Dr. Jeff Efird has been practicing dentistry for more than 20 years. During this time his love and respect for the dental profession continues to grow as he sees patients positively affected by the benefits of proper oral health. Dr. Efird understands a relationship with a dentist is a lifelong endeavor and values the respect and trust his patients extend. Working in dentistry allows him to meld his love of science with the application of hands-on and people skills, all while improving the health and quality of life of his patients.
The world of dentistry is constantly evolving and Dr. Efird is always looking to continue his education and understanding of current best practices. As such, he has completed more than 1,000 hours of supplemental and advanced training at a number of notable and respected organizations in a variety of disciplines such as sleep apnea treatment, mini implants, orthodontics, Invisalign and more.
Dr. Efird, his wife, Melissa, their son, Coleman, and the familys Newfoundland dog, Murphy, have lived in Asheville for 16 years. He is an avid fisherman, lover of water-based recreation and especially enjoys the hobby of boat building. Jeff is in the process of building a 19 Ocean Pointer wooden boat; a testament to his hands-on skills and patience. He also loves spending time with Coleman as they raise their four Pekin ducks and watch them on the water. Dr. Efird and his staff value engaging with their elderly patients outside of the office as well as other philanthropic activities around the Asheville and Hendersonville areas.
Dr. Norian is a New Jersey native who relocated to Asheville for its beautiful mountains and lifestyle. After graduating with a BS in Bioengineering from Pennsylvania State University, she completed her doctorate degree at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, where she was proud to be one of eight graduates inducted into the OKU National Dental Honor Society. After graduation, she worked as an associate in central NJ for a few years before making the move south. Dr. Norian strives to comfortably treat her patients with the best possible, research-driven care. When she isnt working, you can likely find her on a hike with her dog, Macy, or enjoying Ashevilles music scene.
Mary is a Nashville, TN native where she attended Vol State University and earned her RDA and certification in dental radiology in 2009. She worked as a dental assistant for 3 years and then transitioned to the administrative role. Mary has been with Carolina Mountain Dental since 2016; a role that has her working with insurance, payroll and benefits, managing accounts and a variety of other duties. She always has a smile on her face and an enthusiasm for patient care. Mary lives in Etowah, NC and enjoys being outdoors and spending time with her husband: Jay, her three daughters: Hannah, Marlee, Jacy, and her yellow Labrador: Jaxx.
Natalie is an Asheville native who attended South College. Natalie joined our office in 2022 and is the first smiling face you will see when you enter our office. She has a calming demeanor that makes our patients feel at ease from the moment they enter our front door. Natalie lives in Alexander with her husband, Bear, and their two daughters, Kamryn and Kayla. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, church, shopping, and being outside.
Natalie is an Asheville native who attended South College. Natalie Amy earned her associate degree and licensure in Dental Hygiene as well as becoming a Certified Dental Assistant through AB Tech. Amy lives in Clyde with her husband, Jonathan, and their son, Jaden. Amy enjoys being outdoors, going to the lake, four wheeling, and just spending time with her family. Working in dentistry has been a dream of Amys since childhood and she could not be more excited to have found her home here at Carolina Mountain Dental.
Michelle earned an associate degree in Dental Hygiene from Asheville-Buncombe Technical College in 2011. She loves making apprehensive patients feel comfortable and is passionate about educating them on the overall health benefits of proper oral hygiene. Michelle lives in Black Mountain with her husband, Tyler, and three children. They enjoy spending time at the lake, camping and relaxing in the outdoors, and going on exciting RZR trips with their friends and loved ones.
Stephanie grew up in the small town of Pride, LA. She thought she would be a Physical Therapist, but being born without maxillary laterals, she was no stranger to her local dentist and orthodontist office. After four years in braces, two oral surgeries and many dental visits, she had a beautiful smile and fell in love with dentistry. She enjoys getting that same feeling each time she is a part of a patients smile makeover, and feels privileged to assist in such a process. Stephanie received her Dental Assisting training at Delta College of Arts and Technology in Baton Rouge, LA in 2008 and Certification from the Dental Assisting National Board in 2012. In September of 2012 her moved to our area to enjoy the outdoors. On October 21, 2012 she joined Dr. Efird and his team. Stephanie now lives in Greeneville, TN where she enjoys spending time with her husband, Ryan, and two daughters, Layla and Tori. Their family enjoys gardening on their homestead with their two dogs, cats, and multiple chickens, with always a neat home project in the works.
Melissa attended Asheville-Buncombe Technical College and has been working in dentistry since 2013 and joined Carolina Mountain Dental in October 2021. She is excited to be a part of our office and team. Melissa loves her career and enjoys making patients feel comfortable when in the dental chair. She always has a smile on her face and enjoys assisting the doctors and making the back office run efficiently. Melissa lives in Black Mountain with her husband, Wesley, two daughters, Madison and Riley, stepson, Caleb, and their dog, Zooey. Melissa enjoys spending time with her family and friends in her free time.
Reviews
Rating 4.8 out of 5 based on 101 reviews
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newest oldest highest lowestMichelle Coffee
2 years ago
My daughter went here to have some work done, on my recommendation based on the positive reviews. She needed a root canal and a couple of crowns. She went in to get the temporary for a crown. To make a long story short, the dental assistant had trouble making the temporary fit and proceeded to drill the tooth below it to make the temporary fit. Yes, she drilled the enamel of a perfectly healthy tooth to make a temporary fit. The main dentist of the practice saw my daughter and did absolutely nothing to make it right. My daughter now has a tooth that is bothering her because of this practice and has to be fixed somehow, at her expense. She wrote to the dentist requesting some kind of compensation but was denied. I would be very wary of going to this dental practice and strongly recommend you find another dentist. They replaced a crown for me and it went fine. But if something goes wrong, they deny any fault and offer no apologies.
Jae Mil
2 years ago
These guys are great. I had an abscess and called several dentists, not one would see me within 2 months. Carolina Mountain Dental scheduled me a week out to see whats going on and get some x-rays, then did the extraction the very next day. All the staff are extremely friendly and caring which means everything to someone with a dentist phobia. Mr Jeffrey was very professional, I wasn't completely numb and he stopped immediately to give me more lidocaine. Very fast and pain free. I have found my new dentist :)
Skylight Asheville
2 years ago
I usually never post negative reviews but sadly this dentist warrants one. I went in for what I thought was a simple filling job that turned out to be the most unpleasant dental experience I've had. Even getting wisdom teeth pulled was more pleasant in comparison. To start out with, I was left in the room alone for 30 mins or more to wait for the dentist who was running late. The hygienist inserted a numbing gel stick in my mouth which started tingling real bad, and I had to pull it out myself since nobody was around. When the dentist finally arrived he was visibly stressed out and wanting to get the job done as fast as possible. After injecting me 5 times for working on one tooth, my jaw was numb and I could not feel half of my face. He was very rough pulling on my jaw. Also, the drill had a weird burning smell to it. For someone who is afraid of dentist visits in general and has TMJ, this was a very traumatic experience. My jaw felt dislocated for the next several days and was in severe pain. I was finally able to pop it back in place on my own. Then the throbbing started in the tooth that he worked on and I was in pain for weeks after. Something clearly went wrong with this simple filling job. I'm sorry to say this was the worst dentist experience I've had in all the 4 countries and countless cities I've seen dentists in. Their billing dept. then sends me a bill more than 6 months after the work was done because they did not file the insurance correctly when the job was done. I explained all this to them on the phone and no mercy or sympathy whatsoever. On the positive side, the hygienists seem ok and always did a good cleaning job. But be aware of the dentist! Maybe it's time for someone to retire? P.S I will remove this review if you cancel my bill in total.
R Purcell
2 years ago
Great experience. Nice staff. Explain well and have high tech equipment.
Claudia Harpe
2 years ago
Wonderful experience! Warm and welcoming, everyone was a true profesional from start to finish. I will definitely be back!
Scott Lenhoff
2 years ago
Very disappointed in regards to their billing practice. I was provided a quote for cleaning/scaling for 2 visits for a total of 600.00. Asked if they took my insurance and they said, of course we take Aetna, but wasn't informed they were out of network, therefore I ended up paying $900.00 out of pocket. Plus they received partial insurance payments too. When I talked with the Billing department and asked for help and clarity from her or talk with the Dentist Jeffrey Efrid no such call back or help was provided. When I called back to the billing department, she stayed there wasn't anything they could do so I just paid the bill. Buyer beware of their billing practices before you commit. Every office should be fully aware of how much an insurance provider will cover before providing a rate quote for services, plus I had Aetna, not an obscure insurance provider! A KNOWLEDGEABLE Dental office should be capable of answering not only do you take Aetna insurance, but you are either in-network or not. This make a huge difference on what I should pay. Your office quickly stated yes to the insurance and incorrectly based by quote, not estimate of said guess, I wasn't provided anything to sign as your lengthy rebuttal stated. Again, buyer Beware of stated dollars for service rendered.
Clare Pollick
2 years ago
Love Carolina Mountain Dental! The staff are very welcoming and the space is very clean! I recommend to all!
Jolie Hunt
2 years ago
My daughter was in for a cleaning this morning... she is a type one diabetic and is 6 years old. I explained from the first phone call dropping her off was not an option. That we would require a private room. As we arrive I am made to feel like this is an annoyance. The hygienist did a very amateur job. I asked multiple times about doing sealants on her teeth. We had an appointment at a different office that advised this should be done after cleaning her teeth 6 months ago.( we came here due to insurance coverage) Instead of doing this or even discussing it, again I was told they only do that in the open area and that it could be upsetting because they have to hold their mouth open for a certain period of time.... so I said again, she can't be away from me due to monitoring her glucose levels especially in an uncomfortable situation (esp with people proven to not understand nor care about a potential life and death situation) again.... nothing else said other than, "well she did good today" lol Medical staff need to be informed of situations like this, clearly you don't get it, but the day you have a diabetic child loose consciousness due to your inability to provide proper care maybe you will. This place was a nightmare for us. Even taking her out to do xrays the "hygienist" didn't understand I needed to get her reading first. Totally unacceptable. I'm honestly concerned if they even covered her appropriately due to her devices being susceptible to damage of an X-ray machine. You know the $2,000 worth of diabetic maintenance devices she wears! Again. Apparently not a concern to them. I mean, they didn't even put a bib on her to "prophy" her teeth. A device used to polish. But this is what the "hygienist" used as a cleaning tool. Lol I was literally in shock at what we experienced here today. Non educated staff. Not a sterile environment. Not professional. Not attentive to the patients needs as a type one. We will not be returning. Dr.Yurko in waynesville is absolutely awesome!!! And I would rather pay out of pocket for proper care then to have my child undergo this again. Awful experience.
kat land
2 years ago
Wow! Down to earth people, up to date knowledge and technology, accessible timing, reasonable pricing! I can't speak highly enough of my experience with each and every contact I've had here! First contact Vicky! Hygienist Amy! Dr Efird! Mary in billing! All other staff whose eyes i connected! Fantastic!
Scott Lenhoff
3 years ago
Very disappointed in regards to their billing practice. I was provided a quote for cleaning/scaling for 2 visits for a total of 600.00. Asked if they took my insurance and they said, of course we take Aetna, but wasn't informed they were out of network, therefore I ended up paying $900.00 out of pocket. Plus they received partial insurance payments too. When I talked with the Billing department and asked for help and clarity from her or talk with the Dentist Jeffrey Efrid no such call back or help was provided. When I called back to the billing department, she stayed there wasn't anything they could do so I just paid the bill. Buyer beware of their billing practices before you commit. Every office should be fully aware of how much an insurance provider will cover before providing a rate quote for services, plus I had Aetna, not an obscure insurance provider! A KNOWLEDGEABLE Dental office should be capable of answering not only do you take Aetna insurance, but you are either in-network or not. This make a huge difference on what I should pay. Your office quickly stated yes to the insurance and incorrectly based by quote, not estimate of said guess, I wasn't provided anything to sign as your lengthy rebuttal stated. Again, buyer Beware of stated dollars for service rendered.
Claudia Harpe
3 years ago
Wonderful experience! Warm and welcoming, everyone was a true profesional from start to finish. I will definitely be back!
Clare Pollick
3 years ago
Love Carolina Mountain Dental! The staff are very welcoming and the space is very clean! I recommend to all!
Jolie Hunt
3 years ago
My daughter was in for a cleaning this morning... she is a type one diabetic and is 6 years old. I explained from the first phone call dropping her off was not an option. That we would require a private room. As we arrive I am made to feel like this is an annoyance. The hygienist did a very amateur job. I asked multiple times about doing sealants on her teeth. We had an appointment at a different office that advised this should be done after cleaning her teeth 6 months ago.( we came here due to insurance coverage) Instead of doing this or even discussing it, again I was told they only do that in the open area and that it could be upsetting because they have to hold their mouth open for a certain period of time.... so I said again, she can't be away from me due to monitoring her glucose levels especially in an uncomfortable situation (esp with people proven to not understand nor care about a potential life and death situation) again.... nothing else said other than, "well she did good today" lol Medical staff need to be informed of situations like this, clearly you don't get it, but the day you have a diabetic child loose consciousness due to your inability to provide proper care maybe you will. This place was a nightmare for us. Even taking her out to do xrays the "hygienist" didn't understand I needed to get her reading first. Totally unacceptable. I'm honestly concerned if they even covered her appropriately due to her devices being susceptible to damage of an X-ray machine. You know the $2,000 worth of diabetic maintenance devices she wears! Again. Apparently not a concern to them. I mean, they didn't even put a bib on her to "prophy" her teeth. A device used to polish. But this is what the "hygienist" used as a cleaning tool. Lol I was literally in shock at what we experienced here today. Non educated staff. Not a sterile environment. Not professional. Not attentive to the patients needs as a type one. We will not be returning. Dr.Yurko in waynesville is absolutely awesome!!! And I would rather pay out of pocket for proper care then to have my child undergo this again. Awful experience.
Aletha Roper
3 years ago
The staff is always very courteous, caring and professional. I know they really care about providing the best possible experience for me. I feel my complete medical well being is most important to them at all times.
Aletha Roper
4 years ago
The staff is always very courteous, caring and professional. I know they really care about providing the best possible experience for me. I feel my complete medical well being is most important to them at all times.
Terry Yeager
4 years ago
Top notch dentists, hygienists. Excellent in every way.
Donna Sharpe
4 years ago
Dental hygienist was short and to the point. Dr Efird barely spoke... very rude little man. Acted as if I was imposing on his time when I asked for a schedule and pricing for dental work. Dr Efird, You make this seem like a financial issue.... I could pay for all the dental work at one time and up front. It is your attitude towards me as a patient that is up for debate. I felt rushed through the cleaning. I wanted a panoramic x-ray to compare to panoramic x-ray taken before my accident. But no, your dental hygienist used the x-rays you prefer. I have always paid in cash or debit card for all services. I promise you I will get another dentist with manners.
Rudy Cabral
4 years ago
Dr. Efird and his staff were very courteous, caring and conscientious when it came to my dental work. I am so happy with the work that has been done and I will be sure to use Carolina Mountain Dental for any other future dental work. If you are looking for a place that places patient care at the top of their list of priorities, then Dr. Efird and Carolina Mountain Dental is the place for you. Thanks again to the team at Carolina Mountain Dental.
A G
4 years ago
Fantastic, wonderful employees. By far the best ive been in the area. The dentist are great and helpful too.
Suzanne Masson
4 years ago
I came here as an emergency from out of town because a tooth fell out while on vacation. The receptionist fit me into their schedule at the last minute. They did an amazing job. I am very sensitive to dental nerve pain and the dentist and dental assistant made sure I was numbed up really well. They both are very professional and took the utmost care in deciding what to do and then doing it. I had to come back for a second appointment to complete a crown. They fit both appointments in for me, and I am extremely grateful. I would switch to this dentist if I lived in Asheville!
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