...Dentist Day, that is. For me, it was a monumental day as I am no fan of what should be a desire to keep up with regular visits ensuring mandibular health. Well, I suppose I do keep up with regular visits...if once every 5 years can be called 'regular'....(oh, I'm gonna hear it now!)...
Our dental plan at work is MetLife, and so I began the process of finding a 'network' dentist that was taking new patients. On their website I found a place not only close by, but on MY side of the extended road closure, which was a huge plus.
And so I called for an appointment - super nice person helping me, but, alas, the earliest appointment date was August 14. I nicely explained that wouldn't work on several levels, and then had the foresight to ask if I could be on a list for any cancellations, since I have decent daytime flexibility, certainly with their close proximity.
As she was taking my contact and insurance information down, we were just about finished when she said, 'hold just a minute'....there was some muffled talking back and forth, but pretty quickly she came back and said, "You won't believe it, but someone just called in a cancelation - can you come at 3:30p today?" It was just that easy.
The cool part was this office...it's been in place about a year...new office/shopping center area is still having businesses move in...the dental office was fresh and nicely decorated. The staff, of which there were a good many, were ALL friendly, easy-going, and made the office feel very welcoming. I sat down and 'signed in' on an electronic tablet that was feeding my information directly into the computer since I was a new customer...and in short order I was taken back for my check-up.
Now, mind you it's been years for me...and maybe they're all this way...but this office was 100% digital imaging. No x-ray film. No developing. Instant results. All camera snaps that were sent to a laptop...I then went to a room and stood in a machine that had two orbs which circled my head for 20 seconds, again digital, that got a complete panoramic shot of my teeth and jawbone structure...simply fascinating.
The affable dentist came in, and a welcome soul he was as he had a wonderful sense of humor. Dangerous around me, especially as I'd been up then some 15 hours, and I get giddy when I'm tired. So we hit it off in fine fashion, to say the least. He made some visual examinations and called out numbers the assistant logged in the computer. He then took a pen-like device (camera) and positioned it around in my mouth and periodically say "grab that one". When he was done, he whipped a flat-screen TV around in front of me and they began to open the photo files, showing me all that was going on in my mouth, down to every tooth. It was absolutely fascinating and extremely informative.
Of course, I was a regular patient when I was young as I have a river of silver through my dental work to prove it. He showed me what fillings were in great shape, which couple need to be watched as they were older and a little rough...and I knew one tooth was of concern as I've been missing 1/4th of it for
years....can you say "crown"? Can you say "second mortgage"? I saw that train a-comin'.
Anyway, as if you can't tell, I had a great experience there yesterday. Technology sure has come a long way. When he was done with the tooth photos, the assistant closed the file out, and up came the background picture of a black Labrador Retriever...I asked the doc if the pup were his, and he said, "No, it came with the equipment." That response left me no choice with the wide-open opportunity in front of me...
"Oh, so it's Lab-approved!"
-------------------------------------
Enjoy sinking your teeth into this Friday! I'll see some of you on News 14 Charlotte Saturday morning as I'm filling in for Tara Lane.
Our dental plan at work is MetLife, and so I began the process of finding a 'network' dentist that was taking new patients. On their website I found a place not only close by, but on MY side of the extended road closure, which was a huge plus.And so I called for an appointment - super nice person helping me, but, alas, the earliest appointment date was August 14. I nicely explained that wouldn't work on several levels, and then had the foresight to ask if I could be on a list for any cancellations, since I have decent daytime flexibility, certainly with their close proximity.
As she was taking my contact and insurance information down, we were just about finished when she said, 'hold just a minute'....there was some muffled talking back and forth, but pretty quickly she came back and said, "You won't believe it, but someone just called in a cancelation - can you come at 3:30p today?" It was just that easy.
The cool part was this office...it's been in place about a year...new office/shopping center area is still having businesses move in...the dental office was fresh and nicely decorated. The staff, of which there were a good many, were ALL friendly, easy-going, and made the office feel very welcoming. I sat down and 'signed in' on an electronic tablet that was feeding my information directly into the computer since I was a new customer...and in short order I was taken back for my check-up.
Now, mind you it's been years for me...and maybe they're all this way...but this office was 100% digital imaging. No x-ray film. No developing. Instant results. All camera snaps that were sent to a laptop...I then went to a room and stood in a machine that had two orbs which circled my head for 20 seconds, again digital, that got a complete panoramic shot of my teeth and jawbone structure...simply fascinating.
The affable dentist came in, and a welcome soul he was as he had a wonderful sense of humor. Dangerous around me, especially as I'd been up then some 15 hours, and I get giddy when I'm tired. So we hit it off in fine fashion, to say the least. He made some visual examinations and called out numbers the assistant logged in the computer. He then took a pen-like device (camera) and positioned it around in my mouth and periodically say "grab that one". When he was done, he whipped a flat-screen TV around in front of me and they began to open the photo files, showing me all that was going on in my mouth, down to every tooth. It was absolutely fascinating and extremely informative.
Of course, I was a regular patient when I was young as I have a river of silver through my dental work to prove it. He showed me what fillings were in great shape, which couple need to be watched as they were older and a little rough...and I knew one tooth was of concern as I've been missing 1/4th of it for
years....can you say "crown"? Can you say "second mortgage"? I saw that train a-comin'.
Anyway, as if you can't tell, I had a great experience there yesterday. Technology sure has come a long way. When he was done with the tooth photos, the assistant closed the file out, and up came the background picture of a black Labrador Retriever...I asked the doc if the pup were his, and he said, "No, it came with the equipment." That response left me no choice with the wide-open opportunity in front of me...
"Oh, so it's Lab-approved!"
-------------------------------------
Enjoy sinking your teeth into this Friday! I'll see some of you on News 14 Charlotte Saturday morning as I'm filling in for Tara Lane.
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