We recently had the chance to connect with Dr. Carson Hunt DDS and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Carson, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
Pain. When people think about periodontal surgery, or tooth extractions, they think it’s going to be so painful, and it’s going to hurt during and after. Management of pain is a top priority for me when I provide care to my patients. Trust me when I say that I hate causing pain just as much as anyone hates to experience it. Minimizing pain during and after anything I do in the operatory is how I have always practiced. It boils down to key elements of pursuing minimally invasive techniques, conservative surgery, and appropriate post-operative pain management.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Peterson Periodontics is the longest continually running periodontal practice in San Diego County. We are founded on the tradition of creating the best possible patient experience in an environment that seeks to reduce patient stress and maximize patient comfort. We achieve this by starting with a physical environment that is simple, inviting and warm. This is synergized with our deeply instilled ethic of personal service. Drs. Hunt and Peterson lay the foundation by providing personalized treatment of the highest caliber for each patient. We are cutting edge in that we are constantly updating procedures and techniques in the surgical and patient experience realm and constantly evolving in our quest to provide the best care and experience while staying true to our core values. We aim to be recognized as the practice that provides the best possible patient experience, and to be the practice that dentists in all fields of dentistry recognize as the premier periodontal practice to send their patients.
My name is Dr. Carson Hunt. My wife and I landed in San Diego as an absolute stroke of luck. While she works as a resident psychiatrist at UCSD/VA hospital, I’ve established myself as the provider in our practice that can take that extra time with patients to ensure our plan is comprehensive, even if that means an extra consult to land on a plan that will be a perfect fit for a patient and be able to answer any questions. In my pursuit of excellence, I’m working on becoming a Continuing Education provider to continue my love of teaching and learning, and I look forward to hosting events that can bring together other like-minded dental professionals in our community and spark collaboration.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who taught you the most about work?
My dad was always a very hard worker, and he gave that value to me and my brother. There was no excuse, no exception. What he would say is “it’s not a job done until it’s a job well done.” You can’t put in minimal effort or cut corners on anything if you want to practice excellence. I’ve always thought to myself “if you don’t have time to do it right the first time, you’re definitely not going to have time to do it right the second time.” You have to put in 100% effort and do it correctly the first time. That may mean it takes an extra 5 to 10 minutes, but it’s always worth it when it comes to treating patients.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
In quite the literal sense, I’m an experienced “sufferer” as a patient myself because I had my own journey through dentistry when I was younger. I had an odontoma with an impacted front tooth, meaning that I had a benign tooth-like tumor that was blocking my adult tooth from erupting into the correct place. I was around 10 years old when I had my first surgery, which entailed removal of the odontoma from my upper jaw, followed by orthodontic extrusion of the impacted front tooth. This was accompanied by two sets of braces totaling 6 years in wires, and a palatal expander. I got over my gag reflex pretty quickly after all that. I had great dentists through all of this, and I really think that going through these things myself helps me understand the perspective of my patients. In a weird way, I’m glad I had my own dental problems. If I had perfect teeth from the start, I probably wouldn’t have the same level of empathy I have now for my own patients.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. How do you differentiate between fads and real foundational shifts?
Dentistry is such a rapidly progressing field in the recent decade. It seems like every year, there are new materials, equipment, and software available, and they are all marketed as being “the new best thing.” I think it’s important to be on the cutting-edge of progress in our field, but that has to come with a level of hesitancy too. Adopting new protocols and using new instruments, such as the lasers we have implemented in our practice, definitely has its advantages, and I think it’s always important to scrutinize the most recent research. Nothing we do is an experiment, and I will always refuse to subject my patients to anything that I wouldn’t have done to myself if needed.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
Dentistry is often a pretty thankless job. I’m sure everyone at some point in their life has said “I hate going to the dentist.” I’ve never taken that personally, because often people have had poor experiences in the past with dentists. I don’t think anyone that pursues the level of excellence we strive for our practice is looking for praise when it comes to our work. My motivation to continue to give my best is because I truly care about my patients. From what I’ve found, even when “thank you” isn’t said, that doesn’t mean my work isn’t appreciated. For me, knowing that I’m providing exceptional care to our community is enough motivation to continue doing my best every day.
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