Free-For-All Friday 5/7/10
Decatur Metro | May 7, 2010Use this post to make comments and ask questions about local issues not discussed here in the past week.
Comments close on Monday.
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Use this post to make comments and ask questions about local issues not discussed here in the past week.
Comments close on Monday.
Chris Billingsley
Chadwick Stogner
J_T
Kaliopy
Keith F
lumpintheroad
Cubalibre
Arriba
Nubbs
Cubalibre
YvetteinDecatur
Kat
JC
smalltowngal
smalltowngal
Dentists! Is there a such thing as a dentist, especially here/near Decatur, that hasn’t built their profitability model around constant fear mongering and upselling? We’re looking for an old school ethical dentist that can offer honest assessments and advice, present options, etc., and that works with kids (10+) and adults.
We checked out Nanston, who made an average impression on an initial consultation, but then I read a number of horror stories on the Oakhurst listserv about their use of the same high-pressure scare tactics, along with generally lousy service.
So, can anyone deliver me? We promise not to schedule so many appointments that we make it harder for you to get one yourself!
Dr Magid – retired airforce – on the dot appointments !
I second Dr. Magid for cleanings and check-ups. Totally old-school. And he doesn’t give me a hard time about not flossing twice a day!
I third Dr. Magid. We switched from him over to Nanston last year, due to health coverage changes with my employer plan, and it was like going from Mr. Roger’s house to Gitmo. Nanston racked up bills right to our coverage limits. I hate that place. Switching back ASAP.
I would not recommend Dr. Kevin Magid. If “old-school” means “cheap and mean” than you’ve got him pegged. He went nuts, yelling at my daughter when she showed a little trepidation during her routine cleaning. We walked out. On the spot.
I couldn’t be happier with our family dentist. O’Shea and O’Shea. I’ve never once encountered a scare tactic with this father and son team. The entire staff is friendly and super accommodating. They’re local–the office is right across the street from the baby Kroger. I really could go on and on with nice things to say about them. http://www.osheadentistry.com/
I had a bad experience with OShea the younger….
He told my husband one of his fillings from another dentist was done incorrectly, even though my husband had never had any issues with that filling. After OShea redid the filling my husband had a lot of issues (he went back once for a fix, and they seemed to treat this is a common thing – apparently a lot of patients have to come back once because the bite isn’t usually correct the first time – I personally don’t think is appropriate), but even after the fix the filling still gives my husband a bit of trouble. I was also told I needed a couple of fillings, but I mentioned I might wait and come back later for them (knowing of my husband’s issues by then), and it turned out I didn’t need fillings at all (there were maybe the start of some possible small shadings on my x-ray that may or may not eventually become something that was truly visible on my x-ray). Then the insurance company would only pay a fraction of the costs of our visits because the costs were so high.
Oh and I forgot to say that Oshea the younger seemed moody/depressed/tired/hungover or something the whole time I was there. I even had to ask the assistant if he was always that way, and she said “yes”
Dr. Looper at Sage Hill. No scare tactics, just dentistry. Nice people all around.
If you are willing to drive to Midtown, Dr. Hugh Harris. Could not be happier with him.
Hey! He’s my dentist too! And yes, his office and staff are fantastic and he’s delightful. Seconded!
another great midtown dentist is dr jeff smith- myself and about 5 other friends go to him. we all love him! he also keeps it in the family- his mother Hilda is one of the front desk administrators!
Dr. Marvin Winter, right in downtown Decatur at Clairemont and Commerce. A dentist friend of mine goes there so I know he’s good and we love his manner and office staff.
I second Dr. Winter. He is as laid-back as they come.
A third for Dr. Winter. The softest hands I’ve ever shaken.
Dr. Ben Jernigan is in the old Wachovia building (across from Cafe Lilly) and he is wonderful as is his staff. Office phone is: (404) 378-1466.
Another vote for Dr. Jernigan.
Absolutely, Dr. Jernigan. I have gone to him for years and reccomended him to tons of my friends and they all love him.
O’Shea & O’Shea is a true family dentist practice run by a family. They are great with kids and genuinely seem to care about their patients. I highly recommend them.
http://www.osheadentistry.com/
Dr Christopher North near Northlake. Been going to him over 20 years. Solo practice, very conservative in his approach and treatments.
I second Dr. North – Ms. Pat has been cleaning my kids’ teeth for years, and they love her. We’ve been very pleased with everyone in that office.
I’ve always liked Dr Stein (and Frankel) on Lawrenceville Hwy–they don’t bother me when I refuse Xrays each appt. Very low-key. No pressure.
Mark Hastings, right there in the Decatur Dekalb Medical Center/Decatur Hospital on Commerce. I’ve found him and his staff to be professional and sensitive to my semi-insured needs. Heck, he was President of Rotary last year. That gives him all ethical credibility.
My dentist recommendation: Dr. Thomas Price, D.D.S., M.A.G.D., 755 Commerce Drive, Suite 513, Decatur, GA 30030-2618 – 404-377-7711 – http://www.thomasjpricedds.com
Dr. Price has been fabulous in several years of treating me, and has NOT pushed unneeded services/treatments on me. He is very thorough, and his hygienists are tops!
Dr Elise Ashpole, just south of North Druid Hills on Clairmont. 404-325-5440.
I’m sorry to hear that people have trouble with Nanston. I’ve been going there for years, and have always gotten outstanding service. Pansy, the tech who cleans my teeth, is about the sweetest person I know, and she does great work. Dr. Ulpa Patel is also wonderful, and I’ve never felt like she has pushed me into anything.
After a very VERY bad experience as a Nanston patient, I found a great dentist in Dr. Price who repaired the damage they did to me. He’s great and even moved into central Decatur since. Did I mention that I was treated exceptionally badly at Nanston? I wouldn’t send an enemy to that place.
Our family goes to Dr. Schaeffer at Blue Creek Dental. I have had several dentists in the metro area try to tell me I had one problem or another. As I have never had a cavity (knock on wood), I knew they were trying to milk me. Dr. Shaffer is a 3rd generation dentist in his family and most of his siblings are in the field too. He seems proud of his profession and I really have appreciated his honesty. I feel like he has a very good work ethic.
Location:
2058 N Decatur Rd
Decatur, GA 30033
(404) 636-1200
Our family has had excellent dental work for over 20 years from Dr. Howard Grant on Lavista near Briarlake Baptist Church.
Drs. Sheri Katz and Elise Ashpole are excellent. Low pressure, friendly, competent. Their office is on McConnell Dr. near Mason Mill park
Scott, thanks for bringing up the topic. I wasn’t really looking for a new dentist, but now I’m going to print off all these recommendations and give it some thought. I use a dental practice near my office, but switching to one near home is equally convenient. The current dentist is big into the selling game, and I know it’s widespread, as many of my colleagues complain about the same thing.
BTW, for those of you that may recall, I’m British, but I still have teeth (so hold off on the Austin Powers comments, Baby).
We’ve been happy with James Kennedy on N. Decatur Road. Definitely old school in approach but has enough new tech to stay current. He has never tried to upsell us and in fact has even discouraged me from having some cosmetic work done.
We’ve had a couple of synthetic crowns done, which is a newish procedure that “glues” a synthetic “crown” on a tooth, in my case after one broke. He did a great job and it’s stood the test of time.
Some people may be offended by the mementos of his hunting trips in his office, but your kids may be fascinated!
Anyone have a favorite rug cleaner? I’ve got several big ones that I’d prefer not to schlep to Sharian but have cleaned in-home instead. Advice?
The restraint is so difficult…..
Tee hee. The 13-year old boy in me appreciates Brad’s sense of humor.
Just wanted to give a shout out to Avellinos Pizza. We stopped by last night after Renfroe’s band concert and had an excellent time. Service was fabulous and the food was even better. The spinach salad was yummy, and pizza was made with lots of quality ingredients. My first experience (several months ago) was not as good, but clearly they have made some serious improvements.
On the rug cleaning, I think Sharian’s will pick up and deliver. If the rugs are really big it is worth a fee for them to do that.
Also, I am looking for a good shoe repair shop in Decatur – any recommendations?
There is a shoe repair shop at the back of the parking deck behind Parker’s On Ponce. I don’t know what it’s name is, but my husband has had shoes and luggage repaired there before. You have to drive down the one-way driveway like you’re dropping your Georgia Power payment in the drop box, and this shop is on the right.
This is a great little shoe repair shop. Sometimes, if they have time, they will do the repair(s) on the spot. No problem! Great service!
I’ve liked this place for years but never can remember the name either. They must be a pretty good business if they’ve managed to survive for so long with a name that no one can remember in a location that is hard to find or describe!
stupid gripe:
On the eastbound side of Park Place (across from the Marta station), there are two lanes at the light with East Lake, one for turning left, one for turning right. There are also several “No Parking” signs along the street, after you enter Decatur City limits, yet there is almost always cars parked there, completely/partially blocking the right turn lane. Combine that with buses coming out of the Marta station trying to run me off the road, it can be hard to get into that right turn lane. What’s up with that??
One of the “No Parking” signs looks like it’s been crossed out, but that can’t be official??
Careful or Park Atlanta will move its meters onto Decatur streets.
Well, I’m not suggesting meters at all. Or necessarily saying there shouldn’t be parking there. But if there’s a lane for traffic and “no parking” signs, it seems to be there should not be cars parked there. And I don’t know if the people whose houses face that street don’t have driveways and that’s the only place they can park or some other factor I’m unaware of. I just know I wouldn’t park there myself, but I’m paranoid about parking tickets.
I’d be okay if the street was reconfigured, I just don’t like trying to turn right from what is clearly a left turn lane. Then I get paranoid about driving tickets!
“But if there’s a lane for traffic and “no parking” signs, it seems to be there should not be cars parked there.”
I probably should have said: If there’s a lane for traffice and “no parking” signs, as a driver, I don’t expect there to be cars parked there.
If it’s inside the Decatur City limits, call the police 404-373-6551 and tell them. An officer will come and ticket them. The PALS don’t cover outside of the downtown area.
Does anyone know of a reasonably priced Decatur veterinary clinic? One downtown vet charges $2 each for a pill I can get from 1-800-Pet Meds for 20 cents! I recently was hit with a $1700 bill for my cat to spend two nights in oxygen therapy.
Dearborn Vets on College is a little run-down, but the vets are compassionate and skilled, and the prices are reasonable.
North Dekalb on Lawrenceville Hwy matches internet prices for meds.
I’m a long time fan of Emory Animal Hospital, now Clairmont Animal Hospital: 404-633-6163.
I have found the pet insurance offered by Banefield (although I heard some “over treating” stories about Banefield) helpful in avoiding surprise-illness bills and worthwhile for regular maintenance costs/benefits. I have found the vets at Banefield to be kind, thorough and compassionate.
I just went through finding a vet in Decatur when we got a puppy three weeks ago. I chose Avondale Vets and couldn’t be happier. They are wonderful people and the prices are great, office visit was free.
I have always heard over the years Dearborn is good as far as pricing/payment plans. Never been there myself. I used to go to Emory Animal Hospital (now known as Clairmont as previousy mentioned) and they were great, but i moved further away and now go see Dr. Katz at N. DeKalb Vets. He is fabulous. They have given us many discounts over the years, although when i referred someone there recently i was told they were quoted an outrageous price for shots, etc. for fostered animal. I wonder if maybe they do better by their longtime clients only.. not sure. but i won’t go anywhere else.
Thanks DM for having a day or two of the blog without those terrible “location photos/maps” that take over my computer and force me down to that/those story/ies again and again, and won’t let me even look at the rest of the blog without numerous attempts here at my keyboard.
Whew! I thought that was only happening to me! I’m glad to know it wasn’t user error on my part.
It’s very frustrating. When DM puts one of these “wonderful photo/map” things in the blog, I find myself avoiding the DM site for a few days until it is pushed off the bottom of the page.
Agreed – this is miserable DM. I thought I was the only one!
It’s odd. The maps work fine on my PC but if I’m trying to read DM on my phone I fall into the Map Trap.
Thanks for MAP TRAP! I love that phrase… and that exactly describes how I feel when one of these zombies takes over my computer! Please DM, find another kind of “locator” map/photo to accompany your entries.
Me, too! I thought it was just me and my system. Really gets annoying sometimes.
Noted. Thanks for the feedback!
I recall someone bringing this up a few months back, but I obviously forgot about it. I’ll have to find a work-around.
Yes, in your spare time. (Word is that baby DM was at the Arts Festival poster party. Sorry I didn’t get to say Hi.)
If you use Grab Selection (for Macs) it creates a static photo of the map, which is nearly as good as the map itself…
Has anyone heard cannons being fired? I swear I heard a cannon shot last Sunday while walking near Agnes Scott. I think I heard another shot during the wee hours of the morning this morning, but maybe I was dreaming. Any clues as to what it is?
Are the zombies having civil war enactments again? I thought that they were contained at “Frontier Days” at Stone Mountain last weekend.
I live on the north part of Sycamore Dr and there was a huge explosion sound early Sunday morning. It sounded like someone fired a shotgun outside my window. I looked around and there were some Georgia Power guys down the street so I figured a transformer blew or something.
We heard it too. I figured it was just another squirrel exploding a transformer.
Thanks, fellow Decaturites, for being generally awesome! Happy Friday!
Happy Birthday Carl! Does this mean you’re finally legal to drink?
Looking for an affordable place to buy a kids birthdays. As much as I love Piece of Cake, it might too much for this crowd.
I bought a faery cake from Publix (Clairmont/N. Decatur) that lit up my niece’s face– very elaborate, came with faery stamps (I thought they were just hunks-o-plastic, but the kids figured it out), served a LOT of peeps (30+), all for about 45.
That Publix location’s bakery is awesome — I recommend them for every occasion! While I’m on that intersection location, don’t forget to go look in Eagle Eye bookstore for all book needs and friendly respectful service.
Oohhh, that’s good to know…I may be going with a Publix cake for my wedding, but had wanted to do some research on the best Publix bakery in the area. Thanks!
Lordy, this is what happens when you type on a phone. I meant “Looking for an affordable place to buy a kids birthday CAKE. As much as I love Piece of Cake, it might BE too much for this crowd.”
Thanks for the Publix rec!! I actually like both Eagle Eye and Blue Elephant. I am excited to hear about Blue Elephant’s new location.
Also, DQ has a very nice ice cream cake.
Or, you can just buy the mix and make the cake yourself!!!
Does anyone know if there is a Decatur-based organized group of parents who have adopted children? I have been searching boards and groups but can’t find any?
Thanks!
Was shocked to see a line down the sidewalk last night at the Yogurt Tap–down the sidewalk! The city was really bustling last night–every patio packed, the sidewalks full, the plaza hoppin’. Love my City.