Who is that masked man? Dr. Ryan Buckwalter, Williamsburg Dentist
Introducing Ryan Buckwalter
Back in the 7th grade, Ryan Buckwalter knew he wanted to be a dentist. His dentist “was a cool guy, and I thought he had a cool job. It was fun and never stressful. It also helped that I never had any cavities,” Buckwalter said.
But shortly after that, Buckwalter’s easy time in the dental chair came to an end. At the age of 13, he had an accident that resulted in facial trauma. The experience was scary; five of his front teeth got pushed up into his gums. As a result, he had to undergo extensive repair work.
“I saw a whole rotation of specialty practice dentists, from oral surgeons to endodontists,” he said.
Rather than dampening his enthusiasm for the profession, it actually made him more committed to it.
“It was important for me to see how much my mouth affected me. I thought about it every day. I was self-conscious about my smile, and I spent a lot of time in the dental chair getting work done,” he said.
Buckwalter said that today, those experiences have given him the ability to truly relate to patients and their fears. During the course of his dental work, he spent a lot of time with his mouth “under construction.” Although initial repairs worked well, changes to his teeth in his early 20s sent him back for more.
“For every new solution, I had to relearn how to speak and eat. Those are the kinds of things you take for granted — well, I don’t anymore.”
Buckwalter eventually decided on implants for his front teeth — and one of the compelling reasons for him was that dental techniques and materials have come a long way over the years.
“I believe a lot of the anxiety comes from people’s perceptions of what dentistry used to be, not what it is today. I like that dentistry is a dynamic industry — it’s rapidly evolving, and the profession has changed a lot. The materials are better and so are the techniques we are trained on.We even have lasers at work!” he said.
What Buckwalter takes away from his personal experience is that patients need to know how much their dentist cares.
“I make sure to talk with patients about their needs and expectations before any work starts.Trust is so important – and I know that from having been in the chair myself so many times,” he said.
“You want to connect with your patients and know where they are coming from – what makes them tense, and what kind of dental experiences have they had before they came to see you,” he said.
With his own children (5 year old twins and a 11⁄2 year old,) he’s seen that the first few experiences in the dental chair can set the tone for life.That makes him want to make each experience a great one for each and every one of his patients.
“I am so excited to be at Norge Dental Center. It’s an amazing place that’s focused on the patients, and everything is top quality.The staff is on the ball all the time, and we all receive training constantly to make sure the care we give our patients is the best,” he said.
Buckwalter is glad he pursued his childhood dream of becoming a dentist so he can connect with his patients. That career assessment test from back in 7th grade indicated he should go into carpentry — he’s saved that for a hobby instead. And the patients at Norge Dental Center are glad he did!
"Let our experience put a smile on your face."
