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Dr. Joe Willardsen didn't want to gamble with his future, so he used marketing, continuing education, and a vision to come up a winner in the high-stakes world of Las Vegas dentistry
To say that Dr. Joe Willardsen has dentistry in his blood is an understatement. With a father who practiced in Palm Springs, Calif., and two brothers practicing in Las Vegas and Palm Springs, there is plenty of "tooth talk" when the Willardsens get together for a family dinner.
But there is much more to Dr. Joe Willardsen's view of dentistry than just dentistry. Using the concept of "true dentistry," Dr. Willardsen has grown his practice from nothing to two dental offices in just two years.
"The whole idea behind 'true dentistry' is creating a place that is customer-oriented. I wanted to create the Nordstrom's of dentistry," Dr. Willardsen said. "I wanted everything to be up-to-date in my practice, including the logos, equipment, and office décor. I wanted to create a place that I didn't know existed in Las Vegas."
To create something that doesn't exist in Las Vegas is a feat in and of itself, but it's obvious that Dr. Willardsen is on to something. His one-operatory office on Sahara Avenue is bursting at the seams, and his new three-opera tory facility in southwest Las Vegas will be open shortly after the ADA Annual Session closes.
"It is Las Vegas, so our patient base includes cocktail waitresses, executive chefs, and exotic dancers, but we also have patients who are housewives and electricians," Dr. Willardsen said. "A lot of patients have had dental work in the past and they simply aren't happy with it. My message is that this is a new type of dentistry. It is 'true dentistry.' They don't have to drive or fly to Los Angeles to have their problems solved."
It took more than Dr. \YilIardsens family pedigree to get his message to the public and build a successful practice. Dr. Willardsen has invested countless continuing-education hours at Las Vegas Institute and Arrowhead Dental Laboratory anil has also used countless marketing avenues to get his name and the message of "true dentistry" to the public.
"When I was taking my board exams, there were 300 registered dentists in...