William Shakespeare once said "A smile cures the wounding of a frown." Mark Twain later quipped "Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been." And an anonymous writer once wisely stated that "All people smile in the same language.” Do you think any of those authors considered what goes into making a great smile? Dentists, of course! Because behind a patient’s great smile is a great dentist who is professional, well-trained, gentle, kind and honest.
Westerville dentist Dr. Larry DeVese is one of those great dentists! He grew up in Sandusky and graduated from Bowling Green State University and The Ohio State University College of Dentistry. After several years of residency, teaching, volunteering and serving as an associate with central Ohio dentists, he opened his solo practice in 2003.
One big challenge in starting up a dental practice is the difficulty in securing financing because of high start-up costs. After becoming frustrated with another bank’s corporate run-around, his friend Ed Dudley referred him to Heartland Bank. His relationship with Heartland has grown at the same pace that his business has grown. He recently commented on the awesome experience he gets when he walks into the Westerville office of Heartland – “Everyone knows me by name.”
This year marks the 10th anniversary of putting smiles on patient’s faces at A Smile by Dr. DeVese. The practice uses the most current technology for dentistry, including an x-ray machine that displays results on a monitor for the patient to view immediately. Each examining room is equipped with television screens and is wired for music so patients can have procedures done while watching their favorite program or listening to their favorite music!
Dr. DeVese is proud of his staff at A Smile by Dr. DeVese. They go above and beyond each day to serve their community and put a smile on every face that comes in. Their post-appointment follow-ups are just as important as the time spent while the patient is in the office. Dr. DeVese shared the story about a young patient that came in for an x-ray. Unfortunately, the child was so nervous that every time they tried to get the procedure done, he got sick. After three attempts, Dr. DeVese and the boy’s mother agreed to try again on another day. The child was embarrassed and couldn't wait to leave the office. The next day, Dr. DeVese texted the boy’s mother and told her “I am so proud of your son. We weren't able to get the x-ray that we needed, but your son tried three times. I have nothing but admiration and respect for him.” The encouragement from Dr. DeVese was all the boy needed to feel better about himself.
It takes a certain level of commitment to your customers to follow up the same way that Dr. DeVese does. He chose a bank that treats him with the same level of respect, care and dedication that he provides to his patients. If it’s been awhile since you were able to smile about your finances, come on over to Heartland, where banking feels good! Smile!
A Smile by Dr. DeVese