Most of us agree that there’s just about nothing worse than dental pain. It makes your whole face hurt, you can’t ignore it, and you want somebody to fix it now! The only thing worse than dental pain is going to your dentist only to be told that they can provide a “temporary fix,” but you’ll have to get an appointment somewhere else to actually get to the root of the problem. As medical professionals across the board have continued to specialize in recent years, it is increasingly rare to find a dentist who can treat all of your dental issues in the same office.
Meet the exception to the rule: Dr. Emil Verban, Jr. of McLean County Dental. Dr. Verban believes that now, more than ever, there is a need and a desire for patients to only have to go to one office to fix whatever issues are bothering them. He aims to ease his patients’ pain with as little aggravation and anxiety as possible by offering everything from fillings, root canals, and implants to dentures, cosmetic procedures, and sedation dentistry all in one office.
From start to finish
Dr. Verban understands the needs of dental patients can be almost infinitely diverse. That is why — from the simplest filling to the more complex procedures of root canals and dental implants — he stresses the importance of being involved in every part of a patient’s dental work, whatever that work may be.
“For the patient’s smile to look a certain way, the foundation has to be right,” he states. “Being actively involved in the planning, surgical, and restorative phases provides details and information that may be missed or misunderstood if it had to be relayed to another provider.”
Renesia saw Dr. Verban for a dental implant. When Renesia was 13 years old, she had a tooth removed. “I had a tooth pulled, and it made my smile just horrible,” she recalls. I worked with an orthodontist as well as Dr. Verban to straighten out my teeth to give me a more polished look. Dr. Verban is very much a perfectionist. He didn’t just work on it as far as the implant and how the placement would go; as things were progressing along, he would review my teeth and had consultations with my orthodontist to make sure they were working in tandem.”
Anyone who has experienced a cascade of issues with their health will understand what Heather went through. After several failed crowns, Heather finally visited Dr. Verban, who said she was a perfect candidate for a dental implant.
“There were some complications with my implant; it took 10 months to get it totally and completely done, with some bumps and frustrations along the way,” she shares. After a bone graft, problems with healing, and an implant manufacturing-lab error, Heather credits Dr. Verban with sticking with her through the entire process. “There was nothing he could have done differently. I’m very happy with the result now, and if I had to do it again, I would.”
Implants and so much more
In order to offer this level of comprehensive care, Dr. Verban keeps abreast of the latest techniques and technology. These advances and new techniques have the fortunate side effect of also cutting significant time off procedures and healing time.
“Technology has made implants more predictable,” Dr. Verban points out. “Advances such as 3D X-ray have become more accurate and less risky, so we can plan and execute the procedures more efficiently.”
In the late 1980s and early 90s, an implant procedure would take well over a year from start to finish. “We would extract a tooth or teeth, wait six months for healing, insert the implants, wait another six months for healing, and then start the restoration process,” he says. Now, however, a case taking as long as Heather’s is a rare occurrence.
Eugene visited Dr. Verban because of an issue he had with his dentures. “I didn’t realize when I originally got dentures through another dentist that I had such a bad gag reflex; it was just a constant battle not to gag when I had them in,” he explains. “Dr. Verban put in clip-style dentures which cover less of the roof of the mouth. That helped quite a bit and, eventually, we put in permanently attached uppers.”
Regardless of the length of a procedure, Dr. Verban makes sure every single one is given its due, whether it is an implant or something else out of the ordinary, such as it was with Eugene’s experience.
Through Eugene’s experience of getting new dentures, he recalls, “Dr. Verban did his best to make me as comfortable as possible. If there were ever any problems, he took care of them.”
Unfortunately, sometimes it doesn’t rain, but it pours — especially with dental work. Doug first visited Dr. Verban in order to solve a mystery. Reacting poorly to a number of implants he had had done, Doug then heard of McLean County Dental.
“Dr. Verban thought it was an infection we were dealing with,” Doug says, “so he got that taken care of and got implants in. Since then, I’ve had no problems with those implants whatsoever.”
“I’ve been very pleased,” he continues. “I had a root canal that had to go into a crown and that had to go into another implant. I’ve also had a couple of other extractions that needed to be done.”
Patient service
Perhaps more with dentistry than with any other profession, there is a certain amount of trepidation that comes along with every patient who walks in.
Going hand-in-hand with treating every problem that comes down the pike, McLean County Dental offers the option of removing that trepidation from the equation by offering sedation dentistry.
Melanie has had numerous root canals in her life, so when it came time to have yet another, she was — understandably — not exactly looking forward to the experience. “I was freaked out because of the potential for pain,” she states. “Dr. Verban had me take an Ativan the night before and the morning of, so I was not freaked out going in or worried about if it was going to hurt.”
Beside medication like Ativan, Dr. Verban has advanced training and licensure to perform IV sedation using other anti-anxiety and oral sedatives. For complex cases and medically compromised patients, Dr. Verban employs the services of Illinois Anesthesia.
Whether opting for sedation or not, McLean County Dental prides itself on doing whatever they can to make your treatment as comfortable as possible.
No “I” in team
Dr. Verban will be the first to point out that he couldn’t offer this level of comprehensive services without the unending aid of a team of great dental hygienists, assistants, and receptionists.
Taking care of the before, after, and in-between of dental appointments are Brittany McCracken and Katie Newsome in reception.
Part of the in-between is the handling of insurance, Brittany points out. “I try to focus my attention on working with the patient to ensure they fully understand their dental insurance benefits,” she says. “Dr. Verban, the clinical staff, and I work together to create a treatment plan for the patient that helps them utilize their maximum benefit and reduce their out-of-pocket expense while still delivering the highest quality dental care.”
“The whole team has fun each day while staying patient-focused to deliver the best dental care in the Bloomington-Normal area,” Brittany adds.
Katie shares that sentiment: “Working together as a team is a crucial part in making any workplace run smoothly,” she shares. “With this wonderful group of people, we achieve the highest level of patient care and satisfaction. I actually enjoy coming to work everyday and seeing everyone; we truly are like family here!”
The assistants in the office are Nancy Vega, Ciera Montgomery, Cheryl Bowen, and Susan Seibert. Although Cheryl and Susan are both newcomers, they already feel quite at home. “I recently joined Dr Verban’s staff as an assistant a few weeks ago,” Cheryl says. “Our team is very organized, allowing procedures to run smoothly.”
“I have only been here a short time,” Susan echoes, “but the office environment is amazing. Dr. Verban has an awesome team here!”
No dental office is complete, of course, without the hygienists. Christie Dornbeirer, Kelly Wink, and Jill Nickel are veterans of the McLean County Dental team. “I have been a dental hygienist for 39 years and have been with Dr. Verban for 3 years,” says Jill. “I can honestly say that I have never been in an office where there is more teamwork. We all help each other so our patients have the best experience they can!”
Those feelings of camaraderie are extended to and felt by all who walk through the door. “I go to McLean County Dental for my regular dental work as well,” Renesia says. “They’re really good about building relationships and a rapport with their clients. I appreciate that.”
“I’ve been very pleased with the levels of care and the degree of their concern,” Doug agrees. “I can’t say enough positive things about my experiences with them. For what it’s worth, my wife goes there too. She’s very pleased with the whole process. We couldn’t be happier.”
Having a problem with your teeth can affect every other part of your life. Next time you have a dental issue, save yourself the aggravation and anxiety of running all over town and ease your pain fast with a visit to one office that can take care of any and all dental issues: Dr. Verban and the comprehensive dental care team at McLean County Dental.
For more information or to schedule an appointment call McLean County Dental at 309-662-8448 or visit www.mcleancountydental.com.
McLean County Dental is located at 2103 E. Washington Street in Bloomington. Dr. Verban provides his patients both general dentistry expertise and the ability to provide specialized services such as sedation dentistry, cosmetic procedures, and dental implants.