So here's the deal.  I was cursed to have been born with a genetic defect in my teeth: enamel hypoplasia - not enough enamel.  I had a pretty hard time growing up as you can imagine.  I had all 12 front teeth crowned when I was 16 and the looked better than my regular teeth, but were not pretty in the least.  They were too large, not the right color, and they began to crack 6 months after I got them.  I didn't have the money to have them replaced, so it was about 10 years later that I went in to have something done.  This time it was a family friend who had opened up her own practice (not a good idea).  They were horrible!  This proved to me and others once and for all tha just because you have a piece of paper that says you are a dentist, that doesn't make you a good one.  This was a very costly mistake.  These crowns also threw my bite off so bad that I had migraine headaches for 15 years.

Your smile is the first thing somebody sees.  I had been taught by my mother to "try not to smile, but if you do, try not to show your teeth."  I learned to cover my mouth with my hand when I laughed and I was always embarrassed and very self conscious.  I fortunately had a loving family and friends who could overlook my teeth and see alll the other good things about me.  Unfortuntely, others could not.  It's really just human nature to judge and it can't be helped.  This in turn held me back from a lot of areas, especially advancement in my work.

Well the unthinkable happened.  Here I was over 40, with a child, only a part time job, and getting a divorce.  I became desperate.  What was I going to do?  I had to try to be the best that I could be, and I needed a job that would allow me to support myself and my son.  Through much prayer and determination, I made the call to Dr. Kegler.  After a few visits (pain free) I received my new crowns.  Extreme makeover could not have done any better.  My looks changed instantly and it was unbelievable!!

They say that the sexiest thing about a woman is her confidence and I just got a double dose.  I got a great new job that allowed me to relocate and that is where I met my new husband. 

When I come back home to the Atlanta area to visit, people that have known me for years tell me that I look better than I ever have.  I have even gotten a few marriage proposals from old boyfriends.

 This may not be typical, but how can you afford not to try.  THIS IS AN INVESTMENT IN YOUR FUTURE!  Everyone should take the chance to be the best they can be.  This is why I drive 1000 miles to come back home to see my dentist, Dr. Clarence Kegler.  Trust me, it is worth it!

The only problem I have now is those little wrinkles they call laugh lines.  I thought about having something done to remove them, but I think I'll keep them.  I have waited a long time to have them! :)

Angie Beszborn

 

Dear Dr. Kegler: 

 

 I am writing to congratulate you and members of your professional team on running one of the best dental clinics I have ever visited during the past 50 plus years of my life. You are a true artist and I am confident that your magic touch will continue to bless many more satisfied patients like me in the future.

 You are a good listener and know how to connect with you patients. You took the time and listened to the concerns I had when I visited your clinic. You were very receptive and understanding of my overall industry related perceptions and fears. 

 More over it was very clear to me from the first visit that you have succeeded in putting together what I would refer to as a “Great Team”. The atmosphere of the clinic and the level of professional empathy displayed by you and members of your team have and will remain one of the most pleasant experiences

 I have had of visiting any dental clinic.  

You may remember me sharing a thought with you during my last visit, that I believe you could become recognized as “Great Trainer” and that your clinic could one day become a “Training Site” for Dentists in general, and particularly for the new graduates, many of whom would undoubtedly be needing a role model of a “Dentist and Dental Clinic” system to follow!

 

Ed Shammas, President

Atlanta Career and Resume Center, Inc.

 

I just wanted to thank you and your wonderful staff for everything you have done for me, although simply saying thank you just doesn't seem comparable to how you all have changed my life. I never thought I would be able to smile and laugh as freely as I can now, I'm not afraid to say what I think or it speak up in conversations. Not to mention just how nice everyone has been, from when I first walked in to now, I never thought I would say that I'm not afraid of the dental office anymore..but it feels like I'm among old friends right when I walk in the door. To think that just back in May I thought I would be in dentures by this time, but thanks to you..I can stand tall and pursue my dreams. I've even started singing again, and I don't have the same hesitation about getting up in front of people anymore. I know things will be alright now, that my mom doesn't have to worry anymore about the condition of my teeth, my whole family can never thank you all enough for this wonderful gift. My dad's even gotten to the point of telling complete strangers about how he knows for a fact that there are indeed still good people in this world. As cheesy as it sounds, you guys have restored my faith in the human race as a whole, before all this all I saw was people suffering and causing pain to everyone around them and that in itself made me question a lot of things. Throughout this whole process I kept thinking I was going to wake up to find that it had all been a dream, that things were the same as they had always been, that I'd wake up and wonder how long it would be until another tooth went bad...and how I would be able to fix it this time. This is by far the greatest gift I have ever been given, or had ever hoped to recieve. Knowing that there are indeed kind people in the world has made me want to help others as well, to change lives the way that you guys can and have done. I can't remember ever being so happy to go to the dentist, knowing that I'd be giggling the whole time rather than crying as I have been known to do in the past. Anyway..I just wanted to thank each and every one of you for your kindness, and for helping me to overcome a lot of my insecurities and fears. I feel very blessed to have gotten to know you all. Thank you so very very much for everything, and if there is anything that I can ever do to help ya'll, give me a call.  - Samantha Berry

This is the best run, most friendly, easy to use dental office I've found ! Thank you for making it easier to do something I really don't want to do (going to visit my dentist).... :-)  S.H.

 
Every visit is always a pleasant experience.  Dr. Kegler and his staff are GREAT! R.L.
 

My total experience at Dr. Kegler's office was fun, while still being treated in a professional, courteous manner.  Everyone was very patient with me and genuinely concerned about my welfare personally (are you comfortable, etc.) as well as my dental concerns.   - D. E.

What can I say?  It's like seeing family...well maybe not...I don't like some of my family and I love you guys.... - E.W.

 

Dr. Kegler's office and staff is very professional and state of the art.  After visiting several dentists and moving from the area,  I am a proud patient of this practice.  I will recommend  you to all of my associates. Thank you for the great work you and your staff are doing.  You are a blessing. - R.C.

 

You guys are awesome! - L.B.

 

I have always been terrified of dentists and avoided them at any cost, but I was getting married and wanted my teeth looking the best they could for my special day. My parents recommended Dr. Kegler because according to my mother he was painless. I was very conscious of how bad my teeth were when I first went to visit Dr. Kegler. He never made me feel uncomfortable, which other dentists in the past have done. He explained everything to me as he was going along and in terms that I could understand. The very first time I received a shot I was so afraid, but he was so gentle that you could hardly feel it. Anytime you are in the chair he is always concerned about whether you need a soft blanket, a different channel on the flat screen TV or if you are in any discomfort. He is up to date with the newest technology such as his digital x-rays. These x-rays save you time as a patient because you no longer have to wait for film to develop like other dentist offices. What can I say about the rest of the staff? Well they are great!! I don't know too many offices where the staff gets along as well as they do and everyone there is very friendly. Rose and Wendy have both been helpful with any questions that I have had and if they didn't have the answers they always went above and beyond to make sure someone could answer me. I would recommend anyone to come see Dr. Kegler even if you are terrified of dentist like I was. For the first time in my life I do not mind going to the dentist. After all the dental work I have amazing teeth and a not so bad smile (still getting use to not trying to hide my teeth). My wedding pictures turned out great and could not have asked for more. I would have never thought that fixing my teeth could have given me so much more confidence. I owe all that to Dr. Kegler. THANK YOU!!! - S. M.

You and your staff are amazing. Just a few months ago I was concerned about smiling too broadly, for fear my broken and missing teeth might show. When I did smile, all you could see was my hand covering my smile. In addition, I avoided going to a dentist out of both fear and embarrassment over the appearance of my teeth. Needless to say, smiling is no longer a problem, as you did a great job repairing my teeth, relatively painlessly I might add. However, more importantly, you and your staff always made me feel comfortable, never chastising me for the past. You have a patient for life!  See me smile! - M.E.

I really don't know how to thank you all for your kindness to me, so I'll tell you a few things...I have never really felt attractive. So, I decided to aim for the bottom of the average" or "acceptable" part of the scale when it came to physical / facial beauty. I decided to try to be more attractive spiritually, intellectually, humorously, etc. Even if you have some success in developing these areas of your life, it's still hard to feel as if you're on a level playing field with all the other people in the world who look normal. My teeth were one of the features of my countenance by which I was most embarrassed. I didn't even like to talk about how much I disliked them.I knew that there were ways to improve the appearance of my teeth, but I didn't really know where to start. I always felt that there were other things which should be higher priorities. I had developed an attitude which said that physical appearance shouldn't matter; that it was shallow to worry about such things - a self-defense mechanism, I suppose. Then it occurred to me that it wasn't all about me. I wouldn't want my children to feel the way about themselves that I have always felt about myself (dentally, anyway). I thought about how ludicrous it would be for them to feel badly for even one minute about something that could be so easily fixed. I decided that it was time to apply the same standard to myself for once, and I went to see Dr. Kegler. Dr. Kegler and his staff made this all so easy for me. When you feel unattractive, it can be uncomfortable to focus attention on the area of perceived unattractiveness, even if it is with the person who can make it better. I never felt uncomfortable in any way during this process. Every one in Dr. Kegler's office is so personable and sincere that this issue never arose for me. The hardest part was walking in the door. From then on, it was smooth sailing. Actually, it was kind of fun most of the time. There is a great sense of humor in the office. Dr. Kegler is extremely concerned about pain control. Even though I always try to deny pain, Dr. Kegler always knew if I was feeling even a twinge. I don't know how he did that, but he was always right. Mouth pain is one of the worst kinds of pain, but I didn't even have to think about it. I didn't have to feel it. I think I may have even fallen asleep in the chair once or twice, possibly due to the great blankets provided for those of us who are easily chilled.  Last weekend, I attended cub scout camp with my son. Through this organization, I have met lots of new friends who never saw my old teeth. I was standing outside in the beautiful autumnal sunshine by the lake one day. I was talking to another "scout-mom" about who-knows-what, when one of the dads called my name and said, "Hey, look over here!" When I turned around, he said to a couple of other guys "See, I told you. Her teeth are just perfect." I was not a good scout, as I was not "prepared" for this moment. It took me a minute to say thank you. During this minute, during which time seemed to stop, I was thinking "Wow, I must have been smiling. I would never have done that before. I did it without even thinking about it. That is how much this has changed my life. Changed me. To be able to feel like everyone else- is priceless. To be able to be lost in a moment of pointless conversation with another person you've just met, without being self-conscious about your teeth, is now easy, though previously unimaginable. What in the world took me so long?? I never realized what a barrier existed between me and my enjoyment of other people and experiences. What a "lightbulb moment."  Thanks for everything. See you soon.  - D. G. 

I wanted to send you a quick note thanking you for the service that you and your staff provide to my family. It's no secret that the average person doesn't rank visits with your profession that high on their list. But I can honestly tell you that you have removed the apprehension and anxiety that is normally associated with the “dreaded” dentist appointment. It has become clear that you and your staff's motivation lie in the comfort and satisfaction your patients feel while visiting the office. I am impressed with the efforts you have made to ensure that your patients are getting the most current care through updated technology. No doubt you have personally saved me time, pain and money by diagnosing and prescribing treatments or preventative measures that ensure LESS visits to your office. In addition to the "tools" you use your staff is very gracious and (can I say it?) fun to be around. I am presented with many decisions each day – thanks for making this one of the easiest.  From my family to yours – thank you.  Kind Regards,  Beau, Lisa, Chance, Banks and Charley Lacey

 I am writing to express my sincere thanks to Dr. Kegler and his staff at Artistic Smiles. I am always pleased with the professionalism and care that I receive when I am treated there. I appreciate the warm, friendly environment that exists in the office. Although going to the dentist is not something that most people enjoy, it is something that I have learned to appreciate due to the wonderful service and treatment I receive at Dr. Kegler's office. The state of the art equipment and atmosphere in the office is also impressive. I wish that I could make every routine appointment as enjoyable as it is at Artistic Smiles. From the moment that you walk into the office, you are greeted with a smile and a warm reception. I will not receive dental care anywhwere other than with Dr. Kegler and his wonderful staff! - J.B.