Pleasant and Dentist In the Same Sentence? Yes!

For me the word dentist has never been paired with pleasant. It's not that I had tons of dental problems, or bad visits. I had only had one filling my entire life. But going through the experience of readying my little mouth for braces by pulling teeth and expanding my jaw (yes, it was as painful as it sounds), and then the years of the braces, followed by the extraction of four wisdom teeth scarred me for life as far as dentists go.

Don't get me wrong. I had a kind dentist, and an orthodontist that was great; but I feared them and the time I had to spend with them. I swore I would always practice thorough and consistent dental hygiene to take care of my new beautiful smile, and to prevent any future agonizing visits, but I would love nothing more than to never have anyone near my teeth again.

All that changed for me when I found Gordon Dentistry in Palm Harbor. I did not have dental insurance at the time, so when I saw their sign for a kids cleaning for $49 I jumped at the chance to get my daughter's teeth cleaned at a great price. Little did I know it would also be done by some of the most professional and caring staff. So I decided to go ahead and torment myself with a cleaning also. I acquired new insurance, made appointments for my husband and myself, and prepared for the worst. But that cleaning was actually so easy and quick, and the staff were all so gentle and kind. Plus they remembered me from bringing my daughter in, so it was like I was visiting old friends. One thing that really impressed me was the ultra modern equipment they use, from their scheduling system to the tools the dentist and hygenists utilize. I got text messages confirming my appointments, the hygenist could schedule my next cleaning and review pricing of any necessary procedures with me, and the tools made the cleaning itself much more comfortable. Dr. Gordon herself makes a point to stop and chat for a minute with me anytime I'm in, whether it's for my own visit or for that of another family member. Her primary concern is always making the patient feel completely comfortable. 

Unfortunately I had a couple tiny cavities that needed filling so I went in today with much trepidation (I had cancelled the appointment one time already, but knew I needed to take care of things before they weren't tiny anymore). My only other cavity had been when I was very young, so I really had no idea what to expect, I just knew that work done on my teeth is never pleasant and I was less than thrilled to have to do this. So in true Dr. Gordon style, she was so comforting and compassionate and did her best to put me at ease. She checked out my little "blemishes" again and said that I shouldn't even need numbing for them. I was partly thrilled with this, I mean, who wants a needle to their gums? But I was also partly concerned. How would she know if I actually did end up needing numbing? When I went through the ceiling? Oops, guess it was bigger than we thought? I, of course voiced my concern, and Dr. Gordon assured me that she's done this a lot, and she's pretty accurate on her estimations. And don't you know she was right? I did not need numbing, I had not one ounce of pain, and I was done and out the door in 45 minutes like nothing had ever happened. For the first time ever, I can honestly put pleasant and dentist in the same sentence and say I have had nothing but pleasant visits at Gordon Dentistry.