In The News
New faces in dentistry
Steamboat Pilot & Today
March 3, 2002
Ask Wendy McCreight to show you some family pictures and she's apt to show you a photo of her mother, Myrna Nelson, baring her teeth.
But that's not unusual.
Dr. Wendy with dental instruments in hand while YVDA Team member/treatment coordinator, Heather Still looks on.
McCreight is just proud of her Mom's dental work, work McCreight did herself.
"I did my mom's new veneers," McCreight says with a big smile of her own. "These are the before and after pictures."
Wendy and her husband, Dr. Jim McCreight are both dentists.
They operate Yampa Valley Dental & Associates, P.C. They have an existing office in Craig and just opened a new office in the medical building on the campus of Yampa Valley Medical Center. Jim McCreight emphasizes that they value their Craig patients and have no intention of closing that office.
The new office is equipped with the latest technological advances in the field; they have a panoramic digital X-Ray machine that is so new it is one of a handful being used in the world.
"It's the first DEXIS digital panorex in Colorado," Jim said.
Jim said despite the latest greatest equipment in the new office, building personal relationships and listening to patients is the key to success with a dental practice.
"What I feel is the core of our business is just being a caring person," Jim said. "It's all about helping people. Technology is nice, but it's really about caring for the patient."
Technology is nice all right – at Yampa Valley Dental, patients can watch a music concert on DVD while they are in the chair, choosing from such artists as Eric Clapton, the Eagles and even Stevie Ray Vaughn.
Jim and Wendy think their patients will enjoy the extra little touches like dental chairs that offer a soothing vibrating massage at the fingertip control of the patient.
Of course, patients care more about the quality of their dental work than the extras.
Wendy McCreight said a new laser tool has been a big plus in working with soft tissue (gums).
"Since we got the laser, it has been phenomenal what we can do with periodontal work," Wendy said.
Wendy said the practice's intra-oral video camera helps her guide parents in working on dental hygiene with their children.
"This is a great tool to show people tartar and plaque." Wendy said. "We can show mom where little Joey is missing brushing."
The new office, with all of its conveniences has streamlined dental procedures, Wendy said, meaning that patients don't have to spend as much time in the chair. The ergonomics of the office can save enough time that procedures that used to require two visits can be done in one.
"It's a business, but everything we've done to make our patients more comfortable also makes us more comfortable in our jobs," she said.
Throughout the operatories, the dentists and their assistants can open cabinets with a nudge of the hip, knee, or toe, meaning their hands never touch un-sterile surfaces.
Jim McCreight said dental patients are more educated than ever, and that trend is taking dentistry into an era where levels of service and comfort must be higher.
"In Steamboat, there are a lot of exceptional dentists," Jim McCreight said. "We're trying to transition to a different experience. We're listening to what patients' goals are."
Tom Ross
Business Reporter
Steamboat Pilot & Today
www.steamboatpilot.com