Need a dentist on the Seattle Eastside

April 22, 2011 9:47 AM

Seattle Eastside dentist recommendation, please? Special issue: I haven't seen a dentist in 16 years. Yes, you read that right.

Through a combination of laziness and a simple lack of funds, I haven't seen a dentist in 16 years. But I shipped a big freelance design project that paid me quite well, and now I have a small pile of free money to devote to this. Yay for me.

I don't think I have any major issues in my piehole, although I'm certain there will be cavities to fill.

I need a dentist that's modern, good, friendly and won't make me feel like a complete idiot for waiting this long. I need my teeth fixed, not my hand slapped.

Seattle Eastside recommedations required -- Redmond, Bellevue, Kirkland, Sammamish and Issaquah.

Make with the recommendations.

posted by Cool Papa Bell to health & fitness (17 answers total)

Peter & Bill Wong DDS
12715 Bel Red Road Suite 202
Bellevue, WA
98005

Phone: [phone]

My wife goes there and loves them. Referred a friend who was in a similar situation as you, and they had a good experience as well.
posted by Diddly at 9:55 AM on April 22, 2011

If you were willing to cross the bridge into the U-District, I'd recommend the office I worked at, but one of my doctor's best friend is also a very good dentist and a good guy:
Near Factoria Square

Dr. Clark Blanchard
4301 Factoria Blvd SE
Bellevue, WA 98006
[phone]
posted by Jazz Hands at 10:19 AM on April 22, 2011

CPB, since you haven't been in so long...

Brush and floss before going, to reduce "appearance" anxiety. Gargle: same reason.

You will not be the worst case, nor most reluctant adult patient, they've ever seen.

Do not stand for patronization; that is unprofessional, and you don't deserve it. Stand up for yourself. Sure, you allowed fear & anxiety to stymie your health & hygiene habits, but I can (sadly) name deceased friends with medical training who have done far worse in that vein. You're only human; you are taking the correct steps now.
posted by IAmBroom at 10:21 AM on April 22, 2011

BTW, your mouth will feel incredibly weird, and probably a bit sensitive, afterwards. This is normal. It will be worse for having 16 yrs of plaque removed, but it's normal, and will pass soon enough.
posted by IAmBroom at 10:22 AM on April 22, 2011

Happy to recommend my dentist, Daciana Buse. Great attitude, solid dentist, nice person.
posted by noahv at 10:55 AM on April 22, 2011

i did this a few years ago as well. be prepared to be told that you'll need some super through cleaning, possibly a scaling. i had a lot of gumline buildup after about ten years with no dentistry that took four sessions of a couple hours apiece to clear up.
posted by patricking at 11:05 AM on April 22, 2011

If I can give some unsolicited advice about your first visit:

Given the amount of time since your last cleaning, even in the most meticulous brusher/flosser, there will be an accumulation of calculus. It is unreasonable to expect a single routine cleaning appointment to remove. Expect to be advised that you will require an appointment called a "Gross Debridement" where as much debris can be gotten off the teeth above the gumline and gum pocket measurements taken. It is probable that you will need a couple more appointments to deep clean under anesthesia, whether topically applied or local injections. This is called "Scaling and Root Planing" under ideal situations is only required once and your gum health can be maintained going forward with regular check-up cleanings.

I'd also suggest putting yourself into Dental Boot Camp right now, if you can spend the next week or two before you go in stepping up your routine at home, you will have a healthier mouth to present to the dentist. This isn't to fool him/her into thinking you have the best home care ever, but to give your gums a chance to firm up/less bleeding to get in the way, so your exam is as accurate as possible. So brush/floss/use salt water or Listerine rinses right now to knock down bacteria load.

As IAmBroom said upthread, you will feel more sensitive after cleaning. This is partly because a protective layer of tartar has been stripped off your teeth, which is a good thing, but your nerves were used to the nice warm blankey over them. Taking a premedication dose of Tylenol or Ibuprofen will help with the discomfort. Your own bacteria will get stirred up around the gums and make them swollen and tender for a couple of days. Warm salt water rinses for the next few day afterwards will soothe too.

I am so glad that you are taking this step, I see people everyday in your situation. Believe me, we aren't judging you, we are very happy to start this Getting A Healthy Mouth Journey with you.
posted by Jazz Hands at 11:08 AM on April 22, 2011 [7 favorites]

I feel like I'm taking over the thread, but I feel remiss in mentioning that Mefi's own OHenryPacey is a dentist practicing in Edmonds.... not in the area you are looking at, but I had to throw that out there.
posted by Jazz Hands at 11:12 AM on April 22, 2011

Dr. Hugh Gruhn, Kirkland, WA, kind, gentle, wonderful dentist.
posted by jennstra at 11:16 AM on April 22, 2011

I hadn't gone to a dentist in over 20 years, and my wife made me go see someone at Meydenbauer Dental (Dr. Lu). Apart from one or two amazed comments, no one said a single thing about the length of time since my last dentist appointment (which was in another city). They were kind, thorough, communicative and gentile, and very concerned with making sure my experience was good.

Now, my wife told them ahead of time that it had been a while, but they were great.

Also, the changes in dentistry in the last 20 years are really cool.
posted by Gorgik at 11:47 AM on April 22, 2011

I did this a few years ago, and FWIW the dentist didn't make a big deal of it, and actually said my teeth were in pretty good shape.
posted by xammerboy at 11:49 AM on April 22, 2011

My dentist, Debra Cederbaum, works half the week in Redmond, half in Seattle. She's awesome and her partner is fine too.
posted by GaelFC at 12:16 PM on April 22, 2011

OK, ultimate dentist here. She is so wonderful you have to wait to get in, but it is extremely worth it. I think if I moved I might fly back just to see her. Seriously. Some reasons:

1) You will get a gorgeous smile.

2) She totally does not believe in pain. There is no pain.

3. Wonderful staff. Really fun, nice, smart, hardworking people. They stay with her long term.

4. Visits are fun, including in room entertainment -- mobiles, good music, and for longer procedures, cool goggles on which you can watch really good movies.

Here's the info. Trust me, she's amazing:

Wendy Shultz Spektor
Spektor Dental Center
1545 116th Avenue NE, Suite 100
Bellevue, WA 98004
[phone]
posted by bearwife at 12:47 PM on April 22, 2011

P.S. I've been seeing Dr. Wendy for over 20 years. Also, sent someone to her who had a history of not going to the dentist like yours, and he absolutely loves her, plus she fixed all his dental issues and made his teeth look wonderful.
posted by bearwife at 12:54 PM on April 22, 2011

My husband hadn't been in 10 plus years. We heard about Dr. Dale Travis on the radio, advertising dentistry for anxiety prone people. He will do sedation dentistry as well.

I finally convinced my husband who is deathly afraid of all dentists to give him a shot. He is amazing and his staff is awesome! I'm serious. They are SO patient and will not in any way make you feel bad about how long it has been or any work you need done. They will go as slow or as fast as you need to fix all problems.
posted by rainygrl716 at 1:00 PM on April 22, 2011

I've been going to Dr. Peterson's office in Eastgate my whole life. He and his entire staff are amazing. I live in Japan, don't have health insurance in the US, and I STILL see him every 6 months.
posted by azuresunday at 2:35 AM on April 23, 2011

Tom Seal
9750 NE 120th Pl Ste 1
Kirkland, WA 98034

[phone]
posted by P.o.B. at 11:28 AM on April 23, 2011