My 6-year-old daughter's very first cavity turned out to be a big one: she needed a root canal. She is a very emotional and anxious child so we needed someone who would agree to use mild sedation. We were referred to Dr. Hess.
My daughter drank the medicine and was calm enough to be cooperative and obedient throughout the 1 hour and 15-minute intensive procedure. Dr. Hess allowed me to hold my daughter's hand and be a calm, trusting, and reassuring presence during the entire time.
His office staff are friendly, helpful, encouraging, and caring.
Dr. Hess is very good with kids. He speaks directly to children and uses words children can relate to. He explains to the child everything he is doing and why he is doing it. He is calm, matter-of-fact, and doesn't use words like "hurt" or "drill". Instead, he talks about the difference between feeling pressure vs pain, "putting the tooth to sleep", and "cleaning out the germs inside the tooth".
My daughter had no pain during or following the procedure. In fact, the next day I heard her bragging to her friends that "it didn't even hurt one bit!" Dr. Hess did a superb job - careful, gentle and thorough.
out of 5 stars
