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| - I'm no stranger to the dentist's chair but had never been to a periodontist before I went to see Dr. Mellas. He came highly referred to me by my dentist, Dr. Scott Sutton. I did some research online about advanced dental procedures and I think generally speaking, the procedures are much more risky than people understand. So, it was important to me to have someone that really knew what they were doing.
I was very impressed with Dr. Mellas' skill. He has a very gentle touch and you hardly know he's working on your tooth...it's not just because of anesthetic either. I'm a very discriminating patient and observe everything happening including the pressure being put on the air compressor by the dentist's grip.
Another thing that impressed me was how little communication there was between Dr. Mellas and Gwen his assistant. That told me that she knew exactly what she was doing and she knew exactly how to anticipate what he was doing too. When a dentist has to give instructions or corrections to his assistant, that makes me nervous!
Dr. Mellas has an incredible collection of abstract art and modern metal wall sculptures in his office. Most of the pieces are large and really make you think when you look at them (in a good way). While this might seem to be irrelevant, it was more calming to me to have beautiful art as a distraction rather than some beach photograph. Does anyone really ever feel like they're at the beach when they're in that chair? #seriouslyno
Before I went in for my procedure, a staff person went over all the potential issues that might arise before, during and after my appointment. I felt very well prepared for what to expect and appreciated having instructions to take home with me which outlined everything that I had been told. After my procedure when I was thinking 'is this normal?' I was able to go to the information I had received and get my answers without panicking.
One of the odd things about Arizona is that since it's so close to Mexico, there's a lot of pressure to go to Mexico to get expensive dental procedures. People will immediately recommend "go to Mexico" which is usually followed with "it's really cheap" and/or "the bathroom's are really clean." Well, first, I expect the bathrooms to be clean when I go to the doctor or dentist or Starbucks. Secondly, I appreciate a bargain as much as anyone else, but I don't look at price as an indication of quality when it comes to doctors or dentists.
I get it on the money issues. It would be a lot more fun to go on a beautiful vacation or have a new car rather than spending money on your teeth. And you might not have $20k sitting around in your bank account because you couldn't figure out what to do with it. All I'm recommending is to do your homework. The bottom line is that you're going to a Third World country to get surgery. You've never taken five minutes to check out your American dentist's credentials, so don't assume that what you hear about a Mexican dentist is automatically true.
It wasn't my intention to make this review into a rant about Mexico. It's just that after a recent discussion I saw on Facebook there was a mindset that you're stupid if you spend money on a dentist, periodontist or endodontist here in the US. I feel strongly that you have to gauge your health needs, your finances and your time and determine what's right for you.
The bottom line is that I'd highly recommend Dr. Mellas and if you take the opportunity to work with him I know you'll be pleased with the outcome.
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