I hate going to the dentist - I think I've been twice (for myself) in the past 14 years. Luckily, I have good teeth.
My husband, though? Not so much. Once we got married, we knew the dentist was the next stop post-honeymoon. His wisdom teeth were starting to impact, and the rest of his mouth hurt as well.
Dr. Dickson and her team are amazing. First, my husband's English is ok, but not when discussing dental surgery. Dr. Dickson has staff that are entirely fluent, and they made it MUCH less stressful for him. They took an X-ray, decided he was in imminent need of extraction, and made an appointment for the surgery for two days later - TWO DAYS! He also had many cavities, and we scheduled that for the following week, once he had recovered. Dr. Dickson was fully present, warm, transparent, and conveyed an understanding of our comprehensive needs - and expressed the sense of urgency without making my husband panic (a feat in itself), addressing all concerns raised friendly and professionally. Her staff was also fluent in Spanish, which was a HUGE help for him.
Every time we walk in the door, the WHOLE staff knows who we are, and are incredibly friendly. The waiting room is comfortable, and the whole office is state-of-the-art. It doesn't feel like you're in a stuffy or sick place, like most waiting rooms with stale magazines and yellow walls. I imagine a child could be pretty relaxed going there, and not be scared and squirmy, feeling like needles are right around the corner. Plus they'll play the music/tv of your choice in your exam room, so cartoons should help, too!
It's also exciting to be supporting a practice that is nearly 100% women run, minority owned, gives back to the local community - and is very LGBTQ-welcoming, which is important to us personally. They even support the local Pride Festival!
Basically, I've NEVER even said I've cared one way or another about a dental office - but I LOVE ALLEGRA DENTAL CENTER.
**I'm NOT compensated by them OR related to any employees of the practice; I'm just a loyal customer (who may actually start coming in every year myself - though I'm sure I'll be driving my husband there more often than that).
