Inhalation Sedation. A Powerful Testimonial

This is self-explanatory, humbling and gratifying.  I believe there are general lessons to be learned by all dentists here. Maybe some I haven't thought of. Probably one of the most powerful testimonials I have received.

The background is that my wife Chris Charon RDN (Cert. Dental Sedation Nursing) has been the receptionist and practice manager of my practice from 1989 until her retirement,  24 years later, in Sept.2013, a year after the practice was sold. I shall be retiring from the practice at the end of October 2014.  All of the exclamations and punctuation are those of the patient

========================================================================

Richard and Chris Charon

Newbury Smile Studio

15^th Feb 2014

Dear Richard and  Chris

I have been long overdue in writing and thanking you for everything you have dome for me over the last few years. Chris probably doesn’t remember but the first time I called I had had the most horrible experience at my previous dentist and ended up bursting into tears on the phone! Chris was so kind and patient and understanding. I instantly felt confident that I had found someone who understands how it feels  to be genuinely terrified of going to the dentist.

Thanks to you, for the first time in forty years I have not been afraid of going to the dentist.  Dentist appointments used to be preceded by sleepless nights and anxiety of epic proportion! The combination of your thoughtful, calming, sensitive approach, along with the option for inhalation sedation have made visiting the dentist a relaxed and stress-free event.

Much as I would like you to remain my dentist forever, I did finally feel brave enough to consider no longer doing the three hour round trip from my home in Surrey to your practice but instead to investigate the possibility of finding a local dentist.

After a bit of searching I finally found a local dentist who seemed to exhibit a similar understanding of nervous patients (and offered inhalation Sedation!) and I made an appointment for a consultation a couple of weeks ago.  Whilst the practice is nowhere near as nice as yours (!) the consultation went well and I feel confident enough in the practice to write to you and let you know that I have my name to heir list of patients…..

…. I am pretty sure that when we do something every day it becomes easy to forget how our actions can impact others. I hope that my letter reminds you how significant your actions have been to me and how much you have both been appreciated.  I have no doubt that there are many others out there that echo my sentiments.

I wish you both happiness and future success – do enjoy retirement- you have both earned it.

Your sincerely

Adele Grandon

Addendum:

Dear Richard, 

Thank you for your very nice response!

You are most welcome to use any part of my letter as you choose, and I am quite happy for you to identify me by name – anonymous words rarely carry the same weight.  If it helps encourage just one dentist to offer more supportive and effective services, it would be very worthwhile.  On that note, if there is anything that I can do, as a patient, to ‘further the cause’ (for want of a better description), please do feel free to contact me in the future.

My very best regards,

Adele