17 Years in Golden: Why Dr. Heath Colledge Chose to Stay
Most people switch dentists at least a few times over the course of their lives. The idea of seeing the same dentist for almost two decades at the same office might sound unusual. But for Dr. Heath Colledge of Comfort Dental Golden, 17 years at the same practice isn’t a coincidence. It’s the result of a deliberate decision, and his reasons for staying say a lot about the kind of place this office is.
Dr. Colledge graduated from Temple University in 2007 and spent about a year and a half working as an associate for another dentist before deciding to make a change. The work was fine, but something was missing. He wasn’t being exposed to the business side of dentistry, and he felt like he was getting “the leftovers” as an associate, never quite building the kind of career he wanted. That’s when a friend recommended he look into Comfort Dental.
Why Comfort Dental? Why Golden?
What drew Dr. Colledge to Comfort Dental wasn’t just the promise of better income. It was the structure. Every Comfort Dental office operates as a partnership, and the Golden location had three other partners when he joined, including a friend from dental school and two experienced dentists who had been practicing for over a decade. “I just was able to step in and learn from them,” he says.
That mentorship mattered enormously to him, especially early in his career. He describes the experience of being a young dentist without a safety net: “You get in some situations and you’re like, all the training I have didn’t prepare me for this. And so you’ve got somebody with 10 or 15 years of experience right there. It’s nice just to be able to have somebody step in and help you.”
Years later, he’s become that person for younger dentists. “You reach a point in your career where dentistry just becomes easy,” he says. “And I really like being there to help somebody else become a better dentist.”
A Different Philosophy of Care
Part of what has kept Dr. Colledge engaged over a long career is Comfort Dental’s approach to which patients and procedures they prioritize. While many dental practices compete for high-end cosmetic cases, Comfort Dental Golden takes a different approach. “90% of dentists want to do 10% of the procedures,” Dr. Colledge explains. “We’ll take the other 90% of the work. We’ll do the bread and butter, basic dental services. We’ll do them very well. We’ll do high volume.”
That philosophy, he says, is actually what allows the Golden office to help more people, including patients on Medicaid or those who haven’t had access to regular dental care. It also means the team gets extraordinarily good at what they do through sheer repetition and experience. After 17 years, Dr. Colledge is confident and efficient in the chair, and that benefits every patient who sits in it.
What Does Long-Term Practice Look Like?
One of the most meaningful things about staying in the same Golden office for so long is the relationships. Dr. Colledge has watched families grow and change over the years, treating parents and then their children, becoming a familiar, trusted presence in people’s lives. “17 years in the same practice, you get to know a lot of people,” he says simply.
He also takes pride in what the Golden office has built operationally. The practice consistently brings in over 100 new patients a month, and the partnership structure means that as some doctors have more established patient bases, others take on more of the new patient load. It’s a system that works because everyone has skin in the game.
Build Your Dental Home With a Dentist You Can Trust
For patients seeking an experienced dentist in Golden who fosters a dental home with a long-term relationship, Comfort Dental Golden is worth considering. You’d be in the hands of a doctor who chose this office, chose this community, and has kept showing up for nearly two decades. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Colledge and the team at Comfort Dental Golden, contact the office at (303) 951-1028.