Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Nicolas Ravon.
Dr. Ravon, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
From an early age, I knew that dentistry was my calling. My father was a prominent dentist in Nice, France who was both NYU and USC trained. In a way, I did follow in his footsteps because he was a major influence on my decision to come to the United States and obtain the same type of specialized training he received. After finishing dental school in Brussels, Belgium in 1995, I moved to Los Angeles and completed the Advanced Standing Program for International Dentists at USC. Because at the time, my ambition was to take over my father’s practice in Nice, I knew that I would need substantially more refined surgical skills to respond to the needs and the demands of his clientele. Therefore, I went on and specialized in Periodontics at the University of Washington.
However, it was at the same time that my father decided to retire and the whole story changed. I felt that my calling was not back in Nice, but rather here in LA. I ended up working in Toluca Lake for a few years where I developed and honed my surgical skills. Unfortunately, it was not the right fit for me. Finally, in 2008, the opportunity to build my own legacy presented itself and I did not hesitate to seize it. I bought out the practice that I work in now in Beverly Hills.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Over the years, I have come to the conclusion that I am the type of person that needs to be kept on their toes. That is truly the only way that I can progress. You know, practicing in Los Angeles has been somewhat of a constant battle. After spending three years in Seattle for residency, I moved back to LA in 2002. That’s when I realized that I had not taken the easy route by not moving back to France. Instead, I was competing against other surgeons who had completed their residency in Los Angeles and who had this amazing network. Without much help, I fought my way up, building my clientele from scratch, trying to build a reputation as a trustworthy and ethical surgeon while surrounded by an environment that clearly was business focused. I think that this was my first big slap in the face. While I was this successful resident in Seattle, I was nobody in LA.
Moreover, at the same time that I was starting my career, I was battling with my immigration status. I was in the midst of an administrative nightmare trying to obtain my green card, which is already a long and strenuous process that takes years. Except that the reality at the time was that after 9/11 occurred, the process became not only more difficult but also very delayed. I waited six years to finally obtain my green card. As a matter of fact, if I am still in Los Angeles today, it is only by some sort of a miracle. Forty-eight hours prior to receiving my green card, I was packing my bags, ready to move back to France as my visa was expiring. I thought that it was the end of the road. I had resigned myself to the fact that I was not meant to practice in the US, but here I am today and the journey continues. Now, I am still facing new challenges every day, like figuring out Instagram, but thankfully my years of experience have given me some patience and wisdom.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Brighton Dental Clinique – what should we know?
At the end of the day, I realized that it was essential for me to build a practice with my own vision, which is what I did in Beverly Hills. What I love about my practice is that I am not limited in terms of the services I can offer to my patients. When I chose to pursue periodontal plastic surgery during my residency, my vision was to uplift and respond to the needs of patients who not only value the quality of the work I provide but also patients who want to get back the self-esteem and confidence they deserve. What fails to be mentioned is that dentistry is about more than just fillings and cavities. When a patient walks into my practice, I commit myself to this partnership with them and I listen to their whole story. That is the only way for me to really deliver on what they need, whether it is veneers, implants or gum surgery.
Even though it was not at all easy to establish myself and compete in the saturated medical avenue of Beverly Hills, I have built this clientele that comes from all over the world for the transformative and rejuvenating procedures that I have spent decades perfecting. Always keeping the patient’s desires, hopes, and needs in mind, I am now really able to create a smile that corresponds to the uniqueness of each patient’s physiognomy. After dedicating my career to mastering the art of reconstructive smile design through both surgical and non-surgical approaches, I have really found a way to render the treatment process efficient and seamless to the patient.
What is periodontal plastic surgery?
That is a fair question. Most people don’t know what it is, but it’s really quite simple. There are two sides to my practice. If a patient wants preventative care to keep track of their oral and gum health, I am the right provider because my specialty is to treat gum disease and its associated complications. Now, the other aspect of my practice is both surgical and cosmetic; It is what I call reconstructive smile design. Ultimately, that is the reason why the term plastic surgery is used to describe my practice: I restore health and function, as well as cosmetically enhance the smile of my patients, either surgically or non-surgically. What I do on a daily basis ranged from treating patients with a gummy smile both surgically or using botox, for example, to performing connective tissue grafting for patients with gum recession and placing implants to restore oral function, such as the ability of chewing properly.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Here is my philosophy: the only thing that really matters to me is to get better and better every day. I want to become a better man, a better doctor, a better father, etc. I cannot imagine looking at myself in the mirror at night and not being able to reflect on something that I did to become better. The way that I do that is that I look at other people and try to emulate what they do better than me. I look for what it is that they have that can take me to the next level. Still, in my life, there have been two major figures I owe a lot to. First of all, my father is obviously a figure and a role model whose influence I am grateful for. In my personal life, he impacts the relationship I have with my two sons and pushes me to be the best father I can be. However, he also influenced my practice. He instilled those ideals that I live by like the importance of continuing education and staying at the top of my field. Finally, I must mention Dr. John Kois, whose mentoring was simply life-changing. He is the reason why my surgical skills are so refined and the outcomes of my procedures are so predictable and successful. He really taught me the surgical and restorative cosmetic skills that I needed to get to where I am today.
Contact Info:
- Address: 9675 Brighton Way, Penthouse A
Beverly Hills, CA 90210 - Website: www.drravondds.com
- Phone: 310-275-5325
- Email: [email protected]
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