(October 19, 2021, 4:50 pm)
I showed up at Dr. Van de Velde’s office doorstep unannounced one morning in great pain from an abscessed tooth. I would’ve called for an appointment except that I had to drive to Tucson, an 8-hour drive, to give a eulogy at my mom’s memorial that very evening. Within 10 minutes, I was in the chair. 40-minutes later, I was on my way to Tucson! In that 40 minutes, I made up my mind to switch dentists. It’s not that my former dentist was not good, technically. It’s just that the uber-professional demeanor coupled with a personal touch and incredibly empathetic response to my situation oozed from Dr. Van. She even called me later that afternoon while I was still on the road to see how I was coping. Since then, I’ve been her chair enough times to receive excellent treatment from mere teeth cleaning to fillings, crowns, and implants (partnering up with another uber-pro, Dr. Trent Westernoff). I now have such a Hollywood smile, even Dr. Van blushes at her own artistry. There are not sufficient stars in the sky to rate her highly enough in my opinion!!