Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Nguyen.
Mark, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
When I was 3, my family and I escaped the country of Vietnam in time of communist oppression. My parents owned a small business that was taken from them by the government, leaving us with only a few small possessions. This gave us no choice but to seek a better life. My family was sponsored by another family in the US, and we were able to escape and start over in the US. We landed in Orange County and worked hard to support ourselves.
Growing up, I saw that education was my path to a better life, and a way that I could learn a skill to help others. I always knew I wanted a career helping people, and wanted to make the world a more beautiful place. I always was great at the sciences, and loved the arts. Dentistry is a unique profession, in which art and science intersect.
I worked hard to get into my top choice dental school, NYU. It was always my dream to live in New York City and to learn dentistry.
In 2005, I started my dental practice. It was everything I had dreamed of!
I wanted to help people to look and feel their best. We focus on high quality, preventive dental care for our patients. And I was so happy to begin offering cosmetic procedures, like Invisalign Clear Braces, In-Office Teeth Whitening, and beautiful full smile make-overs. These are the kinds of procedures that make my patients say, “Wow!” when they look in the mirror. Our patients see their results and are blown away. Tears of joy and hugs are a common occurrence in our office. I can’t get enough of those moments!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The inability to smile confidently can cause a lot of people to feel alone and embarrassed. I wanted to be a seed of hope for these people. I came into dentistry to start a practice where people would come in and experience love and support.
Not all smiles are the same. There’s no template to creating a beautiful smile. As a cosmetic dentist, creating a unique, beautiful smile that fits a person’s facial features is a challenge I relish. Our patients want to get a great smile, but a common struggle for us is overcoming their fears from when they worked with a past dentist who didn’t put their comfort first. Overcoming these past dental scars is a unique challenge for us.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the OC Healthy Smiles story. Tell us more about the business.
We’re a boutique dental practice that focuses on cosmetic and preventive dentistry.
We’re proud to say that we’ve been the #1 dentist on Yelp in Costa Mesa for 2 years in a row and we were recently awarded Elite Provider status by Invisalign. This designation is awarded to only 1% of dentists based on continuing education and successful case completions.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I think a lot of luck is at least partly due to hard work and preparation. I definitely believe in the phrase “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” As a dentist, I plan out every case carefully.
I believe that I am lucky to be in America living out my dream of helping people.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1202 Bristol St.,
# 140, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 - Website: www.OCHealthySmiles.net
- Phone: 714-604-2716
- Email: [email protected]
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