I said several more times that we had discussed the matter with my daughter's doctor, and would take our recommendations on nursing from the doctor. I finally said that we were there to have him look at my daughter's teeth, so could he please examine her for any tooth decay? I am capable of doing my own research on breastfeeding, and will ask my pediatrician if I have any questions.
**Breastfeeding moms note: this office is NOT supportive of breastfeeding.**
They make you feel very comfortable and at home which makes it a fun experience for the kids instead of a scary one.
Then he had the nerve to include "nutritional counseling" as a line item on our bill.
Dr Williams went on to tell me that nursing "has no nutritional benefit at this age", a claim that has been widely disproved. I told him as much, and he interrupted me to ask if my daughter eats "baby food." She eats regular food, in fact, but we have discussed with her pediatrician the benefits of continued nursing to her developing digestive system.
I love Southeast Smiles! All of the staff there is very friendly and helpful and answer any questions I may have! Definitely recommend it!
We're did dr. Merkley go?
He ignored this, and continued to berate me for nursing, without looking at my daughter's teeth. He told me that nursing would increase her chances of getting ear infections, which is both the exact opposite of what every medical study says, and the exact opposite of our own experience (my daughter has never had an ear infection).
Now, the bad. In summary: the dentist we saw made recommendations that contradict major medical organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the American Dental Association (ADA), as well as our own pediatrician. The dentist we saw was unprofessional and overbearing, and the lecture he subjected me to bordered on harassment. The recommendations he made were outside his areas of expertise, contradicted recent medical studies, and seemed to be based on his personal opinion.
He accused me of nursing only for my own emotional benefit, and then told me I was only serving as a pacifier. I found this condescending and humiliating, and was stunned that a medical professional would speak to me in this way. He recommended switching to a plastic pacifier instead, which I told him contradicted what I had read about pacifier use on the American Dental Association website.
Note that none of the arguments he gave me against nursing had anything to do with teeth or oral health, and in one case contradicted ADA recommendations about oral health.
Dr Williams concluded the appointment by equating breastfeeding with an anecdote about a mom who gave her child "five cups of Mountain Dew" every night before bed and didn't brush his teeth. Never mind that we brush my daughter's teeth after she nurses, and never mind that Mtn Dew and breast milk are nutritionally incomparable.
We were delayed treatment for 5 months due to the facility not having a valid anesthesia license. Original appointment was in January. We were not notified this until 4 months later at the end of April. Treatment still has not been done. Now half of the insurance funds have been used up and are not available at another dentist office. We will be out of pocket another $500. They should have been upfront and told us this in the beginning and not make us wait and delay the treatment of our child. Would not recommend.
I took my 2-year-old daughter for her first dentist appointment yesterday. We saw Dr. Williams. Before he even looked in my daughter's mouth, he noticed that I had checked the box for "nursing" on our form. He asked if this was true, and I told him that we nurse once before bed, and then brush her teeth. This is in line with medical recommendations from the AAP and WHO.
He finally examined my daughter's teeth and proclaimed her free from any decay.
Dr Williams shared an anecdote in which he was invited to speak at a La Leche League meeting (he called it "the lesh society"), and explained disparagingly that this was a group of women who insisted on nursing your kids until they're six (an inaccurate characterization of the organization). He laughed that he was never invited back. At this point I began to suspect that his opposition to nursing was based more on his personal preferences than any medical information.
Very friendly staff and Doctor.
First, the good: there was a kind hygienist and sparkling facilities that were clearly designed with kids in mind (bright colors, toys, iPads, Disney movies playing). These strike me as features you want in a pediatric dental practice.
Southeast Smiles Pediatric Dentistry is a US Dentist based in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Southeast Smiles Pediatric Dentistry is located at 2116 Megan Dr #101, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701, USA.
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