OK. . . so when we moved last August, we moved to this great little neighborhood. It is unincorporated Jefferson County (great bang for your buck if you’re planning on Christian schooling or homeschooling), but it is surrounded by four sides by Mountain Brook. Which doesn’t affect us too much except that we have snooty neighbors behind us (that insist on knowing EXACTLY what part of town you grew up in), and that all of the ads we get in the mail are aimed toward people much more “cultured” than us.
So I needed a new dentist, and I had gotten something in the mail for a dentist welcoming me to the neighborhood and offering a free custom tooth whitening kit if I came to his office. So I figured, it’s good to go to a dentist that is soliciting new customers – that means they’ll have time for you! And hey – I have dental insurance – so as long as he takes my insurance, it’s just like any other dentist, right?
Well, he was a “cosmetic and general dentist”, which should have been my first clue. I walk into his office, and there are hardwoods, a juice and coffee bar, gourmet muffins, flat screen tv’s, and built-in mahogany bookshelves. It really looked like I just walked into a Mountain Brook lawyer’s office. There is one other patient there besides me. They take me back to a conference room and have me watch a video of what they plan on doing. While I am (not) watching the video showing animations of doing painful looking things to teeth, I look up on the wall, where there is this very cultured looking picture of my dentist, in a long coat and bowler hat, prancing on his horse where he won first place at a horse show:
Then the dentist comes in to talk to me – for like 30 minutes!! He explains that he cares about dental work being “pretty” and he very much wants his work to be beautiful. He also explains that their dental office is a spa – yes – a spa. There will be an amenity menu in my room.
Then the dentist comes in to talk to me – for like 30 minutes!! He explains that he cares about dental work being “pretty” and he very much wants his work to be beautiful. He also explains that their dental office is a spa – yes – a spa. There will be an amenity menu in my room. pause – when I go to the dentist, I want to get in, get the work done that needs to get done, and get out! I don’t want to linger over the experience and feel pampered and coddled!!! OK. I can continue.
He goes on to tell me that he usually does all teeth cleanings, but that he had another patient in today, so he was very sorry, but his dental hygeinist would be cleaning my teeth.
So I get into the room, and there is a mahogany blanket / eye pillow warmer rack in the corner. There is “spa” put-you-to-sleep music playing. There is a flat screen tv attached to the dental chair, and the dental chair is a MASSAGING dental chair. The menu is there for me to peruse. I have attached two pictures of the super fancy spa amenity menu :
So, to save from boring you from all the details, I spent FOUR hours at the spadentist today, declining their offers for a warm blanket, headphones, and eye masks and reassuring them that I was indeed comfortable and just fine. I had to get a temporary crown, which involves MUCH drilling and numbing, and my dentist asked me every 30 seconds if I was comfortable.
So, to save from boring you from all the details, I spent FOUR hours at the spadentist today, declining their offers for a warm blanket, headphones, and eye masks and reassuring them that I was indeed comfortable and just fine. I had to get a temporary crown, which involves MUCH drilling and numbing, and my dentist asked me every 30 seconds if I was comfortable.They did a good job, and they did a “pretty” job (which I had never considered a priority), but WOW it took a while. So if you are looking for a luxury trip to the dentist, visit them! However, if you, like me, just want to get it over with, you might want to find a dentist outside of Mountain Brook.
Wow. I’ve never heard of a spa dentist. That’s bizzare. I was wondering why you didn’t get back yesterday afternoon. Now I know. :)
Are you going to have to get a permenant crown? Or should that one stay in place for a while?
Yeah, I don’t think I’d want to spend 4 hours at the dentist…I don’t even mind going, but good grief! Check out Dr. Ketcham (just up past SMI across from Piggly Wiggly) if you want a good dentist who will get you in and out! :)
That is hilarious! I would have died!