For Dr. Prasan Parmar, becoming a dentist wasn’t so much a choice as it was an expectation.
“I come from a family of doctors,” he said. “I have three uncles and three aunts, and every one of them is either a dentist or doctor. My dad is an orthodontist.”
That is not to say Parmar doesn’t enjoy what he does: It’s his passion.
For him, dentistry isn’t just “cutting teeth and digging holes.” It’s an art form.
“It’s a very creative and rewarding thing,” Parmar said. “I can take someone who’s unhappy with their smile and give them a nice mouthful of teeth. It’s a great feeling.”
That feeling is what Parmar believes is necessary for someone striving to become a dentist.
“It’s very hard work,” he said. “But if you have a great enough interest in teeth, and keep in mind that there will be difficult moments, there is the potential for an amazing career.”
Yet every career comes with its challenges. Parmar said the hardest part of his job is the unexpected and “never knowing what you’re going to run into” once inside the patient’s mouth.
“It’s especially challenging when you have a full schedule and need to change your prep from one procedure to another,” he said. “I don’t like it, but I can always deal with it.”
Much of Parmar’s confidence comes from the fact that he is no stranger to running a dental office: He took over an established practice in Santa Maria, where he has been located since 2010.
This year, he decided to open a second office because of his desire to build a business from nothing.
“It really tells me a lot about what people think of me as a dentist,” he said. “I consider it a real achievement.”
When Parmar purchased his existing Santa Maria practice, he inherited the good and the bad, making it more costly and complicated to make changes. With a new practice, there was ample freedom to make the business and space exactly what he wanted.
So when a prime strip-mall location in Lompoc became available last year, Parmar made the purchase. Well-known dentist John Mosby, who tragically died in a car accident, previously owned the space. He’d been practicing locally since 1960.
“Before we even opened, we had so many people coming in to look for Dr. Mosby,” he said. “Some people knew he had died, and some people didn’t. I felt really good that we were reopening the location as a dentist’s office.”
It was the town’s lack of dentists that spurred Parmar’s decision to make Lompoc the home of his second practice.
“There seems to be more than enough dental offices from Santa Maria to San Luis Obispo,” he said. “But I think Lompoc has been overlooked. There are not enough dentists to serve the number of people there, especially those with Medi-Cal.”
The practice has a pending application to serve Medi-Cal patients.
“It’s a process that takes time,” Parmar said, “but we do plan to accept it. We are also currently in contract with all PPO insurances.”
Until then, he is offering a few extra incentives. For $99, new patients receive X-rays, a teeth cleaning, an examination, and the standard goodie bag with toothpaste, floss, and even an electric toothbrush.
Parmar is also giving a 20 percent discount off of his normal fees to draw a larger client base for his newly remodeled office.
“We’ve put a lot into the space, and it’s looking great right now,” he said. “All of the equipment has been upgraded; it’s been really fun getting used to it.”
The Lompoc office is located at 1133 North H St., Suite L. It is open on Thursdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 720-3555 or visit mylompocdentist.com.
This article appears in Feb 20-27, 2014.