What sets you apart from other dentists in your area?

My ability to problem-solve is a skill that sets me apart. Ever since I was a kid, I always questioned the information I was given by asking “Why?”.   Every parent knows that the kid who constantly asks “why?” when asked to clean his/her room, clean up after dinner, mow the lawn, etc. gets annoying pretty quickly but I was that kid! I always wanted to know the reason and rationale behind things and although I must have annoyed my parents to no end, my inquisitive nature and my constant pursuit of answers gave me the ability to problem solve better than most.

How do you think your natural abilities and talents apply to your work?

Ever since I was a child, I wanted to build things.  I remember building Erector sets, Lego sets, and plastic models of cars and airplanes throughout my childhood.  If it was a matter of assembly using my hands, I was doing it and loving it!  When I came across the idea of pursuing Dentistry as a career, it only made sense as it offered me the ability to use my hands to build things for people but instead of building Lego sets, I get to build teeth with the incredible benefit of simultaneously building smiles, building confidence and changing lives!

What do you wish your patients were more aware of? 

Like most dentists and physician’s, I wish patients were more aware of the benefits of prevention when it comes to fighting dental problems like tooth decay, gum disease, and tooth loss.  It’s often much, much harder to solve these problems when compared to preventing them in the first place.  It’s a little clichè, but so true.

What are you most proud of in your career?

Getting into the Harvard School of Dental Medicine was one of the proudest moments of my life.  Years earlier, while I was in high school, I was a terrible student with no real interest in academics.  At the end of high school, my combined SAT score was a 740 out of a possible 1600 (ouch)!  Although Cal State Northridge accepted me into their college, I spent the entire first year in remedial classes making up what I should have learned in high school.  However, being surrounded by 25,000 students had a motivational effect on me and I suddenly became motivated to study and make something of my life.  I pursued a degree in Biochemistry and by the end of college, I had a GPA near 3.8 and placed in the 99.7% on the National Dental Aptitude Test (DAT).  The dramatic change from a struggling high school student to a successful college student caught the eye of the admissions team at Harvard and the rest is history but I will never forget the moment I received the call from Harvard that I would be joining the Class of 2003.

What made you decide to enter such a highly skilled area of dentistry?

The pursuit of perfection!  Earning my dental degree and license to be a general dentist was the culmination of my educational pursuits but I was so impressed with my Prosthodontic instructors that the field and the people in it intrigued me.  The Prosthodontists seemed to have an impressive command of the subject matter and the confidence to deliver excellent patient care.  I recall speaking to one instructor about why she pursued the specialty of Prosthodontics and her answer sealed the deal.  “It brings me great comfort to know that I am providing the best possible care for my patients”.

What do you enjoy outside of work?

When I am outside of the office, I spend the majority of my time with my wife and daughter and our dog, Sadie.  When the ladies are busy, I enjoy riding bicycles and building/flying airplanes.  I derive a great sense of accomplishment with the hard work involved with cycling.  I normally try to find the time to ride about fours hours at a time, two to three times per week.  So much of our time is spent indoors or in cars, it’s a nice change to get out and enjoy the elements and smell the great Pacific Northwest.