Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
Dr. Matthew Pacheco sits in one of his dental-examination rooms at his Pacheco Family Dentistry facility in Tucumcari.
It took about a year longer than expected because of the COVID-19 pandemic and needed renovations to his facility, but Pacheco Family Dentistry in Tucumcari opened to the public last week.
Dr. Matthew Pacheco, a Tucumcari native and graduate of Eastern New Mexico University, said he and his staff fielded a flurry of phone calls at his 501 S. Second St. clinic since opening Wednesday.
Pacheco Family Dentistry occupies the building used by Dr. Bernard Fitzner for nearly 50 years. Getting the facility up to snuff was more complicated than expected.
Last March, Pacheco said the building's vacuum, air and electrical lines had to be redone.
After that, an inspector recommended repairing the sewer lines. Pacheco decided to redo those and the water lines, as well.
Another inspector said one room's standard Sheetrock thickness was insufficient for the clinic's three-dimensional X-ray machine - the only such device for a nearly 100-mile radius. So that room was refurbished.
Pacheco said the pandemic also delayed inspections and shipments of needed equipment.
"It was one thing after another," he said. "We were hoping to open last year. I finally got the certificate of occupancy in late April."
Once Pacheco ramps up his client base, he said he'll hire a dental hygienist and offer more services, including the possibility of making dentures and crowns in-house. For now, orders for dentures and crowns are sent to outside laboratories.
"There's things that I don't have the equipment to do yet," he said. "I'm just doing bread-and-butter services - fillings, pulling teeth, cleanings, dentures."
He also showed off a laser that can be used for gum surgery.
Pacheco said his clinic accepts Delta Dental insurance and Medicaid. He said he may accept other types of insurance in the future.
Pacheco Family Dentistry's hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, with lunch break from 1 to 2 p.m. Pacheco also works each Friday at Deep Blue Dental in Santa Rosa. The Tucumcari clinic's phone number is (575) 282-9662.