Dr. William Rice DDS

My mother and I went to Dr. Rice for several things. He gave me a shot of novocaine to prep the tooth for the crown and hit a nerve in May. I returned ten days later to have the crown put on and he refused and also said there are no nerves in your upper gums. I have known since the tenth grade in biology class that there are nerves wherever there is flesh! He finally put the crown on but the nerve has never healed. It is always sore even after 4 months. Also another dentist and my oral surgeon could see where the gum had a small laceration from Dr. Rice twisting the needle sideways. He also cancelled two appointments on us just before we were ready to leave home, and suddenly decided not to do any of the work on my 92 year old mother and let our teeth get even worse! AVOID this person!! My opinion is that he should retire.
Oct 8th, 2021

THE VERY BEST I HAVE EVER BEEN TO A++++++++ AND THEN SOME
Oct 14th, 2020

Great experience at one of my least favorite things- The Dentist 😳 Huge thanks to Dr Rice DDS, Kristy and Christina; This ultra professional group of amazing people took great care of me. If you need dental care in the Athens area or any where in a 50 mile radius this is the place to come, it would easily be worth the drive.
May 19th, 2020

Jan 28th, 2020

Best dentist and dental staff in the world! And I need to share a little bit of my history with dentistry so you can understand how very serious I am in my praise. If you've had the kind of horrible experiences I've had with dentists in the past, look no further. You're about the have the best dental experience of your life. But first, that pre-Rice history. I won't get too into details, but suffice it to say, every last experience I had with dentists as a child was downright miserable (including one who literally had me in tears and then told me "Shut up, it doesn't hurt"), to the point that I learned to fear and hate dentists. So, as soon as I became an adult, I quit going to the dentist. I didn't visit a dentist for years. You can imagine the cavities I started to develop. When I finally did return to a dentist (still not Dr. Rice yet) to get some cavities filled, it was no better. And I remembered why I hated dentists so much. THEN, then I moved to Athens. I still needed a couple of cavities taken care of, but didn't have a whole lot of money. I originally found Dr. Rice's practice because they accepted Care Credit, which I needed in order to be able to cover the costs of fillings since I had no dental insurance at the time. Of course, not yet knowing Dr. Rice, I was initially dreading yet another abysmal experience. But from the moment I entered the building for the first time, everything changed. The greeting from the staff was pleasant. The interior was as clean and nice as anything I'd ever seen. I think they could tell I was nervous, but they did everything they could to set me at ease. The assistant who got everything ready for the filling was the friendliest I'd ever encountered. And when Dr. Rice himself showed up, he talked to me first, asked some questions, got to know me a little. And no sooner had I mentioned my horrible past with dentists, then he set to work reassuring me. Dr. Rice's number one goal is for your experience to be as comfortable, pain-free, and downright pleasant as possible. I didn't think this was possible at a dentist's office, but he proved me wrong. He makes a point of always believing the patient, which should be the norm among dentists, but is a truly and remarkably rare trait. If you tell him you are in pain, he will believe you, and he will do everything he can to make sure the pain stops BEFORE he continues working on your teeth. And I cannot tell you enough how much that meant to me. A previous dentist wouldn't believe me when I told him I was still in pain, and I ended up feeling the ENTIRE filling procedure. When I told Dr. Rice that story, he was genuinely horrified, and promised me that would never happen in his office. And he was right. I lived in Athens for three years, and some of the best memories I have of living there are my visits to Dr. Rice's office. Yes, you heard me. Before Dr. Rice, I always dreaded going to the dentist. It was probably my least favorite thing ever. But after that first visit with Dr. Rice and his incredible staff, I actually LOOKED FORWARD to every single visit. I didn't even mind if I got a new cavity, because it meant I got yet another wonderful visit with my favorite dentist (two words I never had thought could go together). Everyone there got to know me, and I got to know them, and they actually remembered things about me. I actually felt like I mattered to them. I could keep gushing, but I think this review is getting too long. So I'll just say it again: if you're looking for a dentist, especially if you've had bad experiences in the past, look no further! I've unfortunately moved too far away to be able to still visit. But let me tell you, I would have continued coming here even if I were three hours away. If I could have brought his entire practice with me, I would have. Unfortunately, I had to leave them behind in Athens. But now that I know what a positive dental experience is like, I can at least be sure to find other good dentists in the future. I now know they do exist. Thank you for everything, Dr. Rice! Best. Dentist. Ever.
Jul 30th, 2020