Shout out to my "Designer Dentist"

Designer because Dr. Anesko saved me from a world of hurt caused by shady dentist #1 (yes, I should have listened to my gut that told me there was something wrong with a dental practice being the basement of a Sears that didn't have a consistent water supply. But in my defense, they were a preferred provider as listed on my insurance company's website); restored my confidence in the profession; have really nice offices and state-of-the-art technology (digital x-rays, anyone?) on Michigan Avenue; AND, given recent UK dental experiences, reinforced that there is a lot to be desired about socialized medicine (so attention people who want to do away with the current US health system-- while there are certainly major flaws that need to be sorted, there's no one single solution to make it all better; it has to be some kind of collaboration between public and private. Not to mention, socialized medicine does not translate to FREE health care; it translates to equal access. You still pay for it through the tax system-- and take it from someone who's currently seeing a more than 20% of her salary going to health care services that I use infrequently at best. It's no fun. But, as per usual, I digress...).

I've blogged about my dentist in the past, but in light of recent unhappy events (including teeth that are still sore), have been fondly remembering the great customer experience at Water Tower Dental Care. Not only are they completely patient-focused, they're also so genuinely nice and actually care about your well-being. Not to mention they're state-of-the art and inspire complete confidence.

One of the things that struck me right from the beginning is that it's not just a business for them-- they're committed to patients and giving back to both the community they serve AND to those less fortunate around the world. The first month I visited they were offering teeth whitening services but 100% of your payment went to a local children's charity that provided free dental services to underprivileged children. In fact, I wrote the check directly to the charity and got to claim it on my taxes that year. They also do missionary trips to provide free dental services in areas of the world where dentistry is not up to par. I mean, how cool are they?

So, just a shout out to my friends at WTDC-- I miss you guys! And to all my Chicago friends (or even people just passing through Chicago!), go see them! You won't be sorry.