When our family Dentist suggested that we take our 7-year old daughter to an Orthodontist my heart sank. She's only now getting used to wiggling and losing her baby teeth and now we're already talking possible orthodontia? My own Dad had been suggesting we take our daughter to Dr. Burkey's office for months, as he has been a patient himself for over two years and has nothing but wonderful things to say about his experience. After an appointment with our family Dentist, I drove to Dr. Burkey's Vernon Hills office to see what the office was like and make an appointment. My nervousness about this new dental chapter we are entering immediately subsided when we pulled up to the cottage-like office building. There was something calming about it.
My daughters and I entered the building and were immediately greeted by the smiling faces of the front staff. Having worked at the front desk of a doctor's office myself and knowing how busy things can become, I felt guilty for just showing up unannounced to make an appointment and fill out paperwork. But the staff was more than happy to welcome me and took the time to enter my daughter into their system. I was eager to get my daughter in for her consultation and I didn't have to wait long as an appointment was made for just two days later!
On the morning of my daughter's consultation, I admit I was nervous about the process and what suggestions we would hear from Dr. Burkey. My 9-year old daughter was able to entertain herself with books and the game room while I was with my younger daughter as pictures and molds of her teeth were taken. It was wonderful to see that everyone who worked with my daughter addressed her directly rather than speak through her and address me instead. They saw HER as the patient and wanted to make sure she knew what to expect, what was happening and praised her for doing so well throughout the process. When her x-rays and pictures were ready, they were shown to my daughter and she learned all about what her teeth were doing, what their names are and what we want her teeth to do. For her to get that kind of attention and learn about what was happening eased her and I could see she was no longer nervous.
When Dr. Burkey came into the room for the consultation, he addressed my daughter directly, asked her a little about herself and made her feel like the star of this show. He took the time to answer my questions, to explain things so that I could truly understand, and made his suggestions with confidence and clarity. At this time, my daughter does not need orthodontia but will likely need them in the future. Yet he still wants to see her every six months, free of charge, in order to keep an eye on her progress. I knew my daughter, who was very nervous the morning of her appointment, had been won over by Dr. Burkey and his staff when she was actually disappointed that she couldn't come back for a visit for another six months!
All of the wonderful things my Dad had to say about Dr. Burkey's office held true and I'm so glad he insisted we take our daughter to his office. But, now I'm left with just one problem: I have to tell my Dad he was absolutely right!
Thank you to the amazing staff of Dr. Burkey for making our daughter feel valued as a patient and for making me, as her Mother, confident that she is in good hands. read more
