A little background on me. I used to have a fairly cynical and trepidacious view of the dentist, as many people do, and I’ve visited a variety of dentists for most of my life. A good chunk between my early childhood to late teen years: countless cavities filled, a pallet widening torture device for 2 years (one of the most painful things one might experience), metal braces for a total of 7 years, headgear, 2 root canals, and all 4 wisdom teeth taken out at once.
During most visits to past dentists’ offices, I was met with rude and rushed behavior by not only the general staff, but with the dentist as well! And with that impersonal hurried atmosphere, revolving door, take-a-number mentality of “get ‘em in, get ‘em out” you are traded a gentle chairside manner for unnecessary distress and agony. A feeling leaving you so jaded, that you dread going to the dentist even every six months for a simple cleaning.
But I’m telling you, it does not have to be that way. I first stumbled upon Surf City Family Dentistry on Outcarehealth.org and with due diligence, went a step further by traveling into the far reaches of the internet cyberspace-time continuum machine. I found nothing but outstanding reviews on every platform I visited. Especially, when it came to the level of gentle physical care. But it doesn’t stop there.
So I decided to take a chance once again, and made my first appointment with Dr. Rebecca. By the way, it was Dr. Rebecca that actually answered the phone. I asked if her assistant was off for the day, she kindly replied “No, it’s just myself and Dr. Benson. We handle all calls and correspondence.” I then learned that the two of them manage every aspect of their practice and business. Having worked within my own family’s small business, I know that is no small feat and not to be ignored. It gave me a sense of trust and confidence knowing how much pride and care they had invested. And without a doubt, it shows!
Upon walking into my first appointment, I was immediately greeted with the sweetest welcome from Dr. Rebecca sitting at the front desk. I checked in, and was taken into my closed-door room right away. Along the way I noticed how clean, sanitized, and organized every part of the office was, and that there was no one else present besides myself, Dr. Rebecca, and Dr. Benson. I felt very comfortable observing how seriously they take the health and covid safety protocols of each patient. I confessed it had been years since my previous dentist visit and as I sat visibly anxious in my chair expecting to be scolded and shamed, Dr. Rebecca assured me that I would never receive that kind of mistreatment at their office. Her goal was simply to examine, educate, build and administer a treatment plan, and monitor results; and that she did!
She took xrays of every angle of my mouth. To my surprise and relief, there was only one minor cavity! Even with my neglectful behavior, somehow I had managed to avoid any real damage. But the main reason I had come in was to have my nearly twenty year old permanent top wire retainer replaced from years of wear and tear. She then proceeded to clean my teeth with the utmost patience and gentle handling, and as she approached the four front top teeth I mentally prepared myself for the inevitable gum stabbing that comes with using a “threader” to floss between the very tight space of the retainer wire and my teeth. She could sense that I was becoming tense, so she stopped and reassured me that she would take it slow and carefully. I relaxed and before I knew it, she was in and out with expert precision, grace and…no pain!
Let me tell you, I have NEVER experienced that level of comfort in all of my 18 years of post-braces cleanings.
Afterward, she moved onto repairing the wire which was also a breeze. It took maybe 10 minutes, and just like that my straight teeth were secured once again. We spoke for a while after, and I mentioned I hated the way my front teeth had spots of decalcification and appeared translucent. She said that is completely normal, and there is a simple non-surgical treatment to make my teeth look whole and uniform again. I was intrigued as she explained every detail of the process, and even answered all my curious off-topic questions so I knew what to expect. This was the first time any dentist had mentioned any kind of option about refurbishing my translucent teeth. I had no idea something like this was even possible and affordable!
Conclusion:
My overall experience was every bit professional, polite, kind, genuine, caring, compassionate, gentle, educational, and just pleasant! You are truly treated like family and not just another number. Best dentist I’ve ever had in my entire life-Dr. Rebecca is a ROCKSTAR. Even if you live outside the area, it’s worth the drive! Without a doubt, I will be recommending SCFD to everyone I know and don’t know.