Fang to retire; Dental Transformations buys his practice

A longtime fixture in the local dental practitioner community has announced he plans to retire.

Dr. Yiping Fang, whose Fang’s Family Dentistry has provided dental services to patients at 212 Ainsley Ave., Hertford, for the past 12 years, is retiring in September after a 30-year career in dentistry.

Dental Transformations purchased Fang’s business on March 1 and plans to hire a new dentist to work at the office. According to Shawntel Kuhnemund, Dental Transformations director of operations and marketing, Fang is scheduled to continue working at the dental practice until his actual retirement date in September.

“We are excited to join in the celebration of Dr. Fang’s upcoming retirement,” Kuhnemund said. “Dr. Kaleb, the owner of Dental Transformations, and his team are honored to be a part of this exciting time, as well as carrying on Dr. Fang’s many years of hard work, continuing to serve the community.”

Kuhnemund‘s noted in an email that Dental Transformations will continue to offer a variety of dental services at Fang’s practice, including preventative and emergency care, crowns, fillings, implant restorations, cosmetic dentistry and Invisalign.

Fang said the six members of his current staff “look forward to continuing to be here, as the faces of oral hygiene care” that patients have known and depended on over the years.

Fang also said the need for good dental care in the area “continues to be so great.”

The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research reports that North Carolina has moved up in national rankings of dentists per capita from 37th in 2017 to 24th in 2021. However, the increase primarily has happened in five larger counties — Durham, Guilford, Mecklenburg, Pitt and Wake counties. The report goes on to note that “another 90 counties gained only 20 percent of new dentists despite representing 60 percent” of the state’s population.

“As the area continues to grow, year over year, the need (for more dentists) has only continued to increase,” Fang said.

Fang notes that good oral health care is not just about “teeth.”

“Routine cleanings, and maintenance help with overall health, can be an early detection for underlying conditions, as well as provide confidence in one’s smile,” he said. “The smile is the first thing people see.”

Fang said the Dental Transformation team is dedicated “to continuing to care for the growing needs of the communities in northeastern North Carolina.”

After he retires in September, Fang said he plans to “fill in on occasion” at the practice.

“Dental Transformations will clearly be welcoming a new dentist to continue fulfilling the needs of the community,” he said. “I will be here to help transition any way that I can.”