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Dr. John C. Shafer, D.D.S., Dentist

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1100 Pacific Coast Hwy, Suite C in Hermosa Beach | 310-374-9608   DDS4TLC.com

A graduate of UCLA School of Dentistry, Dr. John Shafer has been in practice for 33 years and offers general/cosmetic dentistry. A top priority of Dr. Shafer and his experienced, friendly staff is the well-being of their patients–from offering ocean views and comfortable chairs to meeting all OSHA and CDC standards. Before a treatment is given, the risk, benefit, cost and an alternative to that treatment is explained to that patient. And patients are seen on time. “We don’t double-book our patients,” says Dr. Shafer. “We know that their time is as important as our time.”

Who is your professional role model?

“My father, who, unfortunately, passed away prematurely before I graduated from dental school. He was a truck driver and auto mechanic and the hardest working perfectionist I have ever known. He taught me at a very young age to do my best at whatever I do. He came from humble beginnings and was always helping other people.”

How do you give back?

“No matter how hard I try, I can never repay the blessings I have received for being a dentist. I have traveled to India, Africa, Vietnam, South America and Mexico to do dentistry for people who are extremely poverty-stricken. My staff and I provide benevolent dentistry to the needy here in our practice. I have participated in large medical-dental outreaches at the L.A. Forum and other various venues and continue to do so. Giving back is not a defining moment; it’s a continual lifestyle.”

Was there a defining moment in your career that guided you to where you are now?

“During the Vietnam War, I was drafted out of college. I believe it was my guardian angel who, unknowingly to me, wrote on my induction papers that I had been a dental assistant for two years instead of a mortician. I ended up in the dental corps, where I found my passion.”   

What do you like to do for fun, when you’re not at work?

“When I’m at home, I’m always working on the house. I have re-designed our home inside and out through the years. Bike riding is definitely important to me for exercise and getting away. I sometimes go for four or five days with my buddies on trips where we will ride about 60 to 80 miles a day.”

Tell us about your family.

“My wife, Carol and I are high school sweethearts and have been married for 43 years. She’s a personal/private jeweler. She studied opera at California Institute of the Arts and performed in musical theater. Our daughter, Heather, is a graduate of USC and is now in her second year at Loyola Law School, with a dream of being a sports attorney.”