The train has arrived at Dental Express, and the new family-run business wants you to get on board. Dr. Casey Ashmore, DDS, originally from Oklahoma, is the “conductor” of the new dental practice at 4110 W. Point Loma Blvd. He’s owned and operated the retail space, formerly a Chinese restaurant, since the first of the year. The brand-new totally remodeled office has an actual model train circling the ceiling on a track every 2 ½ minutes.
“They completely gutted the inside and started from scratch,” said Teresa Williams, the dental practice’s director of operations. “He (Ashmore) and his family are big train fans. He wanted to bring the same idea out to the West Coast.”
“It makes the whole experience better for everybody,” said Ashmore, the son of a dentist, of his office’s train motif. “My family had offices back in Oklahoma and Texas that looked like a train station. But it was Midwestern style. Ours is art deco.”
“It’s a little trendier, really a whimsical, nice distraction for people,” agreed Williams.
“Having a warm, more homey environment, not a clinical medical environment, it’s a little more inviting,” noted Ashmore, adding, “it makes the experience smoother for everybody.”
Ashmore said he’s a generalist in his practice.
“We pretty much specialize in taking care of everything that anybody would need,” he said, though adding Dental Express doesn’t do braces, patients for which are referred out to orthodontists. He also doesn’t do work involving children being sedated or accept patients covered by HMOs.
“We’re keeping it affordable for people,” Williams said. “We’re here to work with most insurances and budgets and finances and find the treatment plan that works for them,” said Ashmore, noting “we’re taking care of what they need to get through and try to make them as healthy as they can be and give them what they want.”
Touring the office, there are a dozen modern, well-lit spacious examining rooms (several with street views) and state-of-the-art x-ray and other equipment.
Ashmore said the whole idea behind Dental Express is to make it a one-stop place to serve the needs of all patients and their kin.
“This practice is geared for the whole family,” he said, adding, “Everyone can get everything done, and we don’t have to send them out to three or four different doctors. We’ve got the space to accommodate whole families.”
Asked about the difference between practicing dentistry in Oklahoma and San Diego, Ashmore replied, “It’s healthier here. People have a larger desire to fix and take care of their problems, rather than just take things out as they hurt. There’s a larger desire to fix it rather than get rid of it.”
Ashmore suggested patients be proactive rather than reactive with their dental care. He added, that if patients wait to come in until something hurts, it’s “usually too late” to repair it.
In terms of helpful dental hints, Ashmore offered this advice “Drink water and see your dentist regularly.” In front of Dental Express is a metal mock train manufactured in Las Vegas that Ashmore brought in to have as a play area for kids and a conversation piece.
“This is an added benefit for the kids going to the dentist,” said Williams, noting Dental Express recently had “Shipping Wars,” a reality TV series on A&E, come out to shoot a segment for their program, which will air soon.
Will Dental Express be franchised? That train’s already left the station. “We’ve got a second location in Clairemont Mesa that we’re getting permitting for now,” said Ashmore. For more information, visit www.thedentalexpress.com or call (619) 701-6622.
