The last time I went to the dentist about 3 years ago they said I'd need to pay 800 bucks out of pocket, and that's AFTER insurance (and my coverage is excellent). I think that scared me away, but then a couple weeks ago I looked in the mirror at the inside of my lower teeth and saw they were lookin' pretty yellow, so I brushed the heck out of em...to no avail. Appalled, I went online to find a dentist THAT DAY.
Alright, so from the day I went onto their web site I was pretty convinced this could be a pretty cool dentist office.
http://www.4sranchdental.com/index.php
I'm a little biased WRT location because I want to move closer to the RB area, but there is nothing biased about my opinion of this particular office. I've never stayed on a web site about teeth longer than it takes to get a phone number or e-mail address, but they have some pretty cool educational stuff on there for those who aren't familiar with the latest in dental procedures.
http://www.4sranchdental.com/treatment.php
Call me a dork - I like well-designed web sites. What made it even better is I was able to download their patient info form and fill it out ahead of time so when I walked into the office I didn't have to go through a half hour of paperwork. Plus, my penmanship is practically a foreign language so it's nice to be able to type answers into a form rather than having to call in a translator.
I also filled out the "Request an Appointment" web form here since it was Saturday and they weren't open (though they say they do make exceptions if scheduled ahead of time):
http://www.4sranchdental.com/appointment.php
They called me on Monday to confirm the appointment. They didn't have the slot I wanted (I wanted Wednesday) but that was to be expected. They got me in there Friday. I also really wanted my yellow teeth cleaned, but they only had time for an initial examination. Kelly, the Receptionist and Office Manager, explained everything regarding how the process normally works, which was cool. It's nice that they take the time to actually help you understand why they can't meet your complete request rather than just saying "no".
So, my first visit was just to perform an initial examination, but they called me maybe a day before to say they could do a cleaning as well because someone had to cancel. I declined it, but was later convinced to go ahead with it after speaking with one of the guys that helped me get situated. Why not kill 2 birds with one stone? Plus, I had insurance money to use up before the end of the year so I was anxious to do what I could before 2009 hit.
The cleaning was pleasant...well, as pleasant as a cleaning CAN be. How much fun could it possibly be when you've got 3 years of gunk on your teeth they have to scrape off with a steel claw?
After the cleaning, I met with Dr. Byles for the initial exam. She's only there on Fridays so I'm guessing that's why they couldn't accommodate my Wednesday appointment request. Anyway, she was really nice. Heck, EVERYONE was nice. And not "fake" nice either - genuine. Dr Byles and the girl who cleaned my teeth (sorry, forgot her name) were loaded with knowledge, which makes you feel pretty safe leaving your teeth in their hands. They explain what treatments are available without forcing you into anything. I didn't feel obligated to do anything, but they definitely clued me in to the real consequences, such as the possibility of a root canal if they didn't act soon on a broken filling I have.
So...I completed the initial exam and went up to the front to see how far in the hole I'd be for having neglected my teeth for so long. It wasn't pretty, but the cool thing is they are really good about working out a strategy based on your insurance coverage rather than trying to make you do everything ASAP. We discussed it from a financial and a dental perspective and agreed upon a game plan. Pretty cool!
My second visit was scheduled for Dec 30th, but due to a cancellation they called me and said I could come in last Thursday (12/18). I was down for it so scheduled the appointment.
Like Daniel H. said in his review, Dr. Bold's office definitely has a hi-tech setup. It's ridiculous compared to what I'm used to. His review is one of the reasons I went to Dr. Bold, which I told them when I went there. I was at the office for 4 1/2 HOURS. That was completely by choice, and I was attended to the entire time. Now, the reason I was there so long was because I had the following done:
1. Crown (first one ever)
2. Filling
3. Filling
4. Um...filling? I forgot how many there were after a while.
All this work was on the right side of my face. I have to say, I love those personal video glasses they provide, along with noise-canceling headphones. I watched Dumb & Dumber, then Zoolander. It made everything so much easier...except for getting out of the chair and learning to walk again. :)
All in all, a fantastic experience! read more