Dodging the Dentist

 


I know there are people who like going to the dentist.  I am NOT one of them.  I don't think anyone in my immediate family is one of them.  So if you ARE a person who likes going to the dentist, maybe you can tell me what it is you do like and how I can get myself to like it?

To be honest, it's been a LONG time since any of us (son, husband and myself) has been to a dentist. I'm pretty sure my son was still in high school. (I know...not good)  Since we have dental insurance this is kind of silly, but...

But here's my issue; the last time the three of us went to "our dentist" (I put that in quotes because the provider that is listed, none of us has seen since before the pandemic.  There is another dentist on staff who has checked us out, but the person who supposedly runs the place has been absent even though their name is on the door), I did not automatically set up another appointment.  We always would try to make an appointment together on the same day and with my son getting ready to go away, I didn't know when we'd be able to all go back in, so I didn't automatically make one.

Time marched on with the crazy couple of years we had, I never really thought about it.  And the dentist office never followed up with us.  There was no reminder card, no calls, no anything.  In a world where everyone is always getting junk mail, I'm surprised and disappointed that  no one ever attempted to contact us as we have been with this practice for a LONG time.  (My husband and I went to the dentist who originally owned the practice since before my son was born.  When he retired and sold his practice, we continued to go and brought our son along for the ride, so it has been quite a while!) Furthermore, it was only recently that I discovered that the practice has moved to the other side of town.  Did I find out through an email or mailed post card?  NO!  I found out when I walked by the office and saw that they were no longer there!  (The name IS still on the window and sign out front, but if you look closely, you can see a "we have moved" sign.)  No one ever let us know.  Not a good way to keep and take care of your patients.

One of the things that initially attracted us to this practice was that it was in walking distance from our home.  That and the fact that the dentist at the time, we a wonderful man who would fit you in and really listen to you.  (I'm a nervous patient.)  Now the practice is not in walking distance and I feel like  no one really cares about us.  And this is a problem.

Because I happened to be in NJ for part of this week, I decided to give the practice a call and see if they had anything available today or tomorrow.  They did not.  They did not even ask if I was a patient; they simply said they had nothing available.

So I think it's time for a new dentist, at least for my husband and myself.  (I'll try to make an appointment for my son when he is home on winter break.)  As we split our time between NJ and PA, with the intention to eventually spend more time in PA, I think we need to find a dentist there.  Which presents its own challenges.

There is one dentist in the immediate vicinity.  He is accepting new patients and does take our insurance, but...As of January our insurance is changing and I don't believe he takes the new insurance. So I need to cast my dental net a little wider.  There is a larger practice with multiple locations that is a possibility.  They accept our current insurance and will also accept our new insurance so that one hurdle down.  They are larger practice and have hours that would better fit with our needs.  I've read reviews online and all seems to be good, but let's face it, those aren't always trustworthy.

I guess the only thing to do is to make a call and see how we are treated on the phone. (How courteous will the person on the phone be?  Will our schedule and theirs work?)  I'm hoping that they will be “better" than the practice that has ignored us in NJ.  Stay tuned and stay cavity free!


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