Dr. Okamura & her staff have been servicing my ENTIRE family's dental needs since before I was born. I'm quite literally the 3rd generation to have her as my dentist.
- No matter what the (dental) problem, Dr. Okamura will either be able to solve it for you, or refer you to someone who can (& whom also meets her exceptionally high standards for dental work). I've had everything from cavities to actually cracked (we're talking straight all the way through) teeth from sports fixed here. Dr. Okamura even collaborated with my Orthodontist when I had to get braces way back in the day.
- Dental fears/dental phobias?
No problem. Kim Okamura DDS is one of those dental offices where when you walk in, you get confused for a second because it kind of looks like a spa (there's even complimentary tea, coffee & bottles of water in the waiting area). There's no march of death down the long fluorescent-lit hallway towards the torture chamber; there's no ominous, brown nylon-covered chairs in windowless rooms resembling prison cells. The whole office is actually really well lit (both w/natural lighting & overhead lights), & the exam rooms have nice big windows (that aren't low enough for pedestrians to peek in). The exam chairs even have memory-foam cushions, head/neck rests, & one room I think may even have a massage unit on the chair.
If you're cold, they'll give you a blanket.
If you're exhausted, you can sleep through your appointment (if you're able) & not worry about being reprimanded at when you wake up.
If you're totally & completely freaked out by the dentist, they'll ask you what calms you down. If you say music, they'll suggest that you listen to your MP3 player/iPod while they work on your teeth (no lie).
- The Staff:
*Colleen is the woman who helps Dr. Okamura when I have to get the occasional filling done. You can tell she's really ""on it"" and that these two have worked together for a long time because I've noticed that there's very few times (if any) when Dr. Okamura has to ask for something Colleen doesn't have prepared. It really helps the appointment to go faster & smoother (& who likes being in the dental chair any longer than necessary, am I right?)
* Dr. Okamura is one of those people who chose her profession for all the right reasons. She is one of those people who decided to dedicate herself to something she loves, & that passion really shows through the quality of her work. I've had cavities filled, retainers made, bite-guards made, crowns installed, quite a battery of different services performed by her & I never left uncomfortable or disappointed. You see her at least once for every appointment you make, and as you'll find out pretty quick, she's surprisingly personable for a healthcare professional. An odd thing to say, I know, but she's one of those dentists that remembers details about you, things you've told her like, you don't like the taste of mint, you bike everywhere, that you went on a long vacation to the Indies, etc. When you come in, she'll talk with you like you were an old acquaintance, rather than a walking cavity that needs filling. It's this warm approach that causes me to send my dental-phobic friends to her. She sees you as a person, first and a ""patient"" second, which is especially important when you're trying to tell her what you want & why you want it (for certain dental procedures) because she really listens.
more