My childhood memories of the dentist’s office include the cool fish tank in the waiting room, the taste of the fluoride rinse, and getting to choose a prize from the treasure box at the end of each visit. My dentist Dr. Mark was a wonderful man and I’m so thankful that my parents were able to get us good dental care.
My adult memories of the dentist have not been as pleasant. When we moved to Long Island ten years ago, Jer and I both spent quite a bit of time trying out different dentists and having some pretty awful experiences. Thankfully, just over a year ago, we finally found a wonderful dentist, Dr. Sal at Bella Smiles. He currently has two offices, one in Nesconset and one in Riverhead. We visit the Riverhead location. It’s such a nice, clean and beautiful office and just has a warm and inviting feel to it.
The kids and I came right after school so Christian worked on his homework while we waited.
The sweet receptionist offered us coffee or tea while we waited. If I were a coffee or tea drinker, I would have totally had one. It’s just nice little touches like this that make me enjoy this office so much. On that note, the bathroom was really cool as well and had a fun basket of toothbrushes and mouth rinse. I would have taken a picture, but thought it might be a bit strange to take my camera to the bathroom, so you’ll just have to take my word for it.
Melissa, our friend and dental hygienist called us in shortly after we arrived. She is just so sweet and friendly and is absolutely amazing with the kids too. She told them everything that she was doing and made the visit fun. Ellee loves the dentist and I know that Melissa is a big part of the reason why.
The other part might be the television with the kids shows that she gets to watch while she gets her teeth cleaned.
And the final part of that might be when Melissa has her “kiss” the suction tool which clears all of the water in her mouth. It’s a fun and she giggled each time.
We all had cleanings and check ups today. Thankfully Christian was willing to wait patiently while his sister had her turn.
Once the cleaning and fluoride treatments were finished, Dr. Sal came in to do the exams. He is just so kind and has such a calming presence. If you have ever had a fear of the dentist, Dr. Sal is certainly someone that you would want to see. I’ve definitely been there and for me, I have much less anxiety about dentists since we’ve been gone to Dr. Sal at Bella Smiles.
Bella Smiles also has a treasure box and when we were all done, the kids got to pick out a prize. Melissa also threw in a pair of gloves which Ellee was absolutely delighted about. If you are local and in need of an amazing dentist, I would highly, highly recommend Dr. Sal at Bella Smiles. His office is so friendly and every member of his staff is wonderful and so helpful. I know that our family is very thankful that we are able to go there.
Another perk with Bella Smiles is that it is located right behind the Panera Bread in Riverhead. So, after our visit, we headed there for an early dinner. Oh, and in case you were wondering, most all of us received a good bill of health. Christian has a small cavity that we will get filled in a few weeks. I’m thankful for a good visit and again, if you are in the area and looking for a great dentist, give Dr. Sal a call!
Laura Herr Photography 