Why did you become a dentist? According to my mother it was an instantaneous decision. My father was stationed at an air force base in rural Montana and we went to the dentist there. When I came out of the doctor’s office I said, “I am going to be one of those!†Where did you go to school? I graduated from the University of New Orleans with a major in Biology. I attended dental school at Louisiana State University. I’m a strong believer in ongoing education and have taken intensive mini residencies in oral surgery, implant dentistry, and advanced intravenous sedation at places like the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD, and the University of the Pacific, Sacramento, CA. Did you have mentors? Two in particular: Dr. Carl E. Misch in implantology and for anesthesia, Dr. Kenneth Lee. What do you like most about practicing dentistry? Sedation dentistry really changed my practice…I love it. If it weren’t for sedation I’d probably have become a lawyer. My passion in dentistry is complex restorative cases, anesthesia, and making a difference in people’s lives that otherwise would not make a dental appointment. What could you do without? The books! What are the biggest challenges facing dentistry today? It’s becoming harder and harder and for people to afford quality dentistry. The rising costs of materials are placing on increasing burden on the patients and limiting their access to care.
