About Hygienist: My hygienist, Melanie, is very nice (Amy, another hygienist, is nice also). My teeth always feel squeaky-clean after a visit, which usually lasts about 60 minutes start to finish. Her cleanings are patient, thorough, and gentle. She uses an ultrasonic scalar along with the regular instruments for calculus buildup and plaque removal. She is cheerful and pleasant to be around. Melanie also checks up and gives advice on home care, answers questions and concerns, and is happy to get the dentist to check on questionable teeth. At this office, full dental exams are normally done annually, but I always request that Dr. Kirkland check things out since Im cavity-prone. One final note: on my first visit, I was told that the first cleaning would be a full-mouth debridement, with the actual charge depending on the hygienists assessment of the state of my mouths health. This practice is not fair to those like me that have regular dental cleanings, and its likely cause could be remedied by a quick oral exam to determine whether the debridement designation is truly warranted. (My initial cleaning cost about double a regular one.) I was alarmed at first, but subsequent cleanings were charged normally and I have been extremely satisfied with Dr. Kirkland despite this small one-time quirk.

I know this doctor: 2 years, 9 months.