Aiken Carol L DDS

"good"

"Nonjudgmental. Solutions focused. Honest. No upsells. I am someone who neglected my dental health for years. It was bad. It was partially due to CSA and other SA related trauma. For some people, SA leads to poor hygiene habits, e.g. issues showering on a regular schedule. I did not brush my teeth regularly, to put it lightly. My teeth hurt. I knew I needed to get help. Carol Aiken and her team focused on solutions and future prevention of problems, rather than shaming me for my past. I was open about my past (to explain why I had the issue, and that I'm not afraid of dentists) and they understood exactly what I was talking about. Carol gave me a quote as well as the plan of attack for filling my cavities. She followed the plan to a T and not only took care of the issues she'd identified, but kept an eye out for any issues that were worsening. For instance, one cavity was getting worse at a much higher rate than another, so the priority order for the fillings was changed accordingly. I had to ask them a lot of basic questions that I didn't have the life skills for. For example, how to brush my teeth properly in terms of technique. How to floss. How to hit the backs of my upper teeth which were the areas I had cavities in. They were not patronizing. They were patient and professional. Genuinely there are no upsells. I wanted tooth whitening. Carol told me look — let’s focus on the actual health of your teeth first and then we can revisit that topic. I literally solicited an additional service and she was honest and told me it wasn’t an essential part of the dental health plan in my case. Find me another dentist who does that. Or don’t. Because I love this dental office so much."

"I've been a patient of Dr. Aiken's for 6 years now, and obviously things are very different these days. The Dentist is one of the few places where you're not only not able to wear a mask, but you are actively at an increased risk of spreading or getting something. Today, I had my cleaning, and was really blown away. The care for safety and cleanliness was extremely high. My temp was taken before I was allowed in. I was the only person there. There was new equipment to help limit the spread of things (like a vacuum device put near my mouth whenever spraying was a risk - not the suction tube they always use, but a larger, broader thing). Sterility was clear, but so was care for me as a human being (as always, though perhaps more critical these days). Also, usually, if something is found during a cleaning, most dentists ask you to schedule time to come back to take care of it. Dr. Aiken handled it on the spot, recognizing that it is not convenient to have to come in a second time, nor does it feel good knowing a problem in my teeth could be getting worse while I wait for her schedule to open up. I've had 2 dentists do that before, and minor, early-warning signs blew up into full-blown cavities (not to mention the additional time off of work I needed to take since I had to come back). Dr. Aiken has been and will be my favorite dentist. I trust her, I appreciate her staff, and I feel well-taken care."