I have long held the belief that a large segment of the population is interested in quality dental care at a fair price, and are not comfortable in a "Made For Volume" practice; for this reason I have always tried to create a HIGH Quality - People Oriented environment different from the "Regular Dentist". Our examinations include such things as periodontal probing (gums), mobility (loose teeth), occlusion (bite), and examination of the TM Joints and related structures. I have had a lot of positive feedback because the models that we take are placed on a machine that works like the mouth (articulator). Dr. L.D. Pankey, for whom the L.D. Pankey Institute for Advanced Dental Education is named, once classified Dentists as 1) Masters-2%, 2) Adept-8%, 3) Students-36%, and 4) indifferent-54%; I have tried to place myself in one of the first 2 categories. As the years go by, I am more and more convinced that it takes a lot of experience to develop competency.

If you were going to have a Portrait painted for a close loved one, would you call around and find the Cheapest Artist and choose them?? Sounds absurd doesn't it - you don't want your loved one to look like your next door neighbor or the person down the street. Would you choose a Surgeon to do heart surgery because he was the cheapest one?? There is not a day that goes by that someone doesn't call pricing dental services. The distinction came s in pricing a SERVICE versus pricing a PRODUCT. Dentistry done well doesn't produce a product, but we provide a valuable Service which can vary drastically from one office to another; it is not like pricing a specific toaster made by a specific manufacturer in several different stores. In the case of an appliance it is very wise to shop for price, but l-feel it is NOT wise to price a dental service where quality and mode of care may vary greatly.

Over the years I have tried to provide the very Best possible Dental Service Available. I do not believe in cutting corners in any way if they are required to provide optimum high quality dentistry. I am constantly looking for the highest quality materials and supplies; I seek out only the very Best in Laboratory Support, and the best quality Staff Support. To try to cut expenses-in these areas in order to cut our fees would be Pound wise and Penny Poor and strongly go against what you have grown to expect from me over the years. How many of you would continue as patients here if I chose the cheapest lab, bought the cheapest supplies, and hired anyone off the street, and moved into an old deteriorated building to cut corners so that I could charge the cheapest fees??