Today we’d like to introduce you to Piya Gandhi.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Piya. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am a native New Yorker who ended up in Houston ten years ago after marrying my husband, Neil Gandhi. Houston has become home for my family. We have made life-long friendships and really love the vibrancy of the city. Initially, I was practicing general dentistry and was relatively content with my professional life. However, things really changed when I had my first daughter, Cyrah. Experiencing healthcare as a parent is an eye-opening experience! Unfortunately, so much of healthcare, and now dentistry has become a volume business. Care has become standardized to the point of not being personal anymore. As a parent, I was not comfortable tolerating this kind of care for my children. That is how West U Pediatric Dentistry was born. Every detail of my practice is based from a personal experience with my children. My two daughters are completely different. I have noticed that their developmental paths have been unique, and their coping mechanisms for healthcare are not the same!
This is why at West U Pediatric Dentistry, our care is very customized and personal, to meet each child where they are comfortable. We know that one size does not fit all. Our environment is calm with limited murals and screens to eliminate over stimulation. I provide multiple options for care that incorporate the latest technology, including lasers, to offer minimally invasive treatment. We also work with our children and parents to determine what is best for them (and sometimes that involves watchful waiting, as opposed to immediate care). My job as a pediatric dentist is to present dentistry in the most fun and comfortable way possible without compromising our clinical care. I do that every day by putting myself in parents’ shoes and treating every child as if they are one of my daughters. It has been so wonderful to be part of the West U community as a resident and now as a business owner. It is an amazing neighborhood that has so much to offer. I am excited for our future here!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The development and conception of our practice has been anything but a smooth road. I had planned for several years to open this practice and had a clear vision of what that would be. We had everything in place, and we were scheduled to open on Sept. 3, 2018. We had a grand opening event planned, and people invited who were instrumental in supporting us on our journey. As everyone knows, a few days before we were scheduled to open, Hurricane Harvey hit, devastating the lives of countless friends, neighbors, and fellow Houstonians. Needless to say, we canceled our grand opening and pushed back the start date of our business.
Harvey was tragic, but it was also important for us. It allowed us as a team to ask what kind of practice will we be? How will we interface with the community? What is important to us? This allowed us to self-reflect on what community truly means, and how we can be an effective partner for our patients.
West U Pediatric Dentistry – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We are West U Pediatric Dentistry! We specialize in providing leading technology, high-quality dental care for your child. As a company, we are most proud of two things: 1) the team that we have built to care for our patients, and 2) our involvement in the community. Our team is comprised of unique set of individuals (including many Moms!), who love children and are deeply invested in providing high-quality dental care. We differentiate ourselves by the use of the latest technology, including laser dentistry. Our involvement in the community is multi-faceted from school and community event sponsorships to providing “tooth talks” at local elementary schools and highlighted by our community volunteer events (in conjunction with the TDA) where we provide free dental care to low-income residents in our community.
What sets us apart is our training and our technology. Our office is modern, state of the art, and designed to be calm and nurturing for your child. We understand that many people fear visiting the dentist, and our aim is to eliminate that fear and make your dental appointment something that the family looks forward to. We challenge our team (from front office receptionist all the way to our dentists), to continue to learn, train, and become industry leaders in our field. We have recently had one of our dental assistants get accepted to a competitive dental hygienist program. Another one of our interns is now applying for dental school. We view our practice to be composed of knowledgeable individuals who are looking to take dentistry to the next level.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Opening my own practice was a huge step in my career. It was daunting to think about running a business and a family at the same time. I knew I could do the dentistry but I am proud of the businesswoman I have become.
Contact Info:
- Address: West U Pediatric Dentistry
4130 Bellaire Blvd.
Suite 214
Houston, TX 77025 - Website: www.westupediatricdentistry.com
- Phone: 8327672227
- Email: info@westupediatricdentistry.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/westupediatricdentistry/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westupediatricdentistry/
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