Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Richardson, DDS.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Dr. Richardson. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I began working in dentistry when I was 15 years old and my brother in law ran a successful general dentistry practice. My older sister was his hygienist and they offered me a job for after school and during summers. I began answering phones, making appointments and eventually worked my way up into becoming a dental assistant. I attended Texas A&M University for 3 years and got accepted early into Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas. In the middle of my third year of dental school, I began feeling like there was something missing. I enjoyed the challenges of general dentistry but really didn’t have a huge passion for it. I applied for a summer rotation to get my pediatric clinical requirements done ( most dental students do not enjoy the pedo clinic) to ease my load for my 4th year. What… a… blessing… I found that not only did I love working with children , but that they actually ENJOYED coming to see the dentist. I immediately applied for a 2 year residency which I was privileged to complete also at Baylor College of Dentistry, Scottish Rite Hospital and Texas Children’s in Dallas. My residency exposed me mostly to children with medical and physical special needs.
This eventually became my passion and as I returned home to Houston, I sought after a practice that could continue to offer me the ability to help families in these difficult situations. I have been practicing for 22 years and have the honor of owning 2 practices in the Pearland area. We specialize in the treatment of children of all ages and also children and adults with special needs. We just recently added a General Dentist to accommodate our teenagers that need restorative work but do not want to leave the practice or have Special Needs and they have grown up in our practice. It has been an amazing journey that has provided an outlet to provide care for children in a loving, caring environment providing them dental care with positive experiences. Receiving treatment this way encourages our patients to feel comfortable at a dental appointment as they age instead of dreading it or having such negative experiences it causes fear as an adult. I feel if we can accomplish that, we have done our job!
Has it been a smooth road?
Dentistry in itself has many challenges especially with only a 4-year program that has its residency built into it versus having your residency after you finish the classroom. Once you graduate you have the opportunity of practicing General Dentistry, which encompasses everything. Quite a big responsibility right out of school. To do a specialty, such as Pediatric Dentistry, it is another 2 years after your 4 years of dental school. The programs are demanding and your days and nights are LONG… very challenging on your family life.
Once you finally finish, you are left with a LOAD of debt and the job of finding just the right place for your skill set. Finding the right area in which to live and also finding a place to practice with people that you enjoy can also be challenging. I was blessed in this, that the practice I joined immediately, I had 2 wonderful mentors that really guided me and taught me how to run a business and also how to make lasting relationships with not only our patients and parents but also our many employees… these are things they DON’T teach you in dental school. In Pediatric Dentistry, you also have the challenge of treating children but also communicating with their parents. Home dynamics these days may mean you have a blended family with multiple people responsible for the patients care or even more common having grandparents raising their grandchildren. Trying to communicate with multiple “layers” of people has most definitely grown as a challenge as I practice longer.
Lastly, I have learned to surround myself with people that know more than I do! Running a business is NOT easy and dealing with 17 employees is not either. Being an honest, fair business person should be our number 2 priority right after taking the best care of your patients that you absolutely can. Dealing with 17 different personalities in all different walks of life and stages of life takes a lot prayer!!! At the end… totally worth it. I LOVE what I do and love the patients/parents and people I work with. I feel so blessed with that and even more blessed to have associates that feel the same way I do… finding others to work alongside you that have your vision… BIG challenge!
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Dentistry 4 Children and Adults 2 story. Tell us more about the business.
We specialize in dentistry for children, teens and children with special needs. Special needs can be a patient that has medical needs such as asthma/allergies all the way to children with blood disorders or cancer. Special needs patients may also have limited physical abilities due to a handicap or even a behavior challenge. With the number of these type of patients increasing every year, we find it paramount to stay educated on the many changes with medications and treatments and how they affect the patient’s dental health. To practice, Pediatric Dentistry is not just treating a “little adult” but has many facets that, if not addressed early, can lead to major dental issues as the patient ages.
I think what sets us apart is our compassion for all children and our compassion to treat those patients that may be a little more challenging. We begin seeing children by their first birthday or when the first tooth comes in. Bonding with the parents and the patients at these appointments truly builds a relationship that will last for years to come. If treatment is needed along the way, providing that treatment in a safe, comfortable, caring environment is of utmost importance to the doctors and our team. Finding the right route for care and then performing it to the highest standards it what we believe at our office. Another new addition that sets us apart is the joining of Dr. Bui to our team to provide care for patients needing cosmetic dentistry, young adults that have graduated the pediatric side of our practice, and most importantly being able to treat our parents! This has made the dental visit so much easier for families that have children in multiple stages of life and also has been wonderful for the parents to have time to have themselves cared for as well in an office they already are familiar with.
I am most proud of my staff that has always been so involved with these families not only at work but also in the community. My pediatric associates, Dr. Menon and Dr. Chance are both Board Certified and have brought so much experience and brought the practice to the next level. I am also so proud to have Dr. Bui join as our General dentist as he has been so wonderful to care for not only our late teens but also is providing care for our parents. It’s been a wonderful thing seeing our parents have appointments right next to their children… truly a family experience that they really seem to enjoy…
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
We see dentistry going in the direction of being science/evidence-based. We are constantly evolving in the treatment of dental caries and factors that cause it. Educating families that know they have issues with dental caries or gingival (gum) issues on one or both sides of the family allows us as a team to work together to guide the family in the prevention of further issues with themselves and their children. New products are also arriving on the market that allows early detection of potential issues which can lead to avoidance of placement of restorations in small children.
Continued research and education in the treatment of dental caries in all ages will continue to evolve as the products that will provide the best restorations. New materials are providing prevention as well as longevity and should continue to do so.
Prevention continues to top the list as trends go.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2015 E. Broadway Suite B
Pearland, TX 77581 - Website: dds4childrenpearland.com
- Phone: 281-485-7012
- Email: dds4children@comcast.net
- Facebook: Dentistry 4 Children Pearland , Texas
- Other: Google
Image Credit:
Kelley Sweet Jensen Photography
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