You’ve likely seen them popping up in every strip mall or shopping center around the nation. Big box, or corporate, dental practices that often share their names with popular trees, fruits or generic nouns are chains of dental offices that operate much like a fast-food restaurant compared to a sit-down restaurant – in other words, very different from a private practice.
In a corporate dental office (the fast-food option in this analogy), there are several dentists, and you may see a different one each time you come. There are many hygienists, and usually a high turnaround rate means you may not ever see the same one twice. The appointments are quick, to the point and relatively low cost.
One the other hand, a private practice (the sit-down restaurant) offers one dentist and a familiar team that you see every time. Their high-touch approach to personalized care means that everyone most likely knows your name, and if they don’t, they make it a point to learn it and remember it. Your appointment lasts as long as you need it to in order to feel comfortable and have all your questions answered and concerns addressed.
Corporate dental practices may seem appealing because of their cheaper prices, but you lose out on so much a private practice or neighborhood dentist, like Dr. Norman, has to offer. For instance, most big corporation dental practices or chains only schedule a 30- or 45-minute block per patient. If there are additional questions or concerns, you may feel rushed and like you don’t have the time to fully discuss all you need to with your dentist. This is often how they keep their prices lower – by bringing in as many patients per day as possible.
Dr. Norman and her team pride themselves on the highest quality of care with a team that truly cares about each and every patient and their families. If you’d like to know more about our practice or would like to schedule an appointment, call us today at (425) 320-3168.
