Looking For a Gentle Experienced Dentist in Mesa, Gilbert or Scottsdale (school, hours)

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by phoenixdds26

Just a suggesstion, as a current dental student. If time is not a concern, I would suggest going to either Arizona School of Dentistry in Mesa or Midwestern University School of Dentistry in Glendale. The dental schools offer top-notch care, excellent clinical professors and oversight and you are helping us student hone our skills. The idea is not to make a profit so fees are 50% of private practice and the technology is next to none. Everything is done with multiple checks by clinical faculty to ensure quality. Just a suggestion....

phoenixdds26. Congrats on your pending vocation. My wife and I still visit our DD dental school for our treatments. A couple of the docs/instructors who became mentors still keep in contact with our daughter. We get great care and as you say, about 1/2 off all the price.

[Minntoaz]

Originally Posted by phoenixdds26

Just a suggesstion, as a current dental student. If time is not a concern, I would suggest going to either Arizona School of Dentistry in Mesa or Midwestern University School of Dentistry in Glendale. The dental schools offer top-notch care, excellent clinical professors and oversight and you are helping us student hone our skills. The idea is not to make a profit so fees are 50% of private practice and the technology is next to none. Everything is done with multiple checks by clinical faculty to ensure quality. Just a suggestion....

Good to know! Do they do whitening as well? Also as someone that works with patients who may need these services are services paid purely out of pocket or can state insurance or private insurance be utilized (assuming the former as that’s why it’s cheaper)?

[phoenixdds26]

All services are provided, including whitening trays and other cosmetic procedures. And yes AHCCCS is taken along with all other insurances.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by Minntoaz

Good to know! Do they do whitening as well? Also as someone that works with patients who may need these services are services paid purely out of pocket or can state insurance or private insurance be utilized (assuming the former as that’s why it’s cheaper)?

MNtoAZ. JUST in case you are thinking of going to the U of MN (which is the only dental school in MN), be more careful as the students don't log nearly as many clinical hours. Our DD was accepted there but passed because of that fact. Her UofMN UG classmates/dental club friends openly discuss of this deficiency.

While our daughter was studying her options, my wife went to the U of MN to get a crown to check out the school to give her feedback. The experience was "painful". Not to the nerves but the HOURS and multiple trips back and forth. For us, we still go because we are creatures of habit, cheap, and like to help her school thrive for future dentists. Plus, one of the schools hygienists who is an employee of the school is the best hygienist my wife and I have ever had. She ROCKS!

[Voebe]

Originally Posted by phoenixdds26

Just a suggesstion, as a current dental student. If time is not a concern, I would suggest going to either Arizona School of Dentistry in Mesa or Midwestern University School of Dentistry in Glendale. The dental schools offer top-notch care, excellent clinical professors and oversight and you are helping us student hone our skills. The idea is not to make a profit so fees are 50% of private practice and the technology is next to none. Everything is done with multiple checks by clinical faculty to ensure quality. Just a suggestion....

I actually asked around about dental schools, which I consider to be a good stop-gap while searching for a permanent dentist. And I like the idea of being helpful by letting students practice on me. But apart from the difficulty of getting information from clueless staff, and calls not being returned, they often expect you to dedicate something like 6-8 hours, often in two visits, for a simple cleaning.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by Voebe

I actually asked around about dental schools, which I consider to be a good stop-gap while searching for a permanent dentist. And I like the idea of being helpful by letting students practice on me. But apart from the difficulty of getting information from clueless staff, and calls not being returned, they often expect you to dedicate something like 6-8 hours, often in two visits, for a simple cleaning.

Actually, dentists don't do cleanings. Only hygienists. And the hygienist are employees of the school. So when I get my cleanings, I get an exam from an up-and-coming dentist (4th year) who is working with a 3rd year pending dentist. The cleanings are done by the hygienist no different than a regular office. Then, the staff who is a dentist (AND those students are working under their dental license of the staff) checks over the work of the pending dentist/student. In other words, add about 15 minutes tops to the process over your traditional dental experience. Notice how I never said "hygenist student". Because it is a dental (dentist) school.

Now if you are getting a cavity, that might take an extra hour (if that). Things like Crown's will take an extra trip and take longer. That's because the students are slow and the dentist they are working under (the staff) are walking them through the procedure.

[phx32]

Dr. Don McAdams, McAdams Family Dentistry. I had this same concern having been through dental trauma as a teenager without dental insurance.

He is known for gentle dentistry, I send everyone I know to him. All of the hygienists are very gentle too. They are the best in town, by far. He is also one of the nicest people you'll ever meet!

[Voebe]

Originally Posted by MN-Born-n-Raised

Actually, dentists don't do cleanings. Only hygienists. And the hygienist are employees of the school. So when I get my cleanings, I get an exam from an up-and-coming dentist (4th year) who is working with a 3rd year pending dentist. The cleanings are done by the hygienist no different than a regular office. Then, the staff who is a dentist (AND those students are working under their dental license of the staff) checks over the work of the pending dentist/student. In other words, add about 15 minutes tops to the process over your traditional dental experience. Notice how I never said "hygenist student". Because it is a dental (dentist) school.

Now if you are getting a cavity, that might take an extra hour (if that). Things like Crown's will take an extra trip and take longer. That's because the students are slow and the dentist they are working under (the staff) are walking them through the procedure.

No, I'm talking about schools where the volunteer patients are told to expect a routine cleaning to take several hours, maybe even involving two visits. If you know places with a more reasonable time frame, I'd be happy to know about them.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by Voebe

No, I'm talking about schools where the volunteer patients are told to expect a routine cleaning to take several hours, maybe even involving two visits. If you know places with a more reasonable time frame, I'd be happy to know about them.

I don't think we are using the same nomenclature. Dental schools produce dentists (the drill-and-fill people). Dental schools don't take two visits to clean teeth. Rather, they offer experienced licensed hygienists as part of the service. AND, they offer discounts as compared to going to a regular dentist. My last 5 visits to a dental school (while scheduling with the same AWESOME hygenist) is discounted as compared to my local dentist. During that visit, the student dentist (notice I didn't say student hygienist) looks you over. As in checking for lumps, deep pockets, cavities, crowns, etc. Then, the licensed dentist (teacher/staff) double-checks the dental students work

You are referring to dental hygenist schools. I've never been there. And phoenixdds26 (who is a full fledge dentist with 4 years undergrad, 4 years dental school) is working becoming to be a dental specialist (another multi-year adventure). We both are recommending dental schools. There is a grand total of 67 dental schools in the entire USA. One is located in Mesa and the other in Glendale. That's it. To see the entire USA list, see https://www.asdanet.org/index/get-in...dental-schools

Dental colleges are spendy. Actually, MORE expensive than medical school. At Midwestern as an example, a "mere" $82K a year x 4 years plus living expenses. So the discounted fees definitely subsidize the tuition costs.

[Voebe]

Originally Posted by MN-Born-n-Raised

I don't think we are using the same nomenclature. Dental schools produce dentists (the drill-and-fill people). Dental schools don't take two visits to clean teeth. Rather, they offer experienced licensed hygienists as part of the service. AND, they offer discounts as compared to going to a regular dentist. My last 5 visits to a dental school (while scheduling with the same AWESOME hygenist) is discounted as compared to my local dentist. During that visit, the student dentist (notice I didn't say student hygienist) looks you over. As in checking for lumps, deep pockets, cavities, crowns, etc. Then, the licensed dentist (teacher/staff) double-checks the dental students work

You are referring to dental hygenist schools. I've never been there. And phoenixdds26 (who is a full fledge dentist with 4 years undergrad, 4 years dental school) is working becoming to be a dental specialist (another multi-year adventure). We both are recommending dental schools. There is a grand total of 67 dental schools in the entire USA. One is located in Mesa and the other in Glendale. That's it. To see the entire USA list, see https://www.asdanet.org/index/get-in...dental-schools

Dental colleges are spendy. Actually, MORE expensive than medical school. At Midwestern as an example, a "mere" $82K a year x 4 years plus living expenses. So the discounted fees definitely subsidize the tuition costs.

I don't give a damn what the person doing the cleaning terms himself/herself. I'm just asking about cleanings that don't take six hours. I think I talked to both those schools locally, and they warned me that it would take several hours.

By the way, I'm not going to get into an argument about terminology, but there are certainly other options beyond that list, because I've been to one.