Dentist finds genius loophole to keep clinic’s name — by legally changing his last name to ‘Better’

Naming a business is an art. Sometimes, it is a wild rollercoaster of creativity, loopholes and sheer audacity. Some names make you chuckle, while others leave you scratching your head. But behind every name lies a story, often a mix of clever wordplay, personal meaning or legal hurdles. One Reddit user, u/kahirsch, shared a fascinating tale from their son about a dental practice called "Better Dental" and the quirky way it secured its name—ensuring no one could ever challenge it.

While visiting a dental clinic, their son discovered it had undergone a name change. Upon asking, he learned that the ownership had shifted, and since Dr. Draper was no longer with the establishment, the clinic could no longer use the name "Better Dental." The origin of the name, however, came with a hilariously clever twist. Years ago, another dentist complained that "Better Dental" unfairly implied superiority without any specific reason. Before the dental board could force a rebrand, Dr. Draper found a loophole—he legally changed his last name to "Better." Since the clinic now bore his legal name, the board had no choice but to approve it.

"My son was skeptical, but I checked the Board of Dental Examiners website, and it's 100% true. David Aller Draper changed his name to David Aller Draper Better, and 'the Board closed its file and issued no disciplinary action for violation of 21 NCAC 16P.0101(4),'" the parent shared. They added that, rather than an act of "malicious compliance," they saw it as a clever legal loophole.

Reacting to the post, u/mistressliliana commented, "See, if I saw a place called Better Dental, I wouldn't think they were comparing themselves to other dentists. I would think they are going to make my dental health better than it is right now. That is the argument I would have made to the board." u/sydinthecorn, who had been to Dr. Draper's clinic, shared, "Wait, I've been to this dentist! He actually is a fantastic human and better than many other dentists. Kudos to him for finding a fantastic loophole." u/colemon1991 wrote, "I feel like this shouldn't be allowed by the board. It was not his name in school, on his degree, nor a name he inherited via marriage. Changing his name specifically to get around this rule just completely defeats the point of the rule. That said, if the board had to allow it because of the language of the rule—and they didn't change it afterward—well, that rule is worthless, and it's their fault."

u/moist_rule9623 said, "Honestly, I would go to that practice specifically because of the backstory. I want somebody creative enough to legally change his name to Better, so he could keep it in the company name, working on my teeth." u/Ill-astronaut126 revealed, "Something like this happened decades ago when a dentist, I think his surname was Parker, had signage saying 'Painless dentistry'. He got in trouble for using the claim of being painless, so he indeed changed his name to Painless Parker. So then, he could truthfully say, 'Painless Parker Dentistry.'" u/xtnh commented, "One of my students was named Amy Better. She had a baby, and the joke was that she was a great person, but her daughter was called Little Better."