12 Years, 750+ Reviews: Tulip Tree Dental Care in South Bend Marks 12th Anniversary With Therapy Dog Meatball

Dr. Nicole Hurcomb (Dr. Nicci) opened the independent practice in 2014. It now serves Michiana families from South Bend to Niles, Michigan.

SOUTH BEND, IN, UNITED STATES, October 8, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Tulip Tree Dental Care, an independently owned dental practice at 51584 Indiana State Route 933 in South Bend, Indiana, marked its 12th anniversary in September 2026. Dr. Nicole L. Hurcomb, DDS, known to patients as Dr. Nicci, opened the practice in September 2014 with the goal of offering a dental office where patients are treated as individuals and can get straightforward answers without pressure.

“I wanted people to feel like they were seeing a dentist who actually cared about them, not just getting checked off a list,” said Dr. Nicci. “You should be able to ask anything and get a straight answer, with no pressure and no rushing. Twelve years in, that’s still the whole point.”

About the dentist

Dr. Hurcomb grew up in northwest Indiana and is a third-generation dentist. She began working in her father’s dental office at age 13, where she learned front-office management and chairside assisting. She graduated from the Indiana University School of Dentistry and practiced with her father for a year before moving to current location, where she worked at two locations for seven years before opening Tulip Tree Dental Care in South Bend IN.

Dr. Hurcomb has completed several hundred hours of continuing education, including courses at the Bell Institute. Her professional memberships include the American Dental Association, the Indiana Dental Association, the North Central Dental Society, the Academy of General Dentistry, the Chicago Dental Society and the 3rd Coast Study Club.

Services and community

The practice serves families across Michiana, from northern South Bend into Niles, Michigan. Its services include general and restorative dentistry, clear aligner orthodontics and EMFACE, a needle-free facial treatment. Patients have posted more than 750 Google reviews, with an average rating of 4.9 stars.

A therapy dog for patients with dental anxiety

Dental anxiety can make it hard for some people to relax in the chair or keep up with routine care. To help, the practice introduced Meatball, a therapy Bernedoodle known on the team as “Dogtor Meatball, DDS.” Meatball greets nervous patients at the door and can keep patients company during a visit when requested.

Meatball also visits local schools, including the Montessori Academy at Edison Lakes and the Portage School of Leaders, where he helps children feel calm and at ease.

“Our team is the reason people come back,” said Dr. Nicci. “They’re smart, they’re kind, and they make this a place people actually enjoy walking into, me included.”

About Tulip Tree Dental Care

Tulip Tree Dental Care is an independently owned dental practice in South Bend, Indiana, founded in 2014 by Dr. Nicole L. Hurcomb, DDS. The practice provides general and restorative dentistry, clear aligner orthodontics and EMFACE to patients in South Bend, Niles and the surrounding Michiana area. More information is available at tuliptreedentalcare.com.

Media contact:
Tulip Tree Dental Care
51584 Indiana State Route 933
South Bend, IN 46637
(574) 272-6575
https://www.tuliptreedentalcare.com/

Dr. Nicole L. Hurcomb, DDS
Tulip Tree Dental Care
+1 (574) 272-6575
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