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many people, going to the dentist is something that they put off until
it becomes a “have-to” situation that they dread. Patients
who visit Dr. Kurt Knechtel in his Longmont office not only don’t
have anything to fear, he says, but they will have found a trustworthy
and friendly professional who will help them alleviate any fears they
have about visiting the dentist. I think walking into Dr. Knechtel’s office is just like walking into a friend’s living room. It is warm and relaxing with a comfortable place to wait, there is a play area for his youngest patients, and a massage chair is available for patient use. As you wait to see Dr. Knechtel or one of his staff, you might find yourself sitting next to a young person on his or her very first dental visit, or a neighbor waiting to have a cosmetic procedure done. “I really wanted to make sure that my office not only reflected my personality, but I wanted to make sure it was an environment that would help people relax and be more comfortable from the moment they walk into the office.” Having both a family dental practice and a cosmetic dentistry practice allows him to help a wide variety of people every day, says Dr. Knechtel. “I really like helping families keep their teeth and mouths healthy throughout their lives.” He adds that he also enjoys creating a beautiful new smile for other patients through dental implants or teeth whitening treatments. In addition to enjoying his work, Dr. Knechtel enjoys his hometown of Longmont. “I love my hometown. We are very active in the community. All of my kids play youth sports in various leagues, and I am a Scout master. Being part of the community and giving back to the community is a very important part of my practice and my life.” Another important aspect of Dr. Knechtel’s practice is that not only has he been in the same location for the last six years, but most of his staff have been with him for as long as he has been practicing dentistry. “I really think that patients are comforted by the fact that they see the same people every time they walk through the door. People know my staff and me not only from the practice, but as part of the community. Nothing makes me more satisfied than to find out my patients are referring their friends and family to us. It means that we are doing something right.” Dr. Knechtel says he appreciates the variety his work offers. Being able to work with families as well as the challenges of cosmetic dentistry allows him to help a broad spectrum of people, and it keeps his daily work interesting. “One of my greatest strengths is my ability to listen and help patients make good decisions about their dental care. I really like being able to make a difference for people, whether it is helping a child through their first dental exam, or creating a beautiful smile through dental implants for a patient who has always been troubled by their teeth.” Dr. Knechtel says there have been great strides in dentistry at all levels since he began practicing over 13 years ago. For example, many kids today aren’t familiar with having cavities filled at really young ages like they were in the past. “Now with the technologies we have available, we can do much more preventative work than ever before,” Dr. Knechtel shares. One of the most interesting and innovative additions to his practice is the DiagnaDent machine. This machine is a cavity-detecting laser, he explains, which will identify cavities much earlier than anything could have ever done before. “We can now actually catch cavities in their earliest stages, and we are able to put preventative resins on the teeth to keep the cavities from developing any further.” He adds that fillings and cavity treatments have improved substantially as well. “Once upon a time, everything we did for patients was either in silver or gold. Now we are able to create fillings that actually match the color of the patient’s teeth, which means that the fillings are virtually undetectable.” Beyond family dentistry, Dr. Knechtel’s other specialty is cosmetic dentistry. While many dentists specialize in either one area or the other, he says he likes the diversity that he sees each day since he performs both types of dentistry. He really enjoys being able to provide a variety of options to his patients. “No one is ever going to get a hard sell from me,” he adds. “We have so many different things that we can do to help patients be more comfortable about their smile that there is something for just about anyone.” Also important is that most of these procedures are much less invasive than they used to be. For example, the Lumineer process, which is one of his specialties, is the least invasive of all procedures, according to Dr. Knechtel. It is basically just a very thin veneer placed on the teeth. It is no thicker than a contact lens. Other veneer processes are much more invasive because they require the dentist to grind the teeth down to accommodate the thickness of the veneer in the mouth. The Lumineer process is more comfortable for patients, Dr. Knechtel says. He also offers a wide variety of whitening and other cosmetic processes to his patients. With all of the innovations that exist in dentistry, one of the biggest changes over the years in Dr. Knechtel’s practice is that he is doing more patient education than ever before. And he is a firm believer that patient education can make all the difference. “While we still see a lot of decay in some patient groups due to economics or lack of dental health insurance, things are much better today than when I first entered dental school,” he points out. “Being able to work with patients and help them learn how to keep their teeth healthy is the most important part of what I do.” Dr. Kurt W. Knechtel’s office is located at 1322 Vivian St. in Longmont. The office phone number is 303-776-4229. |
Dr. Kurt Knechtel, DMD |
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