Welcome to our practice!   I use the term “our” even though right now, I am the only dentist in this practice. “Why?” you ask. Because I value all the staff, family and friends involved with helping this practice get started, and I wish to give everyone partial ownership in it.


I fully believe that we have entered a time and place where old-fashioned values like honor and respect have been replaced by impropriety and disrespect. As a dentist, I take pride in my work and the “old-fashioned” values of honor and respect are very well established not only in me, but also in our practice.


Are you afraid of the “big bad dentist”? Well, so am I. That’s why I chose to become a dentist. My goal is to give the world a positive perspective on dentistry one patient at a time.


I have found in my experience that dental phobic patients have the tendency to put off seeing the dentist for four main reasons:

1.  They had a bad experience with a previous dentist and vowed never to go back.

2.  They have had a toothache but didn’t want the “shot” so they just dealt with the ongoing chronic pain.

3.  They are afraid that the dentist will scold them for not coming in to the office every six months.

4.  They are afraid of the financial aspect.


Do any of these reasons sound familiar to you? If they do, then rest assured, you are not alone. I would like to personally address each one of these items from my standpoint as a dental care provider and also as a patient.


1. We have all had a bad experience with someone at some point in our lives.I had a bad experience with the gynecologist before; and honestly, that is one person with whom you REALLY don’t want to have a bad experience. It took some time to get used to the idea, but I eventually got the courage to find a new doctor and have been with the same practice for more than 10 years now. I love the staff at Professionals for Women’s Health (http://www.pwhealth.com) and am so happy that Dr. Brian Kelley delivered my little baby girl.

  When it comes to your health, it is VERY important that you find someone you trust and respect to put your life in their hands.

  That’s right, I said your LIFE. I take the trust and respect that each patient puts into me very seriously.

  I understand that there are consequences to your life if you have a bad experience with me, and that can transcend to your children, family and friends.

  I would rather that a patient has a bad experience with me as a person than as a dentist. If you have a bad experience with me as a person, then you should be able to tell me your problem, we can resolve it and then call it a day. If you have a problem with me as a dentist, then I run the risk of having a patient “write off’ dentists as a whole, and therefore jeopardizing a patient and potentially a family’s oral and overall health.


2. A toothache hurts. I know. I had a toothache in the second trimester of my pregnancy while I was away from home in Las Vegas. I could do absolutely nothing about it until I got back to Columbus three days after the toothache started. I can’t imagine that a person would be willing to suffer through that much pain to avoid a “shot” that honestly, takes about a minute to perform and maybe a millisecond of time that the “pinch” can actually be felt.

  Toothaches occur as a result of tooth decay, a disease process that can affect the entire body if left untreated. In April 2007, a 12 year-old child from the Washington D.C. area died as a result of an infected tooth being left untreated.

  Chronic pain also has been associated with elevated blood pressure in hypertensive patients and unstable sugar levels in diabetics.

  For those fearful patients, let me assure you, that there are many different techniques to try to alleviate the stress of having an injection. I cannot market myself as a “painless” dentist, but I would like to think that I’m pretty close. (See testimonials)


 3. Do I wish that all patients came in to the dental office every six months for check-ups? Yes. Do all patients come in every six months? No.

   There are certain things in life that dentists must accept. One is that patients are not always predictable.

  One thing that I have learned through experience is that I can never pass judgment on a patient based on his/her previous history with dentistry.

  I can only hope that each of my patients can learn something from me and in turn that affects his/her outlook on oral health.


4. Most people don’t have dental insurance. I understand that patients have concerns with the cost of dental care; but I, as a dentist, have concerns with the unmet NEED for dental care.

  It is my main priority to address your needs to have proper oral health in an economical and conservative manner.