Jeff was my dentist for maybe 30 to 35 years. Never once did he do a procedure, xray, or work he…read moredidn't feel he could do or deemed necessary. He also didn't jump right in to do one either. He took a "wait and see" attitude and kept an eye on it. The if it needed it, he took care of it. He preferred to refer you to highly qualified experts which I find an asset rather than having someone fumble their way through a procedure and perhaps do more harm than good.
No, Jeff isn't for everyone. He doesn't suffer fools gladly, and he didn't want to do children of any age or adults with past dental traumas. But there is a very, very good reason why. He served as a medic in Vietnam during the war, and was there on the day of the famous evacuation of families and children. Beyond that I cannot say because he is a man of integrity, respect, and intense privacy. Once when I asked Jeff to treat my then 8 yo son he told me to take him to a pedodontist when my son cried upon seeing the needle. It was only later that I could guess why. I miss him, and it hurts not to be his patient anymore. I have yet to find a dentist I know I'll stick with.
Jeff wasn't in it for the money. A living yes, but not the money it would take to dress up his office with remodeling, plush furniture, paintings, and decorations. That can help or hurt a dentist. Those who "judge a book by its cover" may find the "70s" decor with cinder block white painted walls, and mementos of his life and framed collages of his time in Vietnam off-putting. And yes some of his major equipment showed wear and tear, but it worked just as well as the new 2016 showroom floor models. It also meant it kept his overhead down, way down. I don't know how much less but my cleaning earlier this year cost at least four times the $69 for cleanings Jeff charged and Jeff did the cleaning. He would say several times over the years, he'd rather keep his prices low so people would get dental care, than not and suffer through worsening conditions.
Yes, Jeff is and was becoming a crusty old man, but the situation that caused his retirement wasn't the only serious condition which he had to fight. He never let on about it. Sometimes, after he knew you well enough and a relationship had developed, he let little snippets out. I can safely say, he was an Aggie of the Brigade through and through, with a backbone of steel to take him through the dark times, and love of humour, and every corny Aggie joke out there to share. For a number of years he donated his time to nursing homes, telling jokes, and doing other things to bring laughter to those who are forgotten, the elderly.
For those who feel going to a dentist in a well decorated, plush, elegant office, with lots of staff, and lots of the newest, latest tools of the trade, then that is where they should go. It doesn't mean the quality of their work is better or necessary. It means there's a big budget to take care of those things. The same for offices with multiple dental specialist for just about everything. The practice's fees pay for it, and when your insurance runs out, it comes from your pocket.
It's going to take time to find a new dentist, one who has just some of the same qualities as Jeff, a no frills skillful dentist with commensurate fees to match. The only good thing to come from his retirement is I take better care of my teeth now than I did before. Jeff is a good man and a good dentist who cared more about his patients than his bottom line or how nice his office looked. I miss him.
