Dr Peter Greer, BOH Dental
This is an enormous shout out of appreciation to my dentist, Dr Peter Greer from BOH Dental in Brisbane City.
Now, I know most people wouldn’t place going to the dentist amongst their list of fun things to do….I totally understand. I have had horrible dental experiences….for example, one time a dentist gave me a couple of valium and then proceeded to try and pull my lip over my head leveraging his pliers with his knee on my chest in an attempt to pull out impacted wisdom teeth. He then proceeded to tell me to harden up and that it wasn’t that bad. I’m surprised I even ventured near another dentist.
For the last 10 years or so though, I have gone to the most fabulous Peter Greer for my dental work. I was referred to him because he is a prosthodontist (what a bloody mouthful – I have mistakenly called him a periodontist or gum disease specialist or up until today, when he politely set me straight)…… and I needed some tricky crown work to be done when I was 6 months pregnant. Just what you want to get done when you are pregnant – just get a couple of crowns popped in there for good measure.
Now, I know this sounds insane, but this is what happened. I went to see him – he has, second to none I have met before, the most beautiful “bedside/chairside” manner….he is just a lovely, gentle fellow who is non-judgmental, with a relaxed sense of humour. Just delightful really. Of course, he is fully conversant in “dentalese” – the language all patients speak when they have a fist full of cotton wool, dental tools and fingers in their mouth – which serves the doctor/patient relationship well during proceedings….I digress….
So….I go in for my two crowns and, understandably was a little concerned about the entire procedure. Well, a couple of hours later when the procedure was finished, I am happy to report, I left in great spirits, happier than when I came in (not just because the procedure was over), but believe it or not, it was almost to the point where some parts were almost enjoyable….I know that sounds ridiculous even as I write it, but it’s how I felt.
Now, back to today…so, because I no longer work in the city, I thought, for general dental, cleans, check-ups and fillings etc, it would make more sense for me to see someone local. Well, I did that. I had the local dentist give me a good clean, and went back to have three of my old fillings, which were past their used by date, replaced. Clearly I ate too much sugar in primary school and didn’t brush my teeth properly…I know…that’s another story.
So, I get the filings. The local dentist actually did a brilliant job of sticking that needle in to make my gum numb (that rhymes….hee hee)….then she did the filings. I mentioned to her that they felt “rough”. She said they would smooth down and it was just because they were new. I thought this unusual and didn’t really buy into it. She also said I needed a crown on one of my bottom teeth and would l like to book in. Now, going to the local dentist to get a crown rather than going to Peter would probably save me around $1,000. Let me be clear – Pete is a prosthodontist (they specialise in reconstructing worn and damaged teeth, replacing missing teeth and the like)… prosthodontists are not cheap. Pete is, however, bloody good. My intuition was telling me to go to Peter – the fillings didn’t feel smooth, like they should and I had felt some sensitivity with one of them also, so, I booked an appointment with Peter. Well, to be honest, I booked four appointments because he does things just so, and that’s how many times it takes to check and recheck that everything is correct when he puts in a crown. This man leaves no stone unturned when it comes to teeth.
I rocked up to the first appointment today. It was so good to see Peter again. He knows my teeth. He knows his stuff. “No” he says. I don’t see any change in that tooth from what I have seen before. Wait until you get some symptomology and then we can have another look.
“Phew!” I say. Then I ask “My new fillings feel rough. Are they meant to be like that?”.
“No” he says “Do you want me to smooth them off?”.
“Absolutely!” I say.
Then after a bit of whir and a grind, my tongue reaches up to probe the once rough teeth and, as if by magic, they are smooth and lovely to the touch!
After a chat with the lovely dental assistant, Peter sends me on my way and comes out personally to speak to the admin person (like he does every time….it’s just lovely) to say that she can cancel my next three appointments and then he says “Goodbye” with that huge, friendly smile and says he’s off to have some morning tea (most likely because he has a bit of time up his sleeve since we didn’t need to do the first of a procedure involving the crown!). I let him know that he was welcome!
So, just a delightful morning at the dentist. I got to take a train trip into the city (I actually don’t mind the train), visit a reliable, skilful professional who magically fixed my teeth up and was relieved to know that I only had to pay $200 rather than $2,000+ (for the moment anyway….) for the privilege (and it is a privilege).
So, I just wanted everyone to know, the dentist can be pleasant, even if the work being done is not always. It’s also been worth every cent I have paid to Peter Greer over the years at specialist prices (although, Peter, if you are reading this, I would still appreciate the discount when the time comes to get the crown please……..that’s not a joke by the way…..in case you are reading this…..).
If you live in Brisbane and want an outstanding dentist, go to Dr Peter Greer at BOH Dental. It will be worth it.
…..doesn’t he look friendly….even for a dentist…I mean prosthodontist. For the record, he apparently also likes sailing, windsurfing, woodwork and fishing…..