CLOSE
I did not know that I had found dental heaven when I stumbled upon the Gary and Mary West Senior Dental Center. This is far and away the best dental office I have ever been in.
I have spent much time in dental offices ever since I was diagnosed with a type of cancer that required two months worth of daily radiation doses to my mouth and neck. Ever since then (2015) I have had a challenging time keeping teeth in my mouth. Before treatment ever begins, they tell you that you will have trouble with your mouth and with your teeth and with doing things like swallowing and chewing. Some of these problems stem from the fact that the salivary glands receive much of this radiation, even though they try not to target them. But they are right in the way of the things that they do want to receive high dose levels. So it’s unavoidable. But now since I have been declared cancer-free and I am still alive and doing reasonably well, these challenges don’t bother me as much as they might bother most folks my age.
My previous dentist, God bless him, told me recently, after years of valiantly fighting a difficult battle in my mouth, he said, “You know, it’s a miracle that you still have as many teeth in your mouth as you still do.” This was funny, but unfortunately, not hyperbole.
I moved to San Diego not long after the height of the pandemic deaths, during which I avoided dental offices altogether, because I was considered ‘at risk’ due to my age and being a cancer survivor. So I cannot adequately convey the sense of gratitude that I felt upon finding this office, especially because it seemed like it was purely by chance. When I got home from my very first visit, I was literally thanking God for them. This sense of gratitude rose up on its own because of my previous challenges.
This is a well-run office in a nice space with a staff that makes you feel genuinely cared for. And they even play the best jazz music on speakers that are of obviously decent quality. This is why I feel like I had died and gone to dental heaven.
Joseph, Age 64
