dentist

With the calendar year almost over, DF had to get in to see a dentist before our insurance was a complete waste of money. I called a couple in the neighborhood before I found one with an opening left in December. We both went in earlier this week. Now, I realize that I've only seen one dentist in Memphis, so I can't generalize to all of them, but that won't stop me from making some observations!

This is a father-son dental office. The father dentist came out through the waiting room when we first arrived. He greeted us with a handshake and some awkward chit-chat about us being new patients while staring really intensely. When I went back for my cleaning, I noticed that the office is not as technologically advanced as dentists I've been to in Seattle. They have a little swirly water spout/spit bowl (rather than spraying water in your mouth). They don't give you sunglasses to keep your eyes from getting splattered. The hygienist did all tooth scraping by hand - no water or sonic powered scrapers. She seemed impressed that my teeth were in good shape and not totally plaque-ridden. Her comments made me wonder how gross her normal patients are...Then the dentist came in to check my teeth and acted like a sketchy mechanic, like he was looking for a problem to charge me for and was disappointed he couldn't find anything. He also droned on and on about football (ok, that part wasn't as weird).

In conclusion, my teeth feel cleaner but I'm going to find a new dentist for my next 6-month checkup.