Dr. Melanie Pugh and our team strongly believe that patients know best about what makes a good dental care experience. That's why we've listened well over the years to their unique preferences, concerns, and priorities. Certain ideas kept coming up again and again, and as a result, we established a true Dental Promise to make it crystal-clear that we would never forget to follow these important guidelines for ALL patients. We have distilled our philosophy into several basic tenets, and they clearly outline what makes our practice different and why youll be proud to call yourself our patient.

Dentistry can be tricky. In some cases, one dentist may say you need a crown while another says you do not. No matter what your needs are, believe us when we say that you'll never heara sales pitch here!We promise to be CONSERVATIVE and TRUSTWORTHY at all times. Conservative means we try to preserve your natural tooth structure whenever we possibly can. We do not believe in drilling teeth that do not desperately need it. Trustworthy means that we wont try to sell you things you dont need just to make more money. For us, this is the epitome of DOING THE RIGHT THING and TELLING THE TRUTH.

What exactly does 'quality' mean when it comes to dentistry? We believe that quality is defined by how well a dental restoration functions in everyday life, and by how long it lasts. In order to maximize both aspects, we ensure that you 're never receiving second-best. Dr. Melanie Pugh has over 25 years of experience, we never use cheap overseas dental labs, and we never buy watered-down, generic, or aftermarket dental materials. It may come across as negative when we point out what we DONT do, but these are differences most patients arent aware of until their filling or crown breaks down and needs to be replaced after just 6 months. With us, we are determined to offer the best clinical care possible, and this includes providing solutions that can be trusted to stand the test of time.

We've had patients pop into our office just to let us know that they've NEVER had a better experience with a dental team before, and that feedback means the world to us. We strive to treat every new arrival like they are an aunt or uncle who has come over to our home for a barbecue. It is the Kentucky hospitality that resonates from Dr. Pugh that drives this hometown vibe in our practice. Here, you will NEVER be treated like a number, as this goes against our most basic values.

Over the years, we have focused internally on two areas of excellence: clinical excellence and operational excellence. This means we place great emphasis on details and getting things right the first time, every time. Several patients have told us in person and through online reviews how much they appreciate our professionalism (not stuffiness), as it helps them feel comfortable in our office and know they are in good hands.

Dr. Pugh is from one of the smallest, poorest, counties in Appalachian eastern Kentucky. Her mother was a social worker for the state and taught her to never judge people because she did not know what they have gone through or what their life was like. Her father worked road construction and was meticulous in everything he did, from keeping their property clean to how he grilled their steaks and burgers. Growing up, she attended Bethel Baptist Church in her hometown of 700 people.

She attended the University of Kentucky for both undergraduate and dental school. Before owning her first practice in a small town in east/central Kentucky, Dr. Pugh worked in both Appalachian and inner-city, low-income clinics.

Why is this important to share on our web page? While most websites these days are templates that seem to all say the same things with the same stock photos, we want our community to know just where we come from as a practice. Dr. Pughs upbringing and experience frame the philosophy of the practice. Do not judge people. CARE for people. Do not fake empathy-have genuine empathy. As her childhood dentist told her when she decided to go to dental school, Just do good dentistry and the patients will come.

In 2005, Dr. Pugh and her husband, Jody, made a big decision in their life. They had moved to Florida in 2003 and Dr. Pugh had been an employee where she was not happy with the way patients were treated. She and Jody decided that Jody would leave the corporate world to get him off of the road and they would start a dental practice and start a family.

Over the years, the practice has grown and today there are three dentists in addition to Dr. Pugh - Dr. Ariel Westervelt, Dr. Mary Midence, and Dr. Tracy Couillard. Each doctor is right in step with Dr. Pughs philosophy, and today, most of our patients are seen by these incredible associate dentists.

Also over the years, we have crafted a formal business philosophy that every staff member must know and believe in. While this has always been intended for our staff, we have decided to share it with our community. We want you to know what our staff knows, and that is what we believe and how we do business.

Not everyone is looking for a practice like ours. But we want to make sure that when people who ARE looking for a practice like ours to see our website, they will know they found their new dental home!

Dr. Pughs purpose is simple, and best described in her own words. You know what is really my passion for dentistry? While I enjoy the art and craftsmanship of dentistry, and I really enjoy helping people function better, eat better, and sleep better, what really excites me is when I help a person who is self-conscious about their smile, be able to feel proud of their smile. You can see it in their eyes, in their posture, in their attitude. It is amazing! It has nothing to do with money or how challenging the case is. It could be as simple as rounding the corner of a tooth to make it look more natural. I just cant put into words how it makes me feel to help someone overcome their self-consciousness about their smile!

HEALTHY means that we make sure that our patients gums are healthy, that they can fully function when eating, and they keep their teeth for life. Although, sometimes the healthy thing is to remove harmful or unnecessary teeth for best health.

Everything we do, every decision we make, has one ultimate priority. Is it the right thing to do? Sometimes in life we have hard decisions to make. But rarely is it difficult in our practice because we live by this guiding value. Whether it is a patient-related, employee-related, or a business-related decision, we always start with, What is the right thing to do?

On the surface, it would seem that telling the truth IS the right thing to do. We believe so firmly in this value, however, that we intentionally state it. We never intentionally mislead a patient, employee, or each other. We never diagnose anything that is not truly needed. We are transparent and honest in everything we do.

The first and most important thing that we do is high-quality dentistry and sterilization (infection control). More important than our culture is our dentistry and infection control. We do not use off-brand or generic products, aftermarket implant parts, or cheap, overseas labs. We do not do patch 'em up dentistry. We have state-of-the-art equipment and are up to date with all COVID-19 infection control protocols.

The second most important is our culture. We (the entire staff) create a culture where we as individuals make important contributions to each other, to our patients, and to our community, each day. Our team is engaged and passionate about their careers.

The third layer of Our Credo is our patient experience. We dont want to exceed our patients expectations. We try to blow our patients' expectations, of what they can expect in a dental practice, out of the water! We want to see our patients leave our practice saying Wow! I didnt even know I could expect this level of care and service in a dental practice! I need to go find someone to tell! We dont always get it right, but we always try, and we always listen!

So why is Patient Experience last in our Credo? Because we know that if we do the highest quality dentistry, with a staff that is highly engaged and cares deeply about their contribution in the practice, that we will produce a MUCH better patient experience than if we focus on Patient Experience first!

Dr. Pugh, Dr. Midence, and Dr. Couillard were all drawn to dentistry for the same reason: it gives them the opportunity to make meaningful, lasting impacts on peoples lives. Our patients greatly appreciate their compassion throughout the treatment process, and nothing makes them happier than seeing your confidence grow as your smile improves.They cant wait to welcome you and your loved ones into our practice, and you can start getting to know them by clicking on the images below.