I took this morning off from work in order to drive Anna to the posh Sorrento Valley offices of Dr. Howard Dixon, which was recommended to me as the best pediatric dentist ever. The practice consists entirely of pediatric dentists, and the office lobby gives good indication. No fewer than six PlayStations and one Duplo-block play area are available for patient use. The staff is cheerful and child-friendly, and Anna, who is quite shy around new people, was fairly comfortable with each new person she met.

After filling out some paperwork, D. led us back to an exam room. She spoke with Anna in a very friendly manner, and clearly knew how to establish rapport with a child. She looked in Anna’s mouth a little, and demonstrated how the chair goes up and down so that she wouldn’t be startled by it later. She took Anna’s picture, and gave her a pack of stick-on earrings for having such a lovely smile. We read and waited for Dr. Dixon.

When Dr. Dixon finally showed up, he exhibited a similar friendly manner and counted and examined Anna’s teeth with a mirror and metal probe. Anna cooperated perfectly. When Dr. Dixon arrived at the tooth which I had astutely identified as having a huge hole, he casually scraped out a small black chunk, which he wiped on the back of his latex glove and kept on counting and examining, after which he asked, “Now where was this hole you were talking about?”

The feeling of relief that I would not be spending my nights comforting a toddler with an aching tooth outweighed the embarrassment of pointing out the “cavity” which now infected his glove. Anna’s teeth are in excellent condition, with the caveat that she has a small chip on one of her front teeth, which we knew about, and also her bite has some condition by which her upper teeth completely cover her lower teeth. Dr. Dixon indicated this would have “orthodontic implications,” which I think is dentist-speak for “there is a second mortgage in your future.”

I was also relieved that the cost of the visit was only $59, which was much less than I was expecting, considering that we currently do not have dental insurance for Anna. For that kind of peace of mind, $59 and some pride is a bargain.