's thinking (or not thinking) about. read more