Comfort Dental staff are excited to serve the community at the new Bellefontaine office that opened at 2303 S. Main St., this month, specializing in affordable and personalized dental care with extended service hours to meet individual needs.
Dr. Eric Morrison, Comfort Dental Ohio franchisee, said through his work around the state, he has observed that there is a real need for lower cost quality dentistry services, noting that the company often takes on new clients who haven’t seen a dentist in between seven to 10 years. One of the goals of the dental franchise is to alleviate patients’ fears and enhance access to dental care.
“We take care of people who haven’t seen a dentist in years and people who are afraid to go to the dentist because of how much it costs,” he said. “People also are afraid of the dentist because it can be painful; we try to take care of that for them.
“We take the time out to care for our patients and we are affordable and available.”
The new local office is open six days a week, from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays, and additional 24-hour emergency access, located in the shopping center in front of Wal-Mart.
“We’re available because of our extended hours, and also since we’re a brand new office, we have plenty of available openings. People don’t have to take time off work to come to see us,” Dr. Morrison said.
The new Comfort Dental is part of the largest dental franchise in America, with offices in 11 states.
For new patients, $19 covers the full cost of an exam and any needed X-rays. Payment required at the time of service and there is an additional fee for cleanings.
Dr. Morrison said when an individual comes in for the new patient appointment, the dentist works with them to develop a patient-centered treatment plan revolving around the person’s schedule.
“We find that when it has been seven to 10 years since someone has seen a dentist, there often are more dental needs than just a cleaning, such as filling cavities, fixing broken teeth or helping with tooth discomfort.
“We develop a plan that meets their schedule and what they can afford. Some plans might even be for dental work or payment over the next three to five years.
“We can really restore a mouth — it just depends on what the patient wants and what is valuable to them.”
For people and businesses who don’t have dental insurance, Comfort Dental offers its own dental plans — Gold, Silver and Diamond Plans offer more discounts on services.
Comfort Dental’s fees are 40 percent to 50 percent less with the Gold Plan when compared to other dentists. Without the Gold Plan, fees are about 25 percent to 30 percent less.
The membership plans are not insurance but rather a reduced fee plan. Visit ComfortDental.com for more information about the Gold Plan.
At the local office, Dr. Morrison said services include cleanings, fillings, extractions, crowns, implants and more. As Comfort Dental becomes established in Bellefontaine, the franchise plans to employ a total of four dentists at the office, with two dentists working per day.
“Because we have multiple doctors, not every doctor has to work every day and they can rotate when they work on a Saturday,” Dr. Morrison explained.
Along with adding staff members, the new dental office also wants to engage its community through another unique opportunity. Individuals entering the dentistry can view a slide show of videos contributed by other local patients and area school districts, and have the opportunity to be a part of the slide show themselves.
“We want our patients to feel comfortable and welcome here and to see their friends and neighbors when they come in on the slide show and take part in submitting us a video as well,” Dr. Morrison said.
All Comfort Dental-branded dental practices are independent franchisees owned and operated by licensed dentists. Dental services and office practices may vary across dental practices.
In 1977, Dr. Rick Kushner, D.D.S., founded Comfort Dental and pioneered the concept of fair pricing dentistry that continues today.
The Bellefontaine Comfort Dental can be reached at (937) 595-0080.