Yes, I am crushing on my dentist.
Allow me to explain.
Teeth are a serious business for me. Not because I am a total narcissist (well, not only), but because I spent four and a quarter years in braces and even if I live to be a 100 that constant torture will have lasted over 1/25th of my life, so I need to made it count.
(Actually, my orthodontist was life-changingly amazing and turned me from an outcast freak into the handsomeness you see today, but that’s for another Crushing On.)
The year before our wedding I chipped one of my front teeth at lunch and completely FREAKED OUT. My front teeth, y’all.
Meet my dentist. I am in love with her. It is a totally platonic, dental relationship.
One of our friends had just had major dental reconstruction and had referred E to Dr. Deborah E. Backiel, whose office is directly across from the clothespin in Center City.
That’s only a few blocks from my office. I called in a panic. “I know I’m not your patient,” I pleaded, “but my friends swear by you and I chipped my front tooth and I’M FREAKING OUT.”
They had me come in the same day and Dr. Backiel filed away the chip. I can’t even tell where it was.
That was the beginning of my love affair with Dr. Backiel. She is an amazing dentist (degreed by UPenn), incredibly empathetic, and honestly just a charming person to talk to. She explains things in a way you can easily understand before flipping to technical jargon with her staff. You get the sense that she has found her calling and thrills in being great at it. And, not for nothing, but my totally dental-phobic wife visits her without hesitation.
Not only is Dr. Backiel an amazing dentist, but she runs an incredible office. I think the longest I’ve ever waited has been twelve minutes. All of her dental techs are fantastic. Everything is digital and you get to see your X-Rays and problems spots live in front of you, entirely removing the mystery of dentistry. They are upfront about how much everything costs based on your insurance. They are unrealistically accommodating of emergencies and schedule changes. You get a reminder email the day before an appointment (soon, text messages!).
Seriously, guys, I am in love with my dentist. I want to shout it from the rooftops. Every time I get a second of free time while I’m in the chair I tweet that people who don’t like their dentists need to visit her. One time she asked me what I was doing on my phone and I told her, and she said, “awww, aren’t you so sweet!”
I have now referred nearly a dozen friends to her, and every single person comes back with the same glowing endorsement. I’m always afraid if she gets too popular that the wait times will increase or the service will decline but, you know what, she deserves to be popular. I can’t imagine that there is a better dental office anywhere in the Philly city limits.
PS: I don’t get any kind of referral bonus I’m aware of – this post is purely out of love – but if you visit please let her know I sent you.