After a tragic beginning to 2021, many have wondered what would become of Dr. Traxler’s dental office. Many people have noticed a lot of movement around the office as a new group has purchased the practice and has been settling in over the recent months, drawing in as many former patients as they could reach.
“Dr. Lake Garner bought Dr. Traxler’s practice. He is from Magee but works out of Hattiesburg. He is a graduate of Southern Miss, went to dental school in Jackson, and has been practicing for about 20 years,” explained Marketing Director Sharley Hamm. “Dr. Garner owns Garner Dental Group. At this point, we have 22 offices, but it’s still a hometown feel. We’re not like a chain or franchise. Each office stands on its own, individually. One thing he really takes pride in is hometown hospitality. He makes sure everyone is comfortable and understands from the moment they walk in the door that their care is our number one priority.”
Dr. Garner only works at the practice on Thursdays, but he has other dentists who come in to work on Mondays and Tuesdays.
“Dr. Hunter Hawkins lives in Petal with his wife and works in Quitman a couple days a week. He’s from Hattiesburg, and he and his wife has worked for Dr. Garner for the past two years. He’s very thorough,” continued Sharley. “We have Dr. Sumrall here on Mondays.”
Although the new dentists are not originally from Clarke County, Heritage Family Dental believes that they will be perfect for the citizens of Clarke County. They know that the new dentists genuinely care about each patient.
“They have very laid back personalities and get along with everyone,” expressed Sharley. “They relate and explain things in normal terms and don’t use fancy language.”
While the dentists may be new, there are some familiar faces at Heritage Dental that can put those who are apprehensive at ease.
“The staff is the same staff that was here with Dr. Traxler. The same standards are being held. Just because there are some new faces doesn’t mean that we will take away from any of the care or services that people are used to. We’re only trying to improve and move up from here,” declared Sharley. “We’re really glad the staff has stayed, and they’ve been so wonderful in the change. They’re excited, and we’re happy to see where things go and are happy to be back open.”
Along with the staff, Heritage Family Dental also maintains the same services and payment options that it has had over the years. The only changes they have made to the services have been improvements to work better for patients.
“The services are all the same. We’re still seeing all ages—children are welcome. We’re still doing basic services, such as cleanings, crowns, extractions, and fillings. We’re doing a different whitening system: opalescence whitening. People can do it in the office, or they can take it home. We’re just making improvements to the services going forward. We aren’t taking anything away, only adding,” proclaimed Sharley. “All of the insurance and payment methods are the same. We aren’t changing any of that right now. We still take Care Credit where people can do payment plan options, and we’re still filing insurance the same way they were before.”
They have had to make some changes and adjustments, however. Since they are working on getting the practice the way they want it and working on getting more patients in, they are only open for dental work on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. Once more patients begin booking appointments, they will open up on Wednesdays again.
Other than a small change to their open hours, they have been working hard to update everything in the business to make it more efficient and better for patients.
“We’ve started doing renovations and remodeling. We’re really proud of the new software they’re going to use. It’s going to make the patient’s time much easier: more efficient and better care with digital x-rays and other updates. We have all new furniture, paint, and a new sign. We have updated the computer system to different software so patients can fill out paperwork online. Everything is going digital,” announced Sharley. “We offer hand towels that are warmed so they can wipe their mouth after a visit. We have Chap Stick available for everybody. The operatories all have new dental chairs, so it more comfortable and easier to get in and out.”
They have a strong focus on the community.
“We want to be part of the community and help the staff get back involved. They used to go to the schools, and we want to do things like that,” stated Sharley. “Dr. Garner is very big on making sure we give back to the communities that we are in, not only in dental services, but also in being a helping hand when we can or being involved.”
With the recent loss of Dr. Hubbert, many have also wondered what would become of his dental practice and all of his patients. Heritage Dental has also announced that they have purchased Dr. Hubbert’s practice. While his office building has been closed, Dr. Hubbert made sure that his patients would be well taken care of before his passing.
“We just bought out Dr. Hubbert’s office. He wanted to make sure his patients were taken care of with his declining health, so we’re going to merge the two practices. They will operate under Heritage Family Dental,” added Sharley.
Once they have completed their renovations, they would like to host an open house for the community to meet the new dentists and see the different changes that have been made.
“We plan to do specials and drawings and would like to have an open house once we’re a little more settled,” said Sharley. “We really want everybody to come meet the dentists that are here, visit with the staff again, and see all the changes.”
They are accepting appointments and can be found on Facebook or their website, heritagefamilydent.com. Call 601-776-6630 to make an appointment today.
