Were a team of skilled professionals with a long-term commitment to our patients. To us, relationships are everything and we strive to form long term, trusting relationships with our patients. As a multi-generational practice serving multi-generational families, we respect and honor the personal connections weve made over the years.
Darci greets our patients with a warm smile and gentle voice, joining us in 2018 after moving from New Hampshire with her future husband. Like so many others, they fell in love with New Bern while crossing the downtown Neuse River bridge. She grew up in NY state, served our country in the Air Force, and is proud to have sons serving in the Army and Marine Corp. Darci is very active, loves to travel, garden, kayak, and hike when she isn't shopping, making a mess in the kitchen, or working on a new home project.
After a weekend adventure to our town, Christine and her husband moved to New Bern from Florida in 2017. With over 20 years of dental front office experience, she knew we were her dental home after seeing our bear, 'Dr. Paw'. Hailing from California originally, married for 30 years and with 2 children, a recent grandson, and a favorite yellow lab, she loves spending time with her family and friends, and travel.
Stacy is a native North Carolinian and received her dental hygiene degree from Coastal Carolina Community College. Working in our office since 2002, she has a kind heart for every patient and loves to put them at ease while providing a positive experience. She and her husband have 2 children and enjoy parenting their newborn, travel, golf, and many family activities.
Lynn is originally from New York and now lives in Maysville, NC. She has been a Certified Dental Assistant in our office since 1998. Lynn and her husband have one son and two grandchildren. She enjoys gardening, crafts, reading and spending time with her husband and family.
Jennifer is originally from Virginia and has been a New Bern resident for 3 years. She graduated from York Technical Institute in Lancaster PA as a Certified Dental Assistant in 2012. She and her husband of 16 years have four daughters which keep her busy when home. She enjoys fishing and being a softball mom.
Allie is originality from New Bern but now lives in Pollocksville, NC. She attended Wayne Community College where she earned her dental assisting diploma and is a Certified Dental Assistant. Allie enjoys going on the boat and spending time with family and friends.
Daphne grew up on Pawley's Island SC and graduated in 1997 from USC with a BS in Science and Math. Six years of long hours as a hospital worker spurred a change. She received her dental hygiene degree from Coastal Carolina Community College and hasn't looked back. She is passionate about dentistry and serves as the dental director of a non-profit clinic helping the local underserved community with their dental needs, which she finds immensely rewarding. She has 2 daughters. She enjoys watching them play college softball and volleyball, cooking, biking, being on the water, and spending time with friends.
We offer an exceptional level of professionalism and experience. Dr. Hand has been practicing dentistry in New Bern since 1981. With patients originally seen by Dr. Hand's grandfather and father, we have doctor-patient relationships that truly span generations. Our staff has many decades of dental experience, most with Dr. Hand. Simply put, we know what we are doing and do it well. We stay current on the latest materials and techniques by frequently attending courses, lectures, and seminars presented by the best in their fields. Dr. Hand is a fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry, a recognition earned and maintained through a rigorous examination and extensive post-graduate education.
As one would expect, we strive for long term relationships with our patients, and our continued success depends upon treating people well. We are proud to say that our number one source of new patients is by recommendation of current patients, and our reviews are overwhelmingly stellar.
Our office is likely one of the nicest you have visited, and was custom designed by Dr. Hand and T.H.E. Design of Austin, Texas. Of special note, our comfortable reception area offers a wide variety of current magazines, a refreshment center with complementary coffee/water, a wireless internet connection, and displays the dental cabinet used by Dr. Hand's grandfather for his instruments and materials. Dr. Hand has an extensive collection of antique nautical charts and waterfront scenes throughout the office. A brief tour is part of the introduction for new patients.
We welcome all new patients with a tour of our office during which we introduce the team and demonstrate our dental technology. To save time on your first visit to our office, you can download and fill out the necessary forms here.
Once we have determined and discussed your treatment needs, well agree on a treatment plan and review payment options. If you have dental insurance, we will do our best to help you maximize your benefits, and submit claims on your behalf. Please note that you will be required to pay for your estimated portion of your charges at the time of your treatment, and are always responsible for charges not covered by dental insurance.
Participating providers are contractually obligated to your insurance company to provide care at greatly discounted rates, with the enticement of making up the discount by seeing more patients from that employer. This rarely works, forcing compromises in the overall quality of your care, which we will not do. You may spend a bit more with us initially, but over the long term (which is what we are all about), the difference in what you would pay for our services versus an in-network provider is usually minimal, and there is no compromise in the quality of your care.
Dr. Hand is a native of New Bern and a third generation New Bern dentist. He graduated from Episcopal High School in Alexandria Virginia, graduated with Honors from NC State University in Raleigh, and graduated in 1981 from the UNC School of Dentistry at Chapel Hill, at that time the top ranked dental school in the country. He returned to New Bern and established the area's first group dental practice with his father and six other dentists. His current office was built in 1996 upon his father's retirement.
Dr. Hand regularly attends courses and seminars to stay current with the newest materials and procedures, particularly in cosmetic and complex restorative dentistry. He is a Fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry, an honor earned through extensive continuing dental education, and is a founding member of a local dental study club devoted to complex interdisciplinary dental care.
He enjoys running, reading, restoring older fiberglass boats for his family's enjoyment, traveling, flying airplanes and helicopters, and home design/construction. He and his wife, Lynn, have enjoyed 38 years of marriage. Their recently married son is a UNC-Chapel Hill graduate living in Washington, DC. Their home in the historic district, which they designed, is located a few blocks from the office.