I hate dentist visits, but I love my dentist

I don’t love going to the dentist, but I do love my downtown-St. Paul dentist, Leroy Hipp. He’s the nicest of guys, which makes my dentist-chair ordeals bearable. He’s very good at his job.

Then there are the little touches.

For instance, Dr. Hipp celebrates patients’ half-century birthdays in a special way: He will give each person a copy of the Life-magazine issue published on (or near) their dates of birth.

My wife got her copy a few years ago, and I have just received mine (a bit late since I had been shamefully putting off a much-needed checkup).

Thanks, doc. You’re the best.

Update: Well, dang, Dr. Hipp is retiring:

@ojezap We’ve been going to Dr. Hipp for years! Sorry to learn of his retirement, but Dr. Lawson is really good too.

— Kevin T. Houle (@kevinhoule) July 18, 2014

@ojezap We got a nice letter from him last week. Retiring “this summer.” Dr. Lawson took sole ownership of practice on July 11.

— Kevin T. Houle (@kevinhoule) July 18, 2014