Stuart L Atkinson, DMD

Dr. A is my 3^rd Dentist in the Hoover area and he and his staff are simply the best. I came in 3 years ago with some significantly neglected teeth because I hated my prior dentists so badly. After a downright pleasant root canal and two crowns, I am in great shape. The staff is fabulous. The office manager knows the ins and outs of insurance like the back of her hand. The hygienist that cleans my teeth every time is extremely nice and does a great job.
The dental assistant is not only nice looking, she is extremely good at what she does and is extremely friendly. Dr. A has created a great environment where the staff clearly enjoys being there. I’ve never had an experience there that was was not worth complementing.

Though the surfeit of religious music and propaganda may be slightly cloying to some, I find the plaques/​bibles/​songs inoffensive and even take a bit of comfort in the thought the folks there taking care of you are on God’s side. However, after today’s appointment, I will no longer go to Dr Atkinson to have *any* dental work done, though he is one of the very few covered by my insurance. While there for a routine «tiny» filling, the hygienist/​assistant numbed the area with topical agent (which nearly wore off by the time the injection was given). When Dr Atkinson came in with the shot, he begin inserting it in the WRONG SIDE of my mouth! No numbing agent there and worse off, NO cavity! I swear he would have drilled a perfectly healthy tooth had I not intervened. He commented (4 times) that he thought I wanted my amalgam removed on that (incorrect) side and have it replaced with composite — no doubt a huge line of bull to cover his butt and try to recover from near disaster. In the end, I have an attractive filling resembling an actual enamel tooth (yes, he did it well once he got the correct side with not 1, but 3 injections!) I will now go to another (Dr David Shepherd) — much further from my home and not in the preferred network of providers but much more trustworthy in my opinion.