Old-Fashioned Ideals and Modern Dentistry are a Perfect Match for Chapin residents
In June of 1970, when records indicate that Chapin had a population of exactly 342 people, Dr. Sam Holstein opened the town’s first dental practice in the old, Chaffin-Eleazer House on Columbia Avenue. The self-proclaimed country boy said he chose Chapin to start a practice because people in rural areas need dentists too. He once joked, “I like it here. If I ever get out of debt, I want to build a house near Lake Murray and live here the rest of my life.”
From humble beginnings, Dr. Sam Holstein worked in dentistry for over 35 years, sometimes bringing his son Britt along with him. Britt loved going to work with his father, and he often went when his father was called in for weekend emergencies. Some kids might be scared to witness a dental emergency, but Britt saw his dad as a hero. He saw the gratitude that patients extended toward his father after the rescue, and by the age of 9, Britt knew he wanted to be a dentist too.
Chapin Dental Associates staff, 1989
In 1998, Dr. Britt Holstein graduated from the Medical University of SC in Charleston and began working alongside his father in the big yellow house. “Do the right thing for the patient, and every thing else takes care of itself,” his father taught him. The pair worked together by that tenet until 2006 when Dr. Sam Holstein retired to his house on Lake Murray. Dr. Britt Holstein continued on his own until 2008, but between Chapin’s growth and his desire to spend more time with his family, he knew he needed a partner.
Dr. Gregg Jowers Jr. joined the practice in 2008, following a chance meeting of their spouses who were college classmates at Presbyterian College. Dr. Jowers, the son and grandson of primary care physicians in Columbia, saw a growing area in Chapin that was great for raising a family. The two doctors quickly realized the existing house the practice had occupied since 1970 was not large enough. A new, modern facility was built in 2009 to suit the needs of the growing town. Chapin Dental’s new home was expanded again in 2017 for the addition of Dr Lizz Beckner, and is now the workplace of 18 staff members, some of whom have been with the practice over 30 years. The once-modest practice, along with general dentistry and cleanings, also offers implants from start to finish under one roof, clear aligner orthodontics, and CEREC digital technology proven to provide beautiful, strong crowns in a single visit. It’s a bustling staple in the Chapin community.
Chapin Dental Associates staff, present day
There have been many changes over the years, but the guiding axiom instilled by founder, Dr. Sam Holstein, remains steadfast. In an effort to do the right thing for their patients without dental insurance, the team at Chapin Dental Associates has been on a long quest to find an insurance plan that makes sense for individual consumers. Traditional dental insurance has many shortcomings: it doesn’t cover preexisting conditions, it employs waiting periods, and it has maximums on what it will cover. Additionally, dental insurance often requires approval be secured before a procedure is covered. Not being able to find a traditional product that made sense for individual patients, Chapin Dental decided to offer something new to the Chapin area. They are taking the insurance companies outof the equation completely.
Drs. Holstein, Jowers and team have recently started a membership program to circumvent traditional insurance companies while affording their patients the excellent and affordable treatment they deserve. This membership program is an agreement between the practice and patients, not between the patient and insurance company. It removes the middleman, the waiting period, and the maximums of coverage. Additionally, it removes all outside sources of the approval processes completely.
Surprisingly, this new membership plan is quite straightforward and not very different from a gym membership. One monthly payment covers most routine care while providing discounts on restorative care. The idea is so simple; it’s shocking that it hasn’t happened sooner. Membership allows patients to get the care they need at an affordable cost. It gives patients instant benefits and allows them to easily budget. Patients can sign up online, book an appointment that same day, and know that their treatment is immediately covered under the plan.
Sometimes long-held principles can inspire simple new solutions. The introduction of the Chapin Dental Associates Membership Plan aims to be just that for the many Chapin area residents without dental insurance.
“The intelligent have plans; the wise have principles.” -- Raheel Farooq
