Dr. Keener
Oct 12th, 2007 by Bethany
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Now that we all have health insurance (yay!), I've been working on getting our little family checkups and dental cleanings. Of course, that involves first choosing doctors to see. I need an OB/GYN, Colin needs an Endocrinologist, the kids need a Family Practice doctor or Pediatrician. We also need dentists. Our dental insurance covers specialists the same as generalists, so I decided to get Degen and Maggie signed up to have their teeth cleaned by a pediatric dentist and have Colin and my teeth cleaned by a general dentist.
Today I had my teeth cleaned and examined at Dr. Gary Keener's office in nearby Sherwood. I chose that office because they were one of the four offices within five miles of our apartment that takes our insurance, and they were the second on the list (first on the list didn't answer the phone when I called–not really a good sign if you ask me). I failed to find a babysitter for this afternoon and was nervous that I might be sent home with plaque-ridden teeth, but when I got there the staff neither acted surprised nor annoyed. It was so nice that they accommodated us and were friendly with Degen and Maggie as I sat in the chair having my teeth poked at. It helped, I'm sure, that I have generally well-behaved kids who are charming, but I was impressed. Degen especially took to the hygeinist and I'll bet she would have been able to get him to let her clean his teeth if it was his turn, which is really saying something.
Otherwise, I found the experience pleasant but not the best I've had. The equipment was old (the X-ray machine and lamp kept wanting to move away from where the hygeinist put them). I saw the actual dentist for a total of three minutes as he glanced at my x-rays and my teeth. I don't think anyone more than glanced at my chart or any of the paperwork I filled out and didn't talk to me about any of the problems I mentioned there. When I called to make the appointment the receptionist was slightly pushy, bordering on bossy.
All that said, I would be fine going back, but I think I'll make an appintment for Colin at a different office and see if we can find something a bit more state-of-the-art and attentive to health. We'll probably go through the nearby dentists and see which one is best. If you're concerned about gentleness or friendliness, Dr. Keener is the person to see.
