Pediatric Dentistry

First, let me say that Polly Iben is one of the sweetest, most good-natured women I've ever met and there is no one better suited to work with children than she is. My rating of 3 stars should be no reflection on how perfect she is for this profession. If my rating were solely based on Polly and most of her staff (especially the receptionist, Joanne!), it would have been 5 stars! She is clearly very competent as a dental specialist. My rating is a suggestion that all of her staff may not be as well suited for the profession as she is. During my son's most recent office visit, a treatment plan was provided to me with a total cost of over $1,300 listed at the bottom. As I kindly tried to tell the gal who presented me with it that we were not interested in some of the preventative treatment listed and that I wanted to speak to Polly before signing anything, my polite refusal was met with a rude stare that was followed up by a very obvious but quieted discussion between this gal and another member of the staff about 'not signing' papers. Then, it turns out that the gal who presented me with the paperwork was also the one cleaning my son's teeth. She was very cold to my son and did not explain anything to him before or as she did it. I wanted to take him out of the chair and leave. Once the cleaning was complete, she asked if she could administer a fluoride treatment to his teeth and gums. I politely explained to her that we have a fluoride-free home. She sneered and responded by asking, 'Your toothpaste at home doesn't have fluoride in it?' I said no and told my son it was up to him whether or not he wanted the treatment. He kindly refused. She left the room and, thankfully, Polly came in to talk through a revised treatment plan. Her explanations were thorough, thoughtful and very friendly. She explained that she uses fluoride because of her traditional training. She didn't make me feel like an oddball for choosing not to use or ingest it in our home. We will continue to go to Pediatric Dentistry for my son's future treatments because Polly really is the greatest. My only hope is that she considers .having a discussion with one or more members of her staff about the treatment of patients and their families. This is the first time I've ever felt anything but welcome in her office.