When most people think of the dentist’s office, images of sterile instruments, white walls, and the smell of disinfectant might come to mind. But, when you walk in the doors of the C&C Dental office in Sugar Land you will feel as though you have stepped inside someone’s home instead. 

“Our reception area is like a living room,” said owner and dentist, Dr. Timothy Cashion, DDS. “We have a movie theater for the kids (and adults). And every treatment room has a massage chair, headphones and a TV. We want you comfortable.” 

This focus on their patients’ comfort comes from the dental experi    ences the husband and wife team had as children. 

Cashion’s wife, Dr. Teresa Cody, DDS, suffered through painful dental visits growing up because her doctor didn’t believe in anesthetic. Her experiences were so traumatic that she even developed a fear of going to the dentist. 

“I was probably one of the worst patients because of that fear,” Cody said. “It wasn’t until I was in college and was treated by a wonderful dentist that I discovered that dental visits could be pain-free and even pleasant.” 

The positive effect these visits had on her dental anxiety made Cody choose to go into dentistry herself. It was in dental school where Cody met her husband. He had chosen dentistry because he saw the power of its effects on his own self-confidence. 

“I first considered dentistry in elementary school. I remember being teased for having spaces or gaps between my teeth. I know what it is like to always be self-conscious about your smile,” Cashion said. “But through cosmetic bonding, I gained a fuller smile and the freedom to not have to cover my teeth every time I smiled.” 

After the couple married in 1992, they bought an existing practice in Sugar Land and began creating a dental environment where they planned to say “yes” to every situation. 

“We want to say yes to all of our patient’s needs,” Cody said. “For example, if someone says do you see kids, the elderly, special needs children and adults, we want to say yes. If they ask if we do root canals, braces, take out wisdom teeth, cosmetic dentistry or implants, we say yes. We want our office to be a one-stop shop.” 

The doctors’ desire to make the dental experience as painless as possible comes not only from their own childhood experiences, but from the struggles they’ve gone through with their children’s treatment. 

Their daughter, Erin, needed braces due to severely overcrowded teeth. But many of the orthodontists they saw wanted to pull several of Erin’s teeth. Having that done herself as a young woman, Cody was determined not to let that happen to her daughter. 

“I decided then and there that if I couldn’t have my daughter treated the way I wanted, then I would do it myself,” she said. “Thus began a new passion for my career.”

After hundreds of hours of orthodontic training, Cody established her practice of non-extraction braces whenever possible. Now their daughter has a gorgeous smile and all of her teeth. 

“The result was well worth the study and dedication,” she said. 

Another passion the couple shares is for treating patients with special needs. Their son Neal was born with Down Syndrome in the 1990s. 

“We know the difficulties parents can face getting dental treatment,” Cody said. “We have a thorough knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the special needs child.”

The couple has such a passion for children with special needs that they have even started the Changing Minds Foundation to further provide resources and help to other families. 

“Our mission is to spread awareness that treatment is available for many of the problems and symptoms of Down Syndrome and to share the amazing difference these treatments can make in the lives of children and adults with DS,” Cody said. 

The foundation has been a part of the community for 10 years and the doctors can see what a difference it has made in not only providing care, but connecting families with similar circumstances.

“When our son Neal was born, we only saw the negative in his condition,” Cashion said. “But looking back, there has been one reward after another. And through our foundation we have helped improve other children’s lives and developed meaningful friendships. We have truly seen God at work.” 

Along with providing comfort, the doctors of C&C Dental also strive to provide a Christ-centered environment full of faith and prayer. 

“After 23 years, you see a lot of people coming and going every day. And a lot of these people are going through tough times—death, divorce, cancer and the list goes on,” Cody said. “Sometimes it is difficult to know what to say to someone, but it is very easy to tell them we will pray for healing and strength. We want them to know we’re all in this together—good times and bad.”