Hendersonville Family Dental — Local services in Hendersonville

Buckle up, folks, it's a long one!

I first started going here while living in Hendersonville, then moved down to SC in 2020. I've continued to travel 40 minutes up to see them for routine dental care because I had consistently good experiences, and I was comfortable with them, which I think says a lot in and of itself. This past year, they were removed as in-network providers for my dental insurance. I now have to pay up front and then wait for reimbursement, so between this and the drive, I've been wanting to find a closer in-network dentist, but I've been too anxious to try somebody new. I have a lot of issues with dental pain, and very rarely have people been able to adequately care for that part like HFD has.

10 or so years ago, I had a root canal done on a major molar in FL. They messed up the crown, which caused me issues for many years. My dentist at HFD a few years ago managed to fix the crown splendidly. Unfortunately, he later moved and started his own practice, so he's no longer at HFD.

However, I am now under the care of Dr. Henkel, a provider who came out of retirement because he wanted to practice dentistry again for the love of it. He has done splendidly with numbing for my pain. The best I've ever had. Partly because of his anesthesia residency experience but also because he listens and cares. He also doesn't upsell procedures or beat around the bush. He says that he recommends what he would want done for himself or his family and I can say I truly believe him.

So to this review which is on Black Friday while the office is closed for Thanksgiving weekend. On Wednesday that same molar that HFD recrowned started throbbing. By Wednesday night I had what looked like a small pocket of pus bulging out of my inner gum. I called the emergency line yesterday, on Thanksgiving, and got a prompt callback from an assistant (I'm so sorry I can't remember your name if you're reading this, I'm so terrible with names but you were wonderful). I'm leaving town Sunday for a 16 week contract in TX, so I had asked if they were open on Friday so I could be seen. She informed me they weren't, but said she'd call my doc for an antibiotic and that I would need to be seen by a dentist somewhere soon. A while later, but still in the morning yesterday, she called me back with not only an antibiotic but an offer to come in today at 0915 to have it addressed. Her and Dr. Henkel met me at the closed office. Turns out I had an infection under that molar from that root canal failing which required extraction of the tooth (I had figured as much yesterday, this was just confirmation). He walked me through the process and said "If the bone is too unhealthy, I might need to give you some bone but that's an extra $800 and I really don't want to have to charge you for that." They proceeded to extract some blood for making clots (they have some really fancy tech, btw). Dr. Henkel proactively numbed, then probed and numbed again when I reported deep jaw pain, then expertly removed the crown, split the tooth, and pulled it with roots intact. All in all I was done and leaving by 1040. It seems the root may have been perforated with original root canal, a common enough reason for failure I guess. Regardless, they then cleaned out the socket, placed the clots, and he sutured it together with my imminent trip and being out of town for an extended time in mind. They also reported being able to handle the implant in 6-9 months with fancy 3D tech stuff they have.

After this experience, I will continue coming to this practice for as long as I can manage the upfront out of pocket costs. They are reasonable with prices, not the cheapest but definitely high value and worth every penny they charge. Every person I've ever interacted with has been kind and personable, from the front desk all the way through to when you pay before leaving. And I've now had two separate providers over several years who listened to me and helped me in ways no other dentists have been able to. So, thank you HFD, for building a...

05/12/25 This visit required a crown replacing a 25 year old filling. Dr Roosell and assistant Avery. She was very attentive, anticipated well. Very patient with recalcitrant computer monitor. Procedure was pain free and I love the inhouse crown printing. No requirement for a temporary crown and a second visit. The modeling was virtually perfect with very minor, if any, post cementing adjustments. Looking forward to my next dark chocolate sea salt caramel(s). Decent pricing on the Crown as well.

05/07/25 New Doctor, Michael Russel, renewed relationship with former hygienist Lacy. Great combination. Also like recently married Sarah, hygiene scheduler and Amanda, dentist scheduler. Great team.

01/20/2025 Another positive 8 star review. New hygienist, never got or I forgot her name. Very nice hands. Great cleaning job. Now for the real stuff. Doctors and techs come and go but the support staff, the admins make or break a practice. The front office is very good, consistent and flexible. I showed up on the wrong day, early and the were able to fit me in with zero attitude so I didn't waste a trip. I have cr** insurance. Sarah has been superb at finding me payment plans for my self caused perio problems. She makes checkout a pleasure and is also great with rescheduling my erratic schedule. So: Today recognition goes to the support staff. But, final thought, maybe they're great because they don't have to smell our bad breath and hear our screams of pain.

4/22/2024 Interesting. The technology gets better, smaller, less intrusive and seems to be more specific in function yet more generally applicable. Same smooth hands, thank you Marcela. Only pain was due to my poor flossing in a couple of places. Nothing fatal. Checking it with pro Sara, always a pleasure.

Mike S

I have some self caused perio issues. Today, 6/26/23 was a cleaning. Great intake and payment departments. New hygienist to their practice and to me, Marcella. Excellent hands, strong but not rough. Good communication skills. I knew exactly what I needed to know when I left. Previously I got a crown via their "do it right now" 2 hr service. Great fit zero issues. Best practice I've been to in 67 years.

Edit on 2/22/23. Next visit. Hygienist was Lacie, named after Chevy Chase's girlfriend in Caddyshack. Great attitude, good hands and she really paid attention to my issues. Just keeps getting better.

Edit 12/6/23 New hygienist to me, Erin. Superb hands. Firm and gentle. Kudos to the front office and back office staff, particularly Sarah. I had several shirt term cancelation needs, one, with little notice. Non judgemental, personable and professional in the multiple reschedule.

Thank you...

Okay, full disclosure—I was TERRIFIED going into my appointment with Dr. Buchanan and I was pretty sure I’d need a support animal and stress ball for each hand!

My brain went into overdrive when my name was called—Imagine a cartoonish medieval scene from a 1970s episode of Saturday Night Live or the Carol Burnet Show…

You’re strapped down in a wooden chair surrounded by a table with various instruments of torture—for the obligatory blood-letting I presume. A giant, towering figure of a dentist—complete with a long, flowing robe, an evil Snidely Whiplash mustache, and a large, shiny set of pliers is standing by your side. He winks at you like he’s in on the joke.

The dentist dramatically holds up his “mighty tool”—which looks more like an ancient, oversized pair of tongs than anything you’d trust near your mouth—and gives a theatrical “Prepare thine tooth for extraction!”

I start inhaling Nitrous as fast as possible and suddenly come to my senses!

Seriously—if you’re looking for a dentist you can TRUST with all those scary instruments, who carefully explains every step, listens to your concerns, and gives you a heads-up before anything happens, Dr. Buchanan and Hendersonville Family Dental is your place. I...