Thompson Brian C DDS - Marion, Virginia

Dustin G.

The office staff is very kind, as are all techs I interacted with. However my *overall* experience requires my honesty: Dr. Thompson managed to set an entirely new low bar for bedside manner today.

I was referred by my dentist for extraction of 2 wisdom teeth. I arrived this morning in a mild panic, apologizing frantically for being late. Cue the part where I’m told I was *actually* 30 minutes EARLY, & they’d even had a cancellation that a.m. so I had plenty of time. Front desk staff then asked for intake papers that they’d mailed. I apologize & reported that I’d not received any paperwork. She apologizes and hands me the forms with assurance that I was early and had time & could complete them in the back.
I start to fill my intake paperwork, & 3 minutes later am called back to Dr. T’s office. As I sit in the chair finalizing paperwork, I ever-so-quickly call my wife to get insurance info for payment (total time: a generous 45 seconds.)
Unfortunately, this is when Dr. T walks in and proceeds to scold me, tell me that “No phones on my time. This is my time. Not on my time, etc.” repeating over and over his demand for me to turn off my phone immediately. (Side point: I was invited to bring my phone and earbuds for the procedure due to severe anxiety surrounding dental work. Apart from that, how is it possible to be so sure that the phone seen in my hand for the ~30 seconds observed wasn’t being used solely as a media device? All this being said, why was I on the phone to begin with? To furnish insurance details so that the practice can collect large sums of money to pay for things, like salaries.

With all things considered:[( i.) I was 1/2 hour early to appointment, ii.) I was invited to bring headphones/phone for dental anxiety, then yelled at for it, iii.) The pre-procedure intake paperwork was never sent to my home before my appointment, which necessitated the call to my wife *to BEGIN WITH*... ::sigh:: I could go on, but why?
With all these considered, I assumed leeway may be allowed for me to get the information I could have gotten much earlier, had the intake forms been mailed/received. None such luck, I’m afraid.

I rely on my personal experiences with medical professionals in the community for the majority of my client referrals. and based upon my interaction today, will not be referring my clients to this practice. No “sorry for rushing your paperwork along,” or “don’t worry we can get that info at the end,” or any other combination of words to request, while ensuring a respectful and dignifying professional

Maybe I caught him on a bad day, maybe there was miscommunication on either side, but that is not, nor has it ever been an excuse to chastise, *on first meeting*, the folks that are depended upon to keep a practice’s reputation as the practice would like it to be seen. I make medical referrals daily in my career, and SO many of my referrals come from my own personal experiences. This was my very first interaction with Dr. Thompson, I’m fairly certain it may be my last - based on today’s experience, I will not be referring my clients to this practice.

Thank you to all front office & techs for your kindness & help during my visit! And thank you, Dr. T for the extractions, though I do wish to advise if I may, since no one has spoken to me like that in my adult life...In the future, please take the brief pause (all it takes) when encountering unanticipated situations before making giant leaps like someone “is being rude” or “disrespecting you while on your time,” (again: I was early & still very much on my own time) & examine. Why would someone be on their phone at all @ the dentist, if not for a good reason? It’s probably not to “disrespect you on your own time,” no. It’s probably to make sure my insurance info needed for paperwork I should have received earlier, was correct so that the business office can pay expenses, including salaries.

So just, please, I ask that we work on our bedside manner, and check our ego at the door (I do, and it usually works out). And thank you all again!

V/R,
DG

RoseMarie J.

The procedure and the hospitality I received was amazing but I left the office informed that I would have a prescription ready for me and once I arrived to pick up my prescription from the pharmacy they haven’t heard anything from the office so I called the office and they said that the doctor has yet to sign off on it and then he left the office that day completely forgetting to sign off on my prescription and it is the next day and I tried calling the office and no one is picking up the phone so I am in extreme pain.....everything else about the experience was amazing but I was very disappointed in the fact that I was forgotten....

Ralphy R.

The staff was very nice and professional. Dr. Thompson himself was very nice and professional, he explained everything very thorough and was very nice 🙂.