At the tender age of 13, the dentist was already threatening to dig in my gums and pry out my wisdom teeth. My stubbornness (and well-founded fears) kicked in and I have successfully kept the... More

At the tender age of 13, the dentist was already threatening to dig in my gums and pry out my wisdom teeth. My stubbornness (and well-founded fears) kicked in and I have successfully kept the dentists away from my wisdom teeth for almost two decades. My dental phobia has increased over the years (having several say "oops!" as they are drilling in your teeth and/or administering shots will do that to you) and several years had elapsed since I had last dragged myself to the dentist. Needless to say I feared the worst. Especially since the dentist I had gone to a few months ago for a check-up had the world's worst office and staff with a massive attitude. I gave her the boot. Enter Dr. Charlton. I know this will sound silly, but I chose him because a) he has a website and I like that rare sort of forward-thinking in the medical and dental field b) he distracts his patients by giving them movies to watch during procedures c) his receptionist was nice. Like uncommonly nice. I was really relieved to discover that Dr. Charlton is a very caring and gentle dentist. I confessed all my fears and he put my mind at ease. His assistants, dental hygenist and other staff are all very friendly and polite. No grouches like at other places, and I take this as a sign that he treats his staff well. In the end, I even allowed him to pull a wisdom tooth after all these years. Unbelievable! And I didn't even experience any pain. I'd give 5 stars except there have been a few cases of mix-ups/absentmindedness with my procedures and appointments. No big deal, I'm happy that I have a dentist that I don't have to break out in cold sweaty panic about.
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