If you value your time or appreciate a high level of professionalism, avoid becoming a patient of Dr. Pamela Hanson. She operates out of two locations, one in New Berlin and one in Waukesha. While my experiences at the Waukesha location have been infinitely better than those in New Berlin, both facilities are run more like a sorority than an orthodontist’s office. It is clear that friendliness and casual banter are considered paramount, when in fact attention to detail(such as communicating the correct appointment time to patients, not ordering incorrect appliances, etc), timeliness, and respect for patient privacy would be preferred. Both offices feature an open concept and, while it is pleasing to the eye, it only encourages the staff to become even more distracted by each other than they already are. The women on Hanson’s staff, while extremely friendly, appear to be more concerned with catching up on each others’ lives than staying on schedule. They(Hanson included) will often exchange sophomoric anecdotes across the room and engage in other non work-related discussions while patients have been waiting for 15, 30, even 45 minutes past their scheduled appointment times without so much as an apology. This is not unusual. If, when you ARE seen, you choose to share any details about your life – upcoming plans, your kid’s school picture, how much weight you’ve lost – be sure it’s information you want the entire room to know, as it is often shared by Hanson or another staff member with everyone within earshot before you even have the chance to object. While the intent is presumably harmless, it is often in poor taste as, again, it is supposed to be a professional environment, not a cheerleading squad. If this lack of privacy, lack of focus, and constant tardiness on the part of the staff isn’t enough of a deterrent, Hanson’s abrupt and often inappropriate comments should be. Case in point: after finding out I was pregnant, I alerted the staff to this change in my health history. Upon hearing the news, Dr. Hanson proceeded to ask me how old I was(30s), whether the«pregnancy was planned» and whether I «wanted the baby.» I found these questions to be offensive and really none of her business. While her intention is to make small talk, her delivery is intrusive and sometimes flat-out rude. If this interaction had been the only time I had heard comments such as these perhaps I could have overlooked them; however, I’ve had the misfortune of hearing her make equally insensitive remarks to other patients and their families on numerous occasions. And if only that were all! On my most recent visit, a dog – yes, a DOG – from a neighboring suite was allowed to proceed past the front desk, past numerous employees and make his way into the clinic. I’m not sure what is scarier – the fact that this was allowed to happen at all or the fact that one employee did not seem to see this canine presence as a problem. Can you say«unsanitary?» While she is a well-respected orthodontist, her work is overshadowed by the adolescent vibe that sugar-coats the office.(How is it that even the 40-something receptionist seems juvenile?) Dr. Hanson could stand to conduct herself with more polish and maturity. Her practice could only benefit from showing a more sophisticated version of her professional self rather than leading her staff as though she were the house mother to a gaggle of giggly post-collegiate girls. Don’t waste your time with this practice because, trust me, you’ll be wasting a lot of it. Had I not paid for my orthodontic work in-full and up-front, I would have left Hanson long ago.