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We love hearing from patients about their positive experiences with our team. And we want to share them with you! Our patient testimonials will show you why so many people love coming to our office for dental care treatments.
Whether you need a routine cleaning or a complex dental reconstruction, you can expect an enjoyable appointment every step of the way. Our dentists and team members go the extra mile with advanced technology, modern techniques, and cozy office amenities to put you at ease.
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When I came in, I was looking for a solution to sleep apnea other than a CPAP machine because I hate being tethered. I’m an outdoor person. If I go camping, it’s difficult to take my CPAP machine with me. This device has given me a lot more freedom and I feel like I’m sleeping better at nights. In order to get it, my previous dentist told me that I needed a crown. And one of the problems with the oral device I had before was that every time I had a crown or whatever, the oral device didn’t fit anymore. And then I’d have to look forward to the process of choking the forming glue. And here I didn’t have to deal with any of that. It was just awesome. When they found out that I needed to have open heart surgery for a triple bypass, they dug a blanket out of their bag of tricks, gave it to me. Everybody expressed their concern. I hope everything goes well. And right in the middle of all of this, we were trying to adjust my mouthpiece and get it adjusted so that I was getting the proper clearance and breathing techniques for my oral mouthpiece. It’s been great. It’s been incredible. I feel that we’re well on our way. We’re still kind of tweaking and balancing a little bit, but we’re getting there. And then they’re going to work through, work with me and give me a sleep study that hopefully other medical professionals will accept. So it’s going to be great.
I have had jaw pain for most of my life. Around when I graduated high school, I was in an internship performing with a professional theater company. And in the middle of one of those performances, my jaw locked open. And I had to force it closed, ended up popping, cracking, just nasty. And that’s the first time where I was like, something is wrong. And I’ve tried several other treatments. I’ve had multiple, I think three procedures on my jaw to try and fix the problem. Surgical procedures where I was actually like put under and then they try and fix it. And that lasted for a while. And then a couple of years ago, the pain started to come back. You know, this recurring pain, which led to migraines every time I would perform with a full orchestra or a symphony with the vibrations coming in and just, it was too much for my jaw. And I couldn’t sleep and a bunch of other problems that were coming from, because of my jaw. And eventually I got referred here because they have the TMJ, the temporal mandibular joint disorder specialty here that they treat. And I came in my first appointment with Gunnerson. I was like, what is wrong with me? Why am I in so much pain? And they did the scans and they figured it out where my joint was actually, part of the bone was missing and the joint just wasn’t correct. Like the way my jaw was lined up. And he said, don’t worry, we can fix it. I was like, okay. Like he was so confident about it. And honestly, I was skeptical. Right off the bat, I was skeptical. I was like, there’s no way. I have been treating this for 10 years. There is no way that like six months of treatment, whatever he’s gonna do is just gonna solve all my problems. And I would like to say that I’m pretty sure it has. It has solved all my problems. The treatment lasted about six months and now I have a nightly appliance that I wear and it shifted my jaw forward. It has alleviated all my pain. I’ve done, I think six concerts with full orchestras since I finished treatment and I’ve had zero migraines, zero headaches even, not even like a minor headache from it. It’s improved my sleeping. It’s helped with, I had some mild sleep apnea that it has solved, jaw pain, just everything has gotten better from this treatment. Being pain free means everything to me. Beforehand, I wasn’t sleeping well at night or I couldn’t do my job well. I was on ibuprofen and Advil, Motrin, all those things, Tylenol. I was taking them constantly to try and alleviate the pain to do my job. And even talking would be painful. If I had had like a long night singing or something and I couldn’t even move my jaw the next day, I would just be in so much pain. Eating was painful. So I’ve now gotten to the point where I can eat anything I want, which feels amazing. And I sleep better at night, which means I’m less grumpy with my children, right? I’m actually getting some real sleep at night. So I’m able to do my job better. I’m able to be a better mom, a better wife. Just, I feel like a better person.
Well, I had a crown that or a tooth that had cracked. And so he went in and worked on that and we put a crown on it. They do have a warranty on their crowns for a certain amount of time. It, the crown cracked as well. So I went back in and he repaired that and it wasn’t I don’t think I waited more than three or four days. And he went in and he fixed that crown again. And then I got a cavity in the tooth next to it. And he said, you know, I’m not happy with that crown. So as long as you’re in the chair and it’s under warranty, I’m going to fix it. And so he did. The crown that I have now on this other side, we’re having a problem with the tooth. It needs a root canal. So I’m going in, you know, next week for root canals. And what he’s going to do is apparently there’s a crack in or a hole in the tooth. So he’s going to go in there and clean that out or a filling. And then I’m going to come back here and Dr. Bradford’s going to put a crown on that. And it’s, you know, a few days later because it’s going to be swollen from the root canal. And I’ll come back in. It’s in a few days, four or five days, and I don’t have to wait for a long time.
The reason we first came with their office is because I was experiencing excruciating jaw pain. In the span of a week, I went to the urgent care twice and the ER once because my jaw was in such pain. Unfortunately, insurance doesn’t cover jaw issues, so we started making a lot of calls around seeing who could treat it, who could provide relief. A lot of people wanted to do surgery. Dr. Gunnerson’s office was like, no, we have something else. We can provide relief and we can get you in really soon. I was skeptical because, again, the pain was excruciating and I thought something was to be really wrong. But we came to their office, they talked me through the process. They took x-rays, they used their laser on my jaw, and we started the treatment and I quickly started feeling relief. I have felt immense relief from that treatment and I’m so glad that I didn’t need jaw surgery. I can sing again because of the treatment, so it’s really upped the quality of my life.
I would say just even from the start, I remember when I first called in looking for, well not just dentists, my wife at the time had, what was it, some jaw issues and I remember when I first called in and I just talked to them and they were just probably the kindest physician interaction I’ve ever had and they were just like, oh that’s very empathetic. And so just from the get go, from the very start, they knew exactly how to react. They’re empathetic, you know, we came in, they said, hey, we remember talking to you on the phone, I’m so and so and you said these things and just were very personable. It wasn’t just, oh, we want to get you in and have you spend a ton of money. It was, hey, what’s going on? How can we help you? And here’s the resources we have. And so for me, that was, I think being personable from the very beginning, it like almost avoids that anxiety.
One of the things that impressed me the most was that to be fitted for an oral device, I have swallowed goo, I can’t tell you how many times in the past, trying to get an orthotic anti-snoring device. Their process is totally digital. The camera rolls around your face, takes all of the measurements, puts it digitally so that they can construct your mouthpiece digitally from that. And you don’t have to choke down the mold forming compound, whatever it is, to have the process done. They’ve worked with me to get adjusted so that I’m sleeping better at night. They treat the root cause of some of my other issues like congestive heart failure or hypertension or obesity by making sure that I get a good night’s sleep. That’s their ultimate goal and they are very consistent about follow through and keeping things up.
One thing I love, you come in and they have, they call it the comfort menu. And it’s anything from chapstick to headphones to a warm neck pillow to a blanket, anything you could need. They even have something, it’s like a patch that does like a slow release to help you for anxiety, like anti-anxiety patch, which I’ve done as well, which was really, really nice for one of my procedures that I had done. And like I said earlier, I just feel seen and that my anxieties are validated, which is amazing, you know, cause it’s, that’s one of the things that valid, like being validated in your concerns is the first step in overcoming those moments of anxiety, which has been really nice here. Having that mentality in this office, it changes everything. When I had my, I have two little girls, and when I had them, I, it was really hard to get back into the office, especially with COVID and everything that was happening around then. And having not gone for several years, you know, my anxiety was high and I went to a different dental office initially after COVID and the experience was fine, you know, but I just sat there tense the whole time. Whereas here I was able to come in, feel comfortable and we don’t, they don’t start until they know that I’m ready. If I need a break in the middle, they’re more than happy to stop and let me, you know, to re-calm if I need to, or to stretch my jaw or whatever I need to do to continue to feel comfortable.
Well, as soon as I walk in, they’ll say, they’ll either have a cookie, or would you like a bottle of water? Yes, I would. And they have chapsticks so that by the time you’re done and your lips are all dry, the dental work, there’s always a chapstick. But what I love is, would you like a blanket? No, thank you. I always, I mean, it’s wonderful. I do like that. But I love the heated neck pillow. So I always get that. And even in the middle of when he’s working on my teeth, I can say, could you heat this up, please? And they jump and they go and they heat it up and bring me back a warm neck pillow. That soothes me and calms me down. And they always have, you know, a good station playing of music. And I love music. So I can sit there and, you know, hum along with my neck pillow and close my eyes and I’m good.
Before I got this treatment, I couldn’t sing. Singing was something I grew up doing and I really loved. My jaw pain was preventing me from opening my mouth and enunciating the words, and I would get tired really quickly. The jaw treatment has put my jaw back into a place and provided such relief that I can sing again. And that, to me, that means a lot. Not being in pain, being able to sing, being able to speak in front of, like give presentations and stuff again, it makes me very happy. Like, I’m so grateful that I’ve done this and I would do it again every single time if I was to get it. If someone asked me if I would do this all over again, the answer would be yes every single time. I also recommend this place to just about everyone because the care and treatment have been so life-changing.
When I first started on the CPAP, incredibly uncomfortable. And I did not like it the very first time, but because insurance wanted me to do it, I did it. Because that’s how I keep it and I don’t have to pay them a ton of money. I remember when I first put it on, I just, I really hated it. But I kept with it because I was told that it would eventually work. And I did it for eight months. And to some degree, yeah, I was breathing at night, but it felt like I was, I didn’t like that I was relying on a machine, I guess. In the sense that I felt like it was just pushing the air. It wasn’t solving the underlying problem. Using the CPAP was just a way to get me in and get me out. And just kind of throw up a solution at the problem rather than finding the underlying issue. From that point, from using it, to the point where I had the conversation with Dr. Gunnerson, the difference between the CPAP and the mouthpiece and the breathing exercises was night and day. I’d put it in, I’d go to sleep at night, and I was able to trust that it was actually taking care of what the real issue was. And I slept so much better with even just from the beginning from when we first started, when it wasn’t a huge difference. Again, it was night and day because I just, I could breathe at night. I’d wake up and I’d feel energized. My wife loved it. Even that first like couple of weeks, she was like, wow, we’re not hearing you snore anymore. We’re not, I’m not waking up every two hours to something or worrying about you dying in your sleep. It was fantastic. And as the time went by and as we continued to optimize it and where the placement was, it’s just made it even better.
Dr. Gunnerson’s a great guy. He loves to hear a joke, pays attention, he wants to know his patients, he calls them by name, interacts very, very well with people. It’s an incredible experience actually. Marche in particular when I come through the front door always greets me with a smile. She just lights up like a Christmas tree light and always so bright and cheery and happy. Dr. Gunnerson is definitely leading with his best foot forward. The staff, the staff is always just really attentive and listen.
It is very, very important to me because I took care of my elderly parents for a long time. And the care that they got was terrible. And it was more like, well, they’re old anyway, and that’s not okay with me. It doesn’t matter. For them to be honest and say, well, we have a problem here, you know, we’re working to fix it out. How about this? That means a lot to me and that’s my trust because all it will take is one or two slip ups and I would go somewhere else. If I didn’t feel comfortable and feel like they cared, then we’d go out of their way to fix whatever problem I have. And that’s exactly what made me.
So when I came in for the jaw therapy, we looked at my jaw and he told me the different kind of options people would give me. Surgery would be one, injections is another, his option, or online you can go and get really cheaply custom made mouthpieces. He talked about each of the options, why he was for or against some of them, pros and cons of each, and then he talked about why his option was the one he most strongly recommended. It was obvious that he thought his treatment was the best, but he still made sure I was aware of all the different options. And then when it came to the jaw treatment, if it wasn’t working, he said I do have these other options as well. He took the time to explain what the options were, how he felt about it. I always felt like I was making a very informed choice in the course of my treatment.
I would say excellent because I feel like they strive for excellence and in not just the trainings they do. I’ve had so many conversations with Dr. Gunnerson for instance about them going to some conference and taking their staff with them. And so they’re keeping their staff educated. It’s not just the dentists and the hygienists, but everybody knows what’s going on and is able to help and they’ll talk to you and tell you about it. So I feel like they really strive for that and especially excellence in relationships and training and knowledge and just in the practice in general.
Typically if you have sleep apnea, it’s difficult to sit through a movie without falling asleep. Very easy to be lethargic, sedentary, to gain weight, to put even more pressure on your heart and your hypertension. I think that sleep therapy, the orthotic device, it’s the cause and not the symptoms that they’re treating and that’s pretty incredible.
The approach here is different due to the fact that they don’t care just about the teeth and gums and making sure that that’s okay. They’re very involved in making sure that any aspect of my health that has to do with my mouth, my jaw, anything in there is taken care of. I’ve done the jaw treatments and I feel amazing. They’ve done my dental work and it’s all been great. I haven’t had a bad experience yet, which I won’t have a bad experience here, I’m hoping. Even with that, after the jaw treatments I have, I do need braces. Again, I have to do more orthodontics, right? After it realigned my jaw, now I have to fix my bite and that’s fine. And Gunnerson, either if I go through him or if I go through one of the other orthodontists in the area, he says that he will be involved for all of it to make sure that the work we did on my jaw will continue to be there. That when we do the orthodontics, it won’t hinder the jaw treatments that we’ve done. They care about the person individually. They know me individually. When I come in, they know who I am. They know, they ask me, oh, what shows are you in? What are you doing? How’s work? How are your kids? And stuff like that. And it’s nice to be seen and known when I come in to be treated.
I would come here because I feel comfortable, I feel peaceful, I trust them completely because they’re very kind. Everyone. I mean, I’ve had even when I’m talking to one of the ladies in the front, one of the guys from the back, filing, I don’t know what they do, they’re in the back office, will pop out and say something really sweet and really cute and they’re just very nice and it’s a big family. The doctors treat everyone like family and then everyone treats each other. You can tell the doctors trust their assistants and they’re very kind and it really is not painful for me except a smidge. I mean just a minute smidge when they give me that horrible shot in my mouth and I’m comfortable with that and I know that they’re going to do everything they can to make me comfortable to do the best job they can. If I thought for a moment that they were just going to do a crappy job and send me on my way and collect the fee then I would never come back. But I’ve been coming here for about 10 years. If you want to feel comfortable and safe and trust that they know what they’re doing and that they’re going to do the best they can for you, this is the place to go.
Everyone is really really kind. They make us feel super welcomed. They take everything we have going on seriously, all of our concerns very seriously. They’re very personable, they’re fun to talk to. They’re just all friendly and I feel like they’re my friends when I come here. They know me and my husband really well. We’ve been seeing them about at least once or twice a month for over a year and a half now. Just because of all the specialty things. I feel like I really know people here and it’s really fun to come back and see them.
I would recommend this office to anyone, especially if they have anxiety or have any trepidations or hesitations about going to a dentist. They take such good care of you here. The staff is amazing. The hygienists are wonderful. I haven’t had a bad experience and don’t plan to here. It’s been wonderful to find them here and just to be taken care of as a whole. The doctors are amazing. They take the time to let you know what’s going on and let you know your options and let you make an informed decision in your time. I never feel pressured to make a decision. I feel like I’m informed before I do.
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