Photo by Michael Woodall Bicky Tran

Bicky Tran
General Dentist
7552 E. Camelback Rd., Scottsdale
480-429-9700, simplydentistry.com

Why did you choose Scottsdale?
I live not too far from here, and I wanted to be close to home. I wanted to be able to walk to work, run or bike – whatever the case may be. This building became available last-minute, and it’s still very close, and it all ended up working out very well. Being that it’s an old home, it fit perfectly. This place fits exactly what I was looking for. I didn’t think it would be like this; I always thought it would be an office building, a condo or a strip mall. But it worked out.

What do you want the patient’s experience to be like?
I want them to have it all. I want them to have a great place to come to, meaning it’s comforting to them – it’s clean and inviting. I want them to have a friendly staff. When they walk in the door, everyone greets them – they know who they are. And I want them to have the quality dentistry that they deserve. I think finding the whole combination is hard.

Describe your first experience as a dental patient.
He was a pretty old dentist in an old, old office. I remember that when I left the office, I had stuff all over my face. I was 13 at the time. I was like, ‘You know, that wasn’t so nice.’ But being that my parents were very strict, I was not allowed to scream or cry or whine, so that was the only comment and I kept it to myself.

What are some of the new dental technologies that have been valuable to YOUR field?
Digital X-rays. There’s a lot less radiation involved with that. It’s anywhere from 79 percent to 90 percent less radiation, and you can actually manipulate the images on your computer screen…. There’s also laser dentistry. It’s still limited, but for soft tissue, it works great. Let’s say somebody has a really gummy smile – meaning you see a lot more gums than teeth. You can actually do some gum re-contouring with the laser and shape it. You don’t have to suture (the wound) and you’re not actually cutting into someone’s tissue with a scalpel. With the laser, most people come back the next day and you can’t see anything. They heal that fast.

What is something interesting people may not know about you?
Believe it or not, I knit and crochet. Every time someone has a baby, I’m on it. They get a new baby blanket. I’m working on one right now for one of my patients.

— Interviewed by Adam Klawonn