OMG, where do I begin! It had been years since I went to see a dentist partly because of my lackadaisical attitude but mainly because of my FEAR of pain and the cost.
First off, I chose Dr. Hawkins' dental office because it's located directly across from where I worked at the time. And, even though, I work further away now I still get my dental work done there. After my initial consultation three years ago, my fears were soon realized. I had a lot of dental work to do and Dr. Hawkins and his team stuck by me.
I admit that I had not been the greatest patient. I would miss appointments on purpose, I never did my "homework" and I was reluctant to change my bad habits. One time I called to push back a crucial appointment for the second time, and I remember the receptionist saying, "Oh no, you don't. You have to come in for this one." It's like my teeth were more important to them than it was to me at the time. And I never get the feeling that it was about money, they really cared. They never showed disappointment even when they notice that my teeth showed no improvement from one appointment to another.
Needless to say, they remained patient and encouraging while I got my act together. Now, I make it to all my appointments, do my "homework" and acquired better habits to keep my teeth.