Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Preeya Genz.
Hi Dr. Preeya, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have always found my heart in art, science, and human connection. From as early as 8th grade, I wanted to help people heal, and not simply give them a pill that cured their symptoms. In college, I majored in neuroscience – the perfect blend of psychology and biology. I also worked for our student newspaper, where I met my husband and learned the art and craft of storytelling – from asking the right questions to making words dance on a page. I spent 6 months between college and dental school slinging lattes and Frappuccino at Starbucks and loved it. My chosen career in dentistry dovetailed beautifully from these “prerequisites,” allowing me to use my hands, my mind, my investigative skills, and attention to the smallest of details, all the while developing trust and relationships with people. I went to dental school here in Dallas and left town within days of graduation, leaving memories of clinical rigor in the rearview mirror.
During my first decade as a dentist, I cultivated my skills, defined my philosophy, and continued learning. I worked in various boutique private practices, group practices, and in corporate-owned practices, experiencing the good, bad and ugly. I spent my first few years in practice working 12-hour days and Saturdays, gaining clinical proficiency and learning quickly that almost anything can and will take priority over a Saturday dental appointment. I practiced on the East Coast briefly and then spent almost 7 years in Washington State before returning to Texas in 2014. How I practice today has been shaped by my post-doctoral education at the world-renowned Kois Center, where I spent hundreds of hours pursuing dental excellence and learning from the best in the industry. Upon graduation from the Center, I joined a tribe of dentists who share a love and commitment to lifelong learning, to never getting complacent, to challenging status quo as the only way or the best way, to staying humble.
Motherhood brought on more conscious lifestyle choices, as I began to pay more attention to our eating, sleeping, breathing, and exercising habits and how they would impact our children and the example we set for them. I adopted a cleaner, “crunchier” lifestyle so that I could be healthier and raise healthier children. I began to learn about the epidemic known as sleep-related breathing and airway disorders as I observed some of the signs and symptoms in my own kids. I learned firsthand how optimal breathing and sleep are critical to oral and total body health and wellness, not only for the airway owner but for the parents and spouses who are affected by their fragmented sleep and related symptoms. Once you see the teeth as part of a whole system that includes not only the mouth, but the habits, genetics, desires, and history of the mouth owner… and we treat the patient not just according to “the way we’ve always done it,” but according to the data and evidence, the paradigm shifts, and you can’t practice any other way.
My dream has always been to build my own dental home-yoga studio-bookstore-coffeeshop: I wanted to build a practice that focused on the connection of the mouth to the mind, body, and soul and provided a real connection to the patients it served to heal. After moving back to Texas in 2014, having my son, working in corporate dentistry for a bit (still not a good fit), and almost buying into someone else’s dream, it was time for my vision to materialize. Opportunity presented itself in the form of an adorable Victorian house on South Buckner, situated between a tire shop and Paleteria. I nudged the doctor I purchased from into retirement (she was ready!), and The Whole Tooth was born.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I built my practice from a scaffold of inherited patients and a clear vision of what I was trying to accomplish and why. Who I wanted to serve has evolved in concert with my knowledge, skills, interests, and experiences. When I first purchased my practice, there was a lot of pushback from long-term patients. I sent out transition letters and tried to speak with each of them personally by phone before they came in. But change is hard, especially when your long-term provider retires and you’re starting fresh with a new stranger. Some patients stayed some left. I learned months later that many objected to or made rude comments about my ethnicity. You can’t please everyone. Ultimately, when one door closed, another opened. To this day, each time we lose a patient who isn’t a good fit, we gain one or more who are a great match.
In the beginning, I tried to gradually integrate my vision into the practice. About 6 months in, I ripped off the band-aid and really started doing things my way with a greater focus on whole-person, whole-body health. I began to incorporate more biological dentistry about a year later, and haven’t looked back: I invested in equipment and training needed to perform SMART removal of mercury amalgams, learned more about biocompatibility, the use of ozone in dentistry, and expanded my focus on treating breathing disordered sleep and airway issues. I continue to learn and grow our biological program to serve the needs and demands of my patients. Providing this kind of care can be like swimming upstream: it can be hard for people to connect oral health to overall health.
The Pandemic has impacted my practice in so many ways, ultimately for the best. We have regained the growth momentum we were experiencing prior to the shutdown, and my team is stronger than ever: I now play hygienist and dentist, with the backing of a phenomenal team of two. I spend a good bit of time doing virtual consultations with prospective patients during and after business hours as our client base continues to expand. We see many patients from across the metroplex, and a growing number from out of state. It’s a lot, but I love it.
We attract people who want a provider who spends time with them, listens, and doesn’t make them feel judged or stupid. They seek a departure from drive-thru dentistry and understand the limitations and deceptions imposed by dental insurance. Unfortunately, your Costco membership provides a much better bang for your buck than most dental insurance programs these days, and when you do only what is covered by your “insurance” you end up chasing disease, not pursuing health, and spending a whole lot more in the long-run. More people are starting to notice this.
We market organically, through word of mouth, social media, and community involvement. I’m not trying to compete with every other dentist in the area – I want to see patients who want what I have to offer, not someone shopping for a free cleaning and whitening. My best patient is someone who has specific goals of optimal health and wellness and is ready to invest in the achieving those goals, even if it means they need to make some lifestyle changes. They are looking for a guide, who can provide the needed care, support, and partnership. They realize they didn’t arrive here overnight, and that it can take time to reach their goals.
As a business owner, I wear far too many hats, and am working on delegating, systemizing, and streamlining. It’s an ever-evolving process, especially as we grow and I keep wanting to incorporate new things. Having a team who supports me and my vision is tremendous. When I began practicing dentistry, it was a much lonelier place than it is now. Thankfully, we now have networks of support – of other mommy dentists, biological dentists, mentors, that make navigating these waters possible. The dental community, though vast, is surprisingly small.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
The Whole Tooth is a dental boutique for those who seek a dental experience that leaves them feeling valued, comfortable, and heard. We aim to heal people by connecting mind, body, and soul with their smiles. We take a holistic approach to addressing our patients’ most common concerns of pursuing health, not just fixing disease, and spending the least amount of time and money possible on dentistry over their lifetime. We empower our patients to treat the source, not just find the quick fix, guiding them on their journey to a healthy, functional, long-lasting smile. The Whole Tooth Experience is a sit-down-and-make-yourself-at-home experience in a world full of drive-thrus and fly-bys because I believe my patients deserve to have a provider who slows down and looks at the big picture, particularly when it comes to taking care of their health and wellbeing.
While 4/5 dentists recommend fluoride for decay prevention, dental visits twice a year, and blame your cavities & bleeding gums on poor hygiene and diet, I tend to be the 5th out 5 dentists. I recommend dental visits as frequently as your gum health and systemic risk factors dictate, and look to several other factors that can contribute to dental disease in addition to your diet and hygiene. We use precision medicine – salivary testing for pathogens and biomarkers; bloodwork measuring inflammation, compatibility, and critical nutrient levels; even home sleep testing – to guide your care and measure your progress. To me, standard of care is not enough – we aim for optimal care.
I interview prospective patients to make sure that we are compatible. I want to know that you are ready to invest in yourself and commit to doing what it takes to achieve your goals. When you see me, you’re partnering with someone who will be on your wellness team: we use a systematic, data-driven approach to assess risks of future disease, discuss ways to improve (there is always something, right?), and recommend products and supplements to enhance your current regimen. As your dentist, I’m a nerdy, creative, independent thinking Dr. Boss Mom who asks a lot of questions, not just about your teeth, but about you and your story, past, present, and future. I love to share reading and podcast recommendations and the latest in fun new dental care products that often find their way into your swag bag.
I am proud to offer our patients high-quality dentistry that looks beautiful and lasts in a calming, fun environment. We try to use the cleanest, most biocompatible products, minimizing toxic burden in all that we do. Our comfort menu includes aromatherapy, noise-canceling headphones, and a cozy blanket, relaxing and restorative NuCalm sessions, and a selection of custom-blended organic teas.
I developed our Mind Body Smile membership program to help reduce a key barrier to care – a lack of insurance and the fear of what their preventive care visits will cost without the assistance of dental benefits to defray those costs. It allows patients to come in multiple times a year for exams, healthy gum cleanings, and x-rays for no additional charge. Members receive discounts off of treatment and products with no waiting periods. We are also finding creative ways to reward patients for their efforts, compliance, and attendance and to keep them motivated on their wellness journey.
My practice continues to evolve as I do, as I live by Maya Angelou’s adage, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, DO better.” Our team is committed to continuous learning and improvement, in pursuit of the best products, services, practices, and knowledge to offer our patients so we can best serve our patients and each other.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
Vignettes of summers past: I grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, the farthest north capitol city in the world. Winters were cold and dark; summers were glorious. We would take vacations to British Columbia, driving through the Rockies, experiencing raw, beautiful nature, my sister and I in the backseat-turned bed of our silver-gray station wagon. I loved playing mini-golf at the various little mountainside motels we stopped to rest; drinking the purest, cleanest spring water I’ve ever tasted. I remember visiting various orchards in BC picking cherries, and peaches; barbecuing salmon on a little charcoal grill. We would stay in our little 14 ft trailer or sublet an RV at a retirement RV park, engaged in daily adventures and campfires on the beach. Back at home, I loved playing in my dad’s garden in the backyard, helping ‘harvest’ tomatoes and chickpeas. I loved enjoying the bounty of our harvest in my mom’s cooking (still do!). Watching the Northern Lights from a friend’s trampoline, a symphony in the sky. Sleeping in the basement, because it never got dark. Going to sleep-away summer camps to places like Drumheller, Alberta, where we’d search for dinosaur bones, ski downhills of shale, and sing around the campfire; and Art Camp, where we’d create all day and play all night. Growing up with the world’s largest shopping mall in our backyard, 15-year-old me and my best friend took full advantage of a “super summer attractions pass” that gave us unlimited access to mini-golfing, the waterpark, amusement park, ice skating rink, and submarine ride inside the mall… we had a blast!
Contact Info:
- Email: Smile@TheWholeToothTexas.com
- Website: www.TheWholeToothTexas.com
- Instagram: @TheWholeToothTexas
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheWholeToothTexas
Image Credits
Veronica Bradley
