John Hopkins, DDS - Centre for Smile Designs

Here's my full review: I've been seeing Dr. Hopkins for a few months now, I had a terribly embarrassing smile and am in the final stretch of nursing school. Dealing with patients that are scared or unsure, it's important to me to be able to smile and put them at ease. After seeing a number of dentists on the Coast, I had been told by all of them that the only fix for my teeth was either dentures or implants. The thought of going a year with removable dentures for either procedure was unnerving, to say the least. Dr. Hopkins WANTED to save my teeth and worked out a plan to do exactly that. I've had bad experiences with dentists in the past... heavy hands, rushed extractions, and worst of all, not being injected with enough novocaine. My resistance to local anesthesia is off the charts. I explained that prior to my first procedure. Previous dentists had ignored me. Dr. Hopkins LISTENED. He took his time and adjusted the dosage before he went to work to ensure I didn't feel a thing. This man is THE BEST when it comes to oral injections, it's not even close. I don't know how it is humanly possible to administer locals with the care and ease that he does; but the colloquialism "hands of a surgeon," does not come close to doing him justice. The aftermath: In the past, the evening/day after an oral procedure, I'm half crippled in pain. This has NOT been the case here. On one occasion (out of about 5 visits), I needed a strong pain medication due to an extraction. After 2 days, I was fine. Outside of that, Tylenol or Motrin has been all i needed, and by the next day, pain was very minimal, if at all. This man is VERY GOOD at what he does, and I appreciate not having to walk around in pain with a bottle of pills rattling for a week. The appointments are always on time. I've never been left to sit in the waiting room for any notable period of time. Now, granted, dental emergencies can and do happen, and this can affect a wait from time to time, but I've never had that experience here. My point is they don't overbook. Every patient gets the attention they need, and appointments are scheduled accordingly. I also want to sing my praise for Dr. Hopkins' staff. They are absolutely wonderful. Hillary always helps me with everything from billing to scheduling (with a smile). I'm on a budget and need to know what my bill is in advance. She doesn't judge me or act put out when I ask her to break things down (insofar as what will cost what, and when). Mandy is Dr. Hopkins DA, and she makes sure everything is perfectly comfortable the minute you get called back. These ladies are so nice and run a tight ship here, so Dr. Hopkins can focus on what he does best; change lives one mouth at a time. I'm halfway through my process and have zero complaints. Making an appointment here was the best decision I could have made, and I assure you, I won't be going anywhere else. If this post seems like I can't say enough good things about the folks at this office, it's because I can't. I'm no longer terrified of the dentist, which is an amazing feat in my book, and I am very excited to have my new smile completed.
Mar 14th, 2024

Mar 13th, 2024

Thanks for giving me such wonderful care For my teeth health!! Dr. John has been my go to dentist for many years as was his father before he took over the practice. Dr. John provides the best dental care in our whole gulf coast!
Mar 7th, 2024

I have, unfortunately, had a lot of dental work in my past. I have to say Dr. Hopkins is the absolute BEST in pain control!! I usually get so stressed about these appointments due to previous experiences, but with this last appt going so smoothly, I will definitely keep Dr. Hopkins! If we must do dental cleanings Hilary is the best! She always offers another, sometimes much better way to keep up with dental hygiene! Friendly, supportive!
Mar 4th, 2024

I travel a lot for work ex: living in 3 different states over the last five years. So Ive seen a range of different health care facilities. And this is the best dentist office Ive personally ever been. I never had to wait to be seen. Everyone was ready when I arrived - each time. I asked maybe a million questions during the process because I was pretty nervous. Not only the doctor - but the whole staff, they are so knowledgeable. And I could tell my concerns were important to them, even when some were random. Dr. Hopkins is extremely gentle, and I noticed his attention to detail. He worked slowly and so carefully. For instance, I have always seemed to feel the numbing shot go in even after the numbing gel - its my least favorite part. But I didnt feel anything at any point. I teared up during one of my dental procedures simply because my nerves were shot and I was scared. After it was done, one the staff members took time to clean up the mascara from my eyes without saying much at all. Little things like that are also a big reason Im writing this review. I found this whole team to have the perfect mix of expert dentistry and personalized comfort. I also came to them with a slightly unusual request. My dental insurance was switching over, and I was moving out of state again. I asked if I could be seen within a couple weeks because my insurance would expire at the end of the month. No problem. After my cleaning, they realized I needed a filling but it was the second-to-last day of the month. No problem either. They invited me back the next morning to have it done, so insurance would definitely cover it. I have wanted to return just to tell them how happy I was with everything. And I cant say I have ever felt that way leaving the dentist! So if anyone ever asks, I recommend John Hopkins in Gulfport!
Feb 27th, 2024