Edit: addendum below
When I arrived today for my 6 month cleaning, I was blindsided by the fact that everything in the office was different, from the decor, to the staff, to the doctor. Unbeknownst to me, the dentist I had been seeing for almost 10 years had decided to shift his practice to more specialized areas of focus and had partnered with a new doctor who took over his general dentistry practice. I missed the one email that went out about this change, but even if I had read it, I don't think I would have understood from the language used that I wouldn't be able to see my old dentist anymore.
As I was brought back for my cleaning, I was unexpectedly told that I'd be needing specialty x-rays of the roots of my teeth, an additional expense I hadn't planned for.
The hygienist who did my cleaning was kind, but I had water all over my face from the ultrasonic cleaner, something I hadn't experienced before. The suction tube was also not great, and several times when I closed my mouth, water sloshed all over and didn't get cleared by the suction tube.
I'm a little torn as to whether or not I will continue on as a patient at this office as I know I will always be comparing my experience to when my old dentist owned the practice. I feel sad that more effort wasn't taken to ensure I knew about the changes that were coming. As someone who has had trauma with regard to dentists, I'm very particular about the dentist I see, and this abrupt change has left me feeling less than cared for by my old dentist. I know this isn't Dr. Lee's fault, but perhaps his office could have given a courtesy call to ensure patients were are of the switch. Definitely a missed opportunity with regard to customer service.
Overall, my experience was ok. Dr. Lee seems capable and knowledgeable, but it didn't feel awesome to be surprised like I was when I was already anxious about going to the dentist.
Addendum: I received a very kind phone call from Kim, Dr. Lee's wife and office manager. She apologized for my experience and offered to refund the cost of the x-rays I mentioned above. She empathized with me and I really felt heard. I had rescheduled the appointment I had cancelled and my experience was top notch.
Antonina was the hygienist who worked on me and she was fantastic. She understood my anxiety and carefully explained everything she was going to be doing. She was straightforward and very informative. See Dr. Lee was great, as well. He thanked me for giving his office a second chance. He's a very gentle, knowledgeable dentist and I'm happy to say that I'll continue going to see him.
Thank you Dr. Lee, Kim, and Antonina. I really appreciate you!
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