ALL ARE TREATED WELL AT HEARTWELL DENTAL

By John Grossi | Photos by Monique Kuhlman

“Your tongue harbors the most bacteria out of any part of your body,” reminds local dentist Dr. Girgis (who is also a magazine sponsor). “For overall health and wellness, it’s important to keep up a routine of regularly cleaning the bacteria out of your mouth because [dental health] can affect the rest of the body.”

In 2022, we interviewed Dr. Girgis shortly after he had opened his practice, Heartwell Dental, in his hometown near Heartwell Park. His message was clear. He wanted to treat patients like he would his own family—educating them as much as possible regarding dental health and never recommending something he wouldn’t recommend to his own mother.

He also wanted to follow the inspiration of his childhood idol Kobe Bryant by bringing a “Mamba Mentality” to his dental practice… ever improving and continually pushing to be better.

The community has responded to his hard work and honesty. In just a few short years, his patient load has grown five-fold. In response, Dr. Girgis recently moved his practice into a much larger, beautiful brick building right across from Heartwell Park, where he and his staff are ready to introduce this state-of the-art, welcoming facility to even more individuals and families from ages 1 to 100!

Heartwell Dental’s New Office

“My favorite coffee shop is Eco Coffee, right across the parking lot from our new office,” Dr. Girgis reminisces. “I used to sit there drinking coffee, looking across at the brick building (which belonged to a former local dentist) and think about what a dream it would be to make that my office. It’s right across the street from the duck pond where I used to play as a kid, and thousands of cars drive by it on Carson Street each day.”

Truly his dream come true, Dr. Girgis didn’t cut any corners in making the new location the best it could possibly be. New flooring, paint, lighting, and a complete update to the aesthetics. The seven treatment rooms are full of state-of-the-art equipment while the lobby is welcoming and comfortable. Amenities include Netflix on TV with plenty of toys and bean bag chairs to keep the children occupied in the “kid’s corner.”

Technology And Education

A shining feature of the new office is the cutting-edge 3D Itero Scan, which allows Dr. Girgis to take a full wellness low-impact scan of the patient’s mouth. There’s no need for the discomfort and wait associated with physical impressions. With the scan, Dr. Girgis can show you everything happening in your mouth just moments later.

This year, Dr. Girgis invested in another piece of new technology, the Cone Bean x-ray, which gives detailed 3D x-ray imaging on bones and nerves, allowing him unprecedented information and insight to guide root canals and implants.

The technology only plays into what Dr. Girgis calls his top priority, “education.” During every appointment and with every scan, Dr. Girgis makes it a point to go over everything that’s happening in your mouth, using the imaging to better show points of interest and areas of concern.

Other specialties of Heartwell Dental include:

Cosmetics: Dr. Girgis regularly attends conferences around the country to make sure he is up-to-date on the latest and greatest improvements when it comes to cosmetic surgeries. “Giving someone the confidence to smile more is one of my favorite things in the world,” says Dr. Girgis.

Sleep Apnea: Most people see their dentist more often than their physician. Thanks to Dr. Girgis’s commitment to regular mouth scans, he can find signs of sleep apnea early and even implement solutions for mild-to-moderate cases so patients can avoid the need for a CPAP machine.

Children: Dr. Girgis, the father of a young new baby himself, is a proud “family dentist” and prioritizes comfort when it comes to starting your little one off at the dentist. The kid’s corner in the lobby is just one example of how he has made the office comfortable for children. In some situations, he has even conducted his consultation inside the kid’s corner to help keep a child calm. For children under the age of four, Dr. Girgis often conducts a few visits where no oral exams even occur, just to acquaint the child with the office and make them feel comfortable before their first official oral exam.

Dr. Girgis encourages anyone who hasn’t already established care with a dentist they love to consider calling his office this New Year. As a lifelong resident of Long Beach (outside of schooling), he is committed to being a part of this community as he grows both his family and his practice. As he says, “I know it sounds cliché, but I really do try to treat every patient like they’re my family.”