Michael Fulbright, DDS & Kevin Faist, DMD

Highlights

• Veneers & Invisalign
• Implants & root canals
• Airway dentistry
• Adult & pediatric general care

Fulbright Dental is an integrative wellness-focused dental practice offering general, reconstructive, cosmetic and airway care for the entire family. Owners Michael Fulbright, DDS, and Kevin Faist, DMD, have a combined 40 years of experience.

Tell us about your practice.

We take the time to educate our patients on the important connection between oral care and overall health. While many dentists focus on repair care rather than health care, our proactive approach gets ahead of issues and helps our patients live healthier and longer lives while avoiding more costly, invasive care. Understanding the oral systemic link and taking preventive care of your mouth is one of the most underrated longevity hacks.

How do you stand out in your market?

We spend two hours with every new patient—getting to know them and their health history beyond oral wellness, and working together to understand their wellness goals. From a cosmetic perspective, we’re very proud to partner with Code White Boutique Lab, founded by our friend and master ceramist Paulo Battistella. With his support, we deliver cosmetic results that rival those of Beverly Hills and New York City. Patients also appreciate our comfort amenities, like heated neck wraps, aromatherapy, weighted blankets and noise-canceling headphones.

Describe your dream client.

Someone who believes in the power of proactive health care. We love to partner with patients who are open to adapting their routines to optimize their wellness with our care. That being said, we love working with all different types of patients. It’s also very fulfilling to work with patients struggling with anxiety; we are typically able to help them tremendously in managing that anxiety.

Speak about the importance of community.

We are really big on supporting the community because we believe that when small businesses support one another, everyone wins. We are both raising our families here in the South Bay and supporting other family-run businesses. We’ve created strong partnerships with and supported the California Surf Club, the Downtown Manhattan Beach Business & Professional Association, Hi-Fi Espresso, Indivisible Arts, the Hermosa Beach Education Foundation, American Martyrs School and The Butterfly Strong Foundation—and had a ton of fun while doing so.

In what ways does authenticity play into your business model?

Being ourselves on social media and in person with patients is something that helps put people at ease so they want to come see us. At the end of the day, we are two dads who love to surf and take care of people. Dentists get a bad rap, and our approach to making the oral care experience more “feel-good” has been a real game-changer.

Tell us about your team.

We are a family-run business. Our wives are an integral part of the business, and our kids love joining us at the community events we present, like our annual Patient Appreciation Event or the Surf Club wellness socials. We have an incredible team, each who work with compassion and care at the forefront of everything they do. If you look at our reviews, patients often mention how wonderful our team is. And we couldn’t agree more.

What is the process to become a new patient?

It’s very simple. You call or DM us on Instagram, and we get you set up with our new patient Wellness Baseline visit. This is a one-time visit where the doctor spends a meaningful amount of time with you, and you receive your X-rays, exam, oral cancer screening, etc., complete with our comfort amenities. You’ll also receive a cosmetic consult during this time, if desired, and you’ll receive your cleaning at the next visit. Patients are always very impressed by this visit because it is so different from a typical dentist visit.

Do you accept insurance?

This is the #1 question we hear. Years ago, we recognized that our values didn’t align with insurance providers. They wanted us to spend less time with patients, not invest in the high-tech offerings we have and ultimately compromise the care of our patients. So we decided to go out-of-network, enabling us to deliver the best possible care to our beloved South Bay community. And we’ll never regret putting our patients first. This doesn’t mean we don’t process insurance though. We happily bill most PPO providers, and you receive reimbursement via mail. For those without insurance, we offer highly competitive annual wellness memberships, starting at $53/month.

Photographed by Fabien & Laura Castro