A Note from Dr. Kim Walter
It has been my experience over the past 30 years that two things generally deter people from going to the dentist: pain and cost. Here at The Mill Creek Dentist, my team and I have taken great strides to mitigate both of these concerns.
The Mill Creek Dentist Uses the Painless Wand® Injection System
Many dental offices do not adequately control the pain a patient may experience when having work done. This often is caused by the dentist not giving the patient enough anesthetic. Traditionally, dental anesthetic comes in doses of exactly 1.8 ml of solution given for an injection. Formulations can differ slightly, but the volume does not. When a conventional syringe is used (the vast majority of dentists do this) only 1.8 ml of solution is used per needle stick. Most people do not want multiple needle sticks, so a dentist must decide whether to give you another needle stick or try to proceed with only 1.8 ml of anesthetic solution. For many procedures, this is simply not enough.
My answer to these dilemmas is to use a product called the Wand. It is a computer-driven injection delivery system that allows multiple doses of anesthetic of slightly varying formulations to ensure maximum anesthesia more comfortably with a single needle stick. While the technology is expensive, in my opinion, every dentist should use it.
Some dentists think the Wand is too slow (the computer forces the dentist to inject at the proper flow rate, which tends to be slower than the rate most dentists inject). An injection with a flow rate that is too fast can be painful and unsafe.
I believe getting a patient adequately numb with as much comfort as possible before drilling is one of the most important things that I do!
The Mill Creek Dentist Makes Dentistry Affordable
Many people believe that going to a dentist can be too expensive. Let me explain what I do to control expense for you, the patient. Much of the equipment and many of the supplies we use are very expensive and we want the best staff and training available, so many costs are unavoidable. What I can do, however, is to minimize having to send you to a specialist. I have been trained to do most root canals, extractions, and implants, as well as Invisalign® for straightening teeth.
Perhaps the biggest controller of cost, is my philosophy of practice. It is “treat every patient exactly how I would want to be treated.” The short version is “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” I would rather have a large number of patients in my practice who each need relatively fewer procedures than fewer patients with more procedures per patient. I am very lucky in that I do see a large number of patients. It keeps me very busy (I like that) but means that I am never looking for extra work to do.
Another complaint I hear from patients is “The dentist never listens to me.” There are some dentists I know whose attitude is “it’s my way or the highway.” At the Mill Creek Dentist, this is never the case. I am here to help you. There are a lot of ways to achieve your goals. I will listen. You are ultimately in charge.
I hope this information helps to put you at ease when it comes to considering the Mill Creek Dentist for all your dental needs. My team and I look forward to welcoming you to our dental family and working with you toward optimal oral health for years of healthy, beautiful smiles!
Our Philosophy of Practice
I have been very fortunate to practice in this wonderful profession since I graduated from dental school in 1979. Over the years I have been blessed to be surrounded by caring, professional coworkers who I believe share a common philosophy. We are here to earn and keep your trust. We put your dental care first on our list of priorities and want you to feel you are an equal partner in determining what is best for your dental health. We are lucky to have attracted a lot of loyal patients over the years and because of that we can be very conservative and cautious when it comes to treatment recommendations. We recognize we are health care providers who are in the customer service business and you have a lot of choices when deciding which dental office to make your own.
Learn more about or core principles of care.
We welcome you to give us a call and consider joining our family of patients!