The Prestige in Prestige Family Dentistry
Bryant Christopher Nguyen knows what he knows and, once he knows it, he sticks with it with a bulldog-like tenacity.
For example, he began thinking about his adult career path while still in middle school. He knew he wanted to work with his hands, and he knew he wanted to combine that with helping people. He had a beginning. He just needed to fill in a middle and an end.
The possibility of dentistry began as a low, but distinct buzz in his brain early in high school. He investigated the field and landed an internship. “That allowed me to become laser-focused,” he said. “Before the internship was finished, I knew I wanted to be a dentist. I could use my hands and I could help people.”
Dr. Nguyen learned something else while in dental school. He knew he did not want to graduate and join an already-established practice, especially not one that was sales and profit-oriented. Instead, he wanted to establish his own goals and his own methods for reaching them.
“My main goal then, and now, is to change the fear and dread most people feel when it’s time for a dental visit. I was convinced I could accomplish that through a relaxing, soothing, friendly, compassionate, and pain-free as possible environment. The pain-free part is my responsibility since it means honing and refining my hand skills.
Dr. Nguyen knew what he wanted. That bull-dog tenacity kicked in and he made a rather incredible, sink-or-swim decision. He decided that, fresh out of dental school and still in his early 20s, he would launch his own practice from ground zero. Saying this was ambitious was an understatement.
He knew nothing about the business side of such an endeavor. He’d never hired, much less fired, anyone. He didn’t know about including items such as paper clips and rubber bands to supply orders. And insurance? Forget it.
It could be a recipe for a heart-breaking disaster or the beginning of a success story worthy of flying on eagles’ wings. In this case, the decision did not belong to luck or to fate. Instead, it belonged to Dr. Nguyen. He claimed the second option and he knew he could do it.
All this was nine years ago. Today, the Flower Mound practitioner and his staff of more than 20 people, with five hygienists, have moved across the street to a larger location. There are also four dentists, including Dr. Nguyen. “We could use even more hygienists,” he said with a chuckle.
“Our practice has more than quadrupled since 2013,” he continued. “The main focus at Prestige is to place major emphasis on prevention rather than on correction. In our opinion, it’s much better to prevent a problem than it is to correct one after it happens. It spares the patient time, cost, and more visits. It definitely pleases me because it lets me work efficiently but each patient is still greeted by name when they come through the office door. Nobody gets lost in the shuffle. I served my residency at the Central Texas VA Hospital in Temple, TX. That’s where I truly learned that everything I did must be directed toward the best interests of my patients.
“The big picture tells me I can improve greatly a person’s overall health if I can address the fear and dread typically associated with dental work.
“Everyone at Prestige moves in the same direction. We constantly strive to improve our skills. We don’t keep patients waiting beyond their appointment times. We work hard to set them up for prevention rather than for correction. We make changes to our protocols whenever such changes will lead us to a higher level of patient care. After all, we’re here for our patients. Without them, we don’t need to be here at all. I know that.
