Compassion makes the 90-mile trip worth It

Coni Jo Brinkerhoff has been taking her family to Wild About Smiles for most of their lives, traveling over an hour and a half to Sparks from Lovelock to do it. As her six kids, now ranging in age from 17 to 30, all love Dr. Perry Francis, she says that won’t be changing anytime soon.

Two of her adult sons like Dr. Francis and his team so much that they’re still going to see him. Her 21-year-old will be on vacation from college soon and has asked for an appointment when he gets home. “They have a hard time going anywhere else because that’s who they’ve always been with and he has always done such a great job for them,” Brinkerhoff shares.

She and her children like that Dr. Francis remembers details about his patients and asks them questions about what’s going on in their lives. “And he makes them less nervous about the scary stuff that can come up when you’re in a dentist’s chair,” she says.

She also appreciates Dr. Francis’ willingness to accommodate the family’s schedule. “Since we’re traveling 90 miles to see him, there were times he would take care of the extras even if they weren’t the reason for the appointment,” she says. “For example, if we were in for a cleaning and he found a cavity, he would adjust the appointment to save us a trip.”

She says other times he would see warning signs of cavities and express his concerns to her children to get them involved in the prevention.

She is also wild about the staff. “Several of those people have been there the entire time we’ve been going to Wild About Smiles,” she says. “They remember who we are and always treat us pleasantly.”

If you’re interested in learning more about Dr. Francis, click here.