6 minute read
Dentistry with Country Lakes Family Dental
THE TAKE AWAY
THIS MONTH
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by Dr. Matt Artho, Owner of Country Lakes Family Dental
Every now and then, a rare moment happens when the skies open, planets align, and you just know a great opportunity is on the horizon. I’ve experienced that moment for at least eight years when my Ask The Dental Expert column falls perfectly into the Dental Expert Issue. The only challenge is that after eight years of explaining everything from pediatrics, geriatrics, health, and cosmetics to technology and prevention, it’s difficult to choose that one, inspiring and prolific dental topic that brings it all together. So, when it comes down to the single-most important dental point to get across, I’m going to choose two.
The first significant approach to dental health that I would hope to express is do not delay dental care. Dental disease like decay or periodontal disease does not get better. It gets worse over time. Many times, I see simple procedures evolve into complicated treatments simply because the initial treatment was ignored or delayed too long. Rarely with our health do we ignore conditions like infections or traumatized tissue, and your oral health should be approached the same way. This is especially true with the knowledge of oral and systemic health associations. In addition to taking a hasty reactive attitude toward dental care, a proactive preventative approach is even more desirable to avoid unwanted dental conditions in the first place.
As promised, the second bit of advice I would like to share is an unfortunate reality in today’s healthcare world: do not let your insurance dictate your treatment or your provider. There are many misconceptions about how insurance works with regards to the doctors you can see and the treatment you need. Insurance as a business focuses on your benefits, while it is your provider whose expertise will determine what is best for your health. Also, in-network vs. out-of-network or covered vs. non-covered should not be the determining factor when attempting to get the best care. In many cases, healthcare can be managed regardless of insurance status. It is often encouraged for patients to call their insurance to better understand its workings, but never let insurance take on the provider’s role of a clinical diagnosis.
I hope that much is learned in this Dental Issue. Like many dentists, I am passionate about people’s dental health, whether they are my patients or not. So, soak in the dental fun, and we hope to see you all soon! Happy Smiling!
940.455.7645 | COUNTRYLAKESDENTAL.COM | 74 MCMAKIN RD., STE. 200 • BARTONVILLE, TX 76226
IT’S ALL IN
His Hands
by Diane Ciarloni | photography by Miranda Longoria photography
pictured above is Dr. Vincent DiRusso, Associate Dentist (left) and Dr. Bryant Nguyen, Owner of Prestige Family Dentistry (right) Even before entering high school, Bryant Nguyen knew he wanted a career that allowed him to use his hands. What would it be? Play the guitar professionally? Become a sculptor? Draw? Style hair for the rich and famous?
While all those are honorable endeavors, none were what the middle school boy had in mind. He wanted to work with his hands, but there was a caveat: He wanted to work with his hands to help people.
He found his answer when he came across dentistry.
That, to a countless number of people, does not sound like the ideal choice. Yes, a dentist definitely works with his hands — but they’re in our mouths! Most of us shrink from the thought of being in a dentist’s chair. We think of torture chambers from the Spanish Inquisition and, as a result, we develop avoidance syndrome and our dental health suffers drastically.
“I want to change this fear and dread,” Dr. Bryant Nguyen, DDS, said. “I want to do this by creating a relaxing, soothing, friendly, and compassionate environment and make everything that happens as pain-free as possible. That’s where working with my hands comes into the picture.”
Dr. Nguyen’s patient load at his Prestige Family Dentistry has quadrupled since taking over the Flower Mound practice on Cross Timbers Road in 2013. As a matter of fact, he and his entire staff were busy moving to a larger building across the street just days before this article was published.
“Our practice has grown considerably, but we still know our patients by name,” Dr. Nguyen noted. “They’re still greeted with a smile and with respect. All these details are in place from the moment you make your first phone call to our office. The goal is to introduce you immediately to the friendly and caring environment we’ve created.
“I’m convinced our style of dentistry can be life-changing for people. The goal is to deal with their fears and, if at all possible, to erase them. Doing that can be a huge step forward in improving their overall health.”
Just as he knew at an early age that he wanted to work with his hands as a skilled dentist, he also knew while still in dental school that he didn’t want to work in a corporate dental atmosphere that put a high emphasis on “sales.”
“I preferred to build my practice from scratch — with everything directed toward the best interests of my patients,” he said. “One of the things I like to emphasize is a conservative approach to treatment accompanied by a strong focus on prevention.”
Dr. Nguyen, a native Texan from Vietnamese immigrant parents, completed his degrees at Baylor University. He served his residency at the Central Texas VA Hospital in Temple, where he “…learned a lot. I loved listening to the veterans’ stories and it provided a wonderful opportunity to fine-tune my hand skills.” Constantly perfecting those “hand skills” opens the door to as pain-free as possible dentistry.
The staff at Prestige Family Dentistry consists of more than 20 people along with two other dentists. “The key to providing life-changing dentistry is in the details, and many of those details are in the staff,” he explained. “We want to make sure we can see everyone, and we want to see them at their appointment time – not an hour later.”
Dr. Nguyen added, “Making our way through COVID-19 was a huge experience. Needless to say, we’re up close and personal with our patients and we certainly didn’t have all the answers at the time. But we continued seeing emergency patients and I’m proud to say we did it without one mishap.”
Dr. Nguyen has dreams for the future, including opening another clinic within the next 12 to 18 months. If things go as planned, that second location will be followed by a third and fourth. He also enjoys teaching, which means he’s looking at the possibility of a dental assisting school. As far as new frontiers are concerned, he sees a coming growth in the area of cosmetic dentistry.
“Whatever we do and whatever direction we take, at the top of the list will always be providing the highest possible level of care for our patients,” he said. “That, after all, is why we’re here.”
