Walker, Patrick E DDS

Dr. Walker is hands down the best dentist that I’ve ever seen. He is skillful at what he does and he is down to earth and a nice guy. He is also fun to talk too and is always in a good mood:) He has compassion and he truly cares for his patients. Michelle at the front desk is also great and they always accommodate you when there is a dental emergency. Highly recommended to anyone looking for a new dentist!

Wonderful experience, I am very pleased. Dr. Walker is fantastic and very attentive. This hands down the best experience I have ever had a dental office. Michelle, the office manager, is a doll and I actually look forward to my office visits! Highly recommended…:)

I had an absolutely TERRIBLE experience with this place. I’ve NEVER had a dental assistant be so awful and rude to me. Let me start by saying I’ve been to the dentist every 6 months for a cleaning, up until recently when my husband and I moved to the area. I was due in December, for my 6 month cleaning and it’s now the first of May, so I’m a bit overdue.
I’ve NEVER had a single cavity in my whole life and I’ve taken exceptionally good care of my teeth. So here’s what happened.
I went in, all excited, because I love going to the dentist. This woman, Joann, started by giving me a very hard time about how I should have gone to the dentist in December, when I was due. I said, yes, we just moved here, I was waiting for my insurance to kick in and then asked for recommendations and I’m just now getting in.
Then she proceeds to clean the back of my bottom teeth (where I have a permanent retainer) with the cavitron. This is normal because having a permanent retainer makes it difficult to keep plaque from building up, but then she proceeds to do it on all of my teeth/​gums. Initially it didn’t feel good, but then it started to hurt and she could tell by my reaction. I said yeah, every time I’ve had my teet cleaned, they’ve always just used that on the portion where my retainer is and then used something else to clean the rest of my teeth and her response was «So, you’ve never actually had your teeth cleaned?»
UM, REALLY??? Did she not just hear what I said??? I’m sorry if she thinks I haven’t had them cleaned, but have some bed side manner!!! Then she proceeds to (on MULTIPLE occasions) touch my tongue with the the cavitron, which caused me to jump every time, because it’s a bit painful. (I had braces, head gear, rubber bands, everything on my teeth, so I know I can handle pain), so she said, does it hurt? And I said, yes, when you hit my tongue it does and she responds by saying, well, you probably shouldn’t put your tongue where I’m working. REALLY! NO SHIT! It’s not like I’m doing it on purpose!
So then, I was being very conscious of keeping my tongue back and she DEFINITELY hit my tongue again three different times after that. She CLEARLY has no sense of being conscientious about where she’s putting her tools. Additionally, in general, she was just SO rough and awful all around! I mean, really, her bed side manner, just was non-​existent.
Joann asked me if I wanted to make an appointment for 6 months from now (naturally I said no, because she was horrible!!!) so then, she went on to lecture me more about how I need to see the dentist every 6 months and how I have plaque on my teeth (no shit, isn’t that why we all go to the dentist) and I had already mentioned to her, I go, EVERY 6 months! What I should have said was, I just don’t want to see you!!!
Then the dentist, Dr. Walker came in, he didn’t say «hi, how are you» — NO greeting what-​so-​ever, and was talking to the assistants (about some photos/​albums he’d brought in) and then said, OK, looks great, there’s nothing I need to tell you. And that was it!
Needless to say, I will NEVER go here again. Michelle, the front desk lady was super phenomenal and extremely nice and Patty (I hope that’s her name), that did my x-​rays was also EXTREMELY nice and Gentle!!! Unfortunately, they weren’t the ones I spent the most time with, so their kindness doesn’t outweigh the terrible experience I had with Joann.
There are positive reviews for him, so clearly there are people that like him, which is fine, his office was just NOT for me. Additionally, I don’t know if these people like him because they’ve had worse experiences in the past, but all of my past experiences with dentists have been WAYYYYY better than what I had today.

Rarely do we meet a licensed practitioner with skill and empathy synonymously. In my lifetime career of practicing medicine I have yet to meet a doctor as qualified as my own father or the truly gifted «dr walker». Never hesitate in your choice if you can afford the skill, time, grace, and knowledge of a healer such as dr walker and truly, his staff as well. This may not last forever with obama care!

Teeth! If you need teeth, this guys got ‘em.
Prosthodontics is an amazing field and it’s not just about dentures either. Although that was the main reason for our visit to Dr. Walker. My Mom and I came here after the rehab she stayed in lost her dentures. Dr. Walker was recommended to us by my dentist and I couldn’t be happier.
His office is located in the Oak Ridge Medical/​Dental complex on Blossom Hill Road. Parking is easy and they have lots of wheelchair ramps and handicap parking and assistance here.
The office is small, but so nicely appointed. We were greeted by the calm of a beautiful lit candle, a coffee cart, comfy furnishings and there were many different magazines for our waiting pleasure. And what a pleasure it was to deal with Dr. Walker and his friendly staff. It doesn’t get much better than this.
Wanting to help my Mom as quickly as possible, they turned a 4 – 6 week process into one that lasted only 3 ½. Everyone from the office staff to the assistants could not have been more helpful and accommodating to us. I was just getting used to handling a person in a wheelchair and the staff not only gave me some lifting and transfer tips, but did whatever worked for us in our situation. And not only that, they had smiles on the whole time and were actually happy to see us and happy to assist us. This should be common, but sadly isn’t in a lot of cases nowadays. So, I always notice great customer service.
Dr. Walker brings many years of experience to his job and obviously loves what he does. He wears Hawaiian shirts to work each day so he can thoroughly enjoy himself at his job. His personality radiates throughout the office and he has many stories to tell. You can see that everyone else loves working there too.
The teeth they made my Mom are beautiful! Not only that, but they did a very thorough job of checking and rechecking the bite and fit and making as many adjustments as necessary to insure a perfect fit and look. They really care about their patients here and it shows.
Written in my travelogue: You don’t have to be old to need prosthodontic care. I’m keeping this number handy.