Really hoping that the third time's the charm

I'm almost afraid to write about it, in case doing so will jinx my experience, but I think - I think! - I may finally have found a good dentist.

To recap, my first dentist in LA had a hygienist that hit on me, and the second dentist was more like a sleazy car salesman. Frustrated and fearful of yet another dental dilemma, I've avoided getting my teeth cleaned for - wait for it - more than a year and a half. (That small earthquake you felt just now was me shuddering at myself. Ugh.) Every recommendation I'd gotten from friends didn't take my insurance, and I didn't want to just pick a name out of the phone book. That's what I'd done the last two times, and clearly, that plan proved to be flawed.

Finally, about a month ago, I made it a goal to make an appointment by the end of the year. I pulled up the Blue Shield website, started searching through the dentists on my plan, and then suddenly realized I had, at my immediate disposal, one of the most powerful tools known to man - the Internet.

(What I didn't have: the common sense that would have thought of this a year ago.)

First I used the insurance website to pull up every dentist within a five-mile radius. Then I Googled every single one. Most of the search results just pulled up Citysearch maps and other page fillers with the company's address and phone number. A few pulled up full-blown, fancy Flash-enhanced company websites. But what I was searching for was consumer reviews. And you would never believe what I found.

Pages of rants against dentists who tried to upsell patients on unnecessary work, who acted like shysters or just provided poor service. I couldn't find anything on my last dentist, but the reviews of so many others were so identical to my experience, I had to wonder - did every dentist in LA take a weekend course in Sleazebag? Are rents here that high, or competition so strong, that the only way dentists can make money is by duping their patients? My stomach sunk in disgust, and I started to consider going back to my first dentist. I'd rather deal with the hygienist who hit on me than wonder if I'm getting ripped off.

I persevered, though, and ended up in some forum on Yelp. There, among the "Best Dentists" I found one with ten positive reviews. NO negative reviews. And to my surprise, the office was next door to my apartment. Next freaking door!

Naturally, when I cross-referenced her with my insurance plan, she didn't come up. But I was desperate. I had been searching for three hours at this point - at work - and it was the first listing that gave me any hope. I called the office, gave them my info, and was granted with good news in return.

I walked to the office this morning, which meant I could sleep in and also skip paying for parking. (I had a doctor's appointment last week and the parking was more than my co-pay!) The office was pristine, the receptionist friendly and competent, and the dentist lovely - intelligent and warm and professional. I asked her the same questions about my teeth that I asked the last guy, and she gave me completely different feedback That actually made me happy because it confirmed my impression that he was a hack just out to make a buck. Trust your gut, people! I watched an episode of Friends on the flat screen overhead, but missed the ending because the cleaning was just that efficient. Best of all? No cavities.

Like I said, I'm sure I'm jinxing myself by writing this. Maybe I'll find out that my insurance isn't accepted after all, or maybe the dentist will be so impressed with my perfect teeth, she'll hit on me next time. But for now, I am just happy to have made it out of the office without incident - and that is something to smile about.