James River Family Dentistry

First time here and I’m never looking forward to a dentist visit but let me say these ladies are amazing. They make you feel comfortable and at ease and they are great at what they do. If you’re seeking a dentist and don’t visit this place, you’re missing out!!

I have been with Dr. Guthrie for almost 8 years. Her office always takes my work/life schedule into account when scheduling me. When I first began seeing her, Jessica took the time to schedule my appointments around my insurance benefits renewal dates to limit my out of pocket costs. Today when a filling didn't feel exactly right, Dr. Guthrie took the time to re-numb me and fix it so I wouldn't have an issue later. From the hot towels to the newest technology her team is amazing and I wouldn't go anywhere else.

I can't say enough good things about James River Family Dentistry. Everyone that works there is professional and kind, and makes you feel comfortable as soon as you walk in the door. The ladies at the front desk even went so far as to watch my two month old, who I had to bring with me to my appt, while I had my cleaning. I can't tell you guys how much that meant! I would highly recommend JRFD to anyone looking for a new dentist.

There is no better dentist office than this one. Our family has been coming here for years and they have always been welcoming towards us. It is comfortable and the staff are intentional as well as personable. Dr. Guthrie is truly the best dentist in Richmond!

Staff was professional and extremely nice. This was my first visit, and everyone made me feel very comfortable. They were very thorough and took the time to explain my treatment plan to me, step by step.

Wonderful experience. Had not visited a dentist in 10 years, found this place by chance and am extremely happy I did. Amazing staff across all functions. Stress free experience, highly recommend.

I highly recommend JRFD. First thing I noticed scheduling my appointment was reception is very friendly and helpful dealing with my insurance. I have had multiple fillings done by Dr. Gutherie and her assistant Katie. You can tell they work well together, and are true professionals. The multiple visits I have had here were quick and painless procedures, and they seem to be using the most up-to-date dental technology to make things even more efficient.

10/10 - looking forward to my next cavity :)

I would recommend this practice to anyone! The staff is friendly, efficient, and fast. Their office opens at 8am, which is perfect to squeeze in early appointments before heading into work.

At my first appointment, I was told that I grind my teeth at night and was recommended a night guard to prevent further enamel damage; I was floored by this, as no other dentist had ever even mentioned this to me! They pay close attention to detail to help benefit their patients any way possible.

Dr. Guthrie even called me over a weekend to check in on a filling she had done; I was so taken aback by this extra level of service.

They always make you feel comfortable, ask the type of music you prefer to be playing, etc. If you're looking for a quality dental practice (in a super convenient location, no less), I would definitely try them out!

I don't know if I came in on a bad day or what but my experience wasn't as pleasant as the majority of the reviews. As someone who struggles with severe anxiety in every day life, Dr. Marci didn't seem too bothered by the fact this is an issue I struggle with which is disheartening considering this was one of the reasons I chose to come to her. It was extremely busy from the moment I walked in and there were too many people around, the office isn't a very big place to begin with so the noise made me anxious with so much going on. Out of the hour I was there, I spent the majority of the time with one of the hygienists, who was extremely caring and catering to my needs as a patient with anxiety and made me feel comfortable. Dr. Marci came in at the very end to pretty much do what the hygeinist did which was look at my teeth and took a quick look at my x-rays before accusing me of "putting things in my mouth" as to why my bite is misaligned. I felt judged by that. I went in for a tooth that I knew was an abscess but she did nothing to ease the fear I already was having due to it. She acted as if I didn't get it fixed that day, my life was going to be threatened. I was aware how serious infections are but her reaction to it made me go into a silent panic attack. She seemed too busy to really discuss anything and made me feel like she was rushing the appointment just so she could get to the next person. (There were at least 3 patients I know of in that office she was going back and forth to and from.) She didn't care to work with payments and tried referring me to a dental school to get it fixed/taken out. I couldn't believe that was an option given to me, even if affordability was an issue. She then referred me to an excellent oral surgeon to remove the tooth. He expected a patient to come in who he would have had to put in the hospital because she made it sound so threatening, it wasn't as big as a concern to him and neither was my bite. After the hectic consultation, we were provided with a dental plan without any explanation as to what work I needed done in terms of cavities being filled, or any pricing. I left not even knowing how many I had and was given a sheet by the receptionist to figure it out on my own. Needless to say, I didn't have a good experience. I found a new dentist who sees one patient at a time, takes the time to discuss a treatment plan, gives information to best educate you without any judgment or ridicule to make you feel uncomfortable about anything and is willing to work with payments and discusses finances before doing anything. It's a much more calming enviroment. This practice wasn't for me as far as finding a dentist I felt I could trust, which is unfortunate. The other staff were lovely though and really did seem to care, I wish I could say the same about Dr. Marci but I think intimidating patients into immediate treatment isn't a very good approach. I will say though, right before we left, her attitude changed and she seemed more friendly. I understand if her reactions were out of concern but she made me more fearful than anything. I wish her and her patients the best and hope no one else has an experience like I did. And again, nothing against Dr. Marci, I just seemed to have needed more from a dentist than I received and it's always important to find someone you're 100% comfortable with who understands you, builds trust with you and gives you reassurance that things will be okay and without this experience, I wouldn't have been able to find that with someone else.

The staff and hygienist were extremely friendly, professional and thorough. They were very accommodating of my new baby, holding him during x-rays and doing the cleaning and exam while I held him.

However, I cannot recommend this practice. I was quoted $12,000 for a treatment plan that included work on basically every tooth (including 4 crowns). A mouth guard was listed on the treatment plan but no-one discussed why and how they recommended this. The dentist herself barely spoke to me about the work she was recommending and quickly shunted me off the front desk person to discuss the details.

My dental insurance doesn't cover the work that I needed and I was not offered the insurance rate for any of the work. When I got a second opinion from another dentist, he recommended a more conservative approach, talked to me about the wear patterns on my teeth and why he recommended a mouth guard and wait-and-see approach, and charged me the insurance rate (what the insurance company would pay) for all of the work even though my insurance doesn't cover it. When I told JRFD this they did not offer to do the same even though this is common practice for many dentists.