If it seems that the staff at Dr. Don Koontz’ North Creek Dental Care in south Everett is like a happy family, there’s a reason for that — two of his staff are his sisters.
“One of the hygienists, my sister Susan Lee, has been working with me four years,” Dr. Koontz said. “And my other sister, Mollie Wilson, has been working with me as my receptionist for about the same time. My brother, Mark, is an attorney in Port Orchard and my parents, Don and Kay Koontz, live in Mukilteo.”
Although Susan Lee said many patients have told her they could never work with siblings, “it works for us … Don does amazing clinical work and is every generous with his whole staff…He really values my input with patient care, too…I truly enjoy working with him because of our friendship and his excellent reputation as a dentist.”
Mollie Wilson joined the business as her brother’s office receptionist when he moved into his new building a few years ago, built on the same site where he’s had his dental office for 23 years, at 12806 3rd Ave. SE, only one block east of I-5.
“In his new office he needed more help with answering phones,” she said. “Fortunately for me, his practice continued to grow and I started working more hours as his receptionist. I love working with Don because he treats every patient with care and respect and treats his entire staff like family.”
And it’s not just his family who praise Dr. Koontz. Seattle Met magazine’s peer ranking survey by dentists in the Greater Seattle area has placed him among the region’s top dental physicians in both 2014 and 2015.
“A dentist is just one person,” he said. “I’m grateful for our staff here. They really make people feel welcome. As for my sisters, they put up with me and we all have a good relationship. I think we make it work well.”
His services include what’s expected from a dentist — from tooth fillings and teeth whitening to dentures, crowns, bridges and tooth implants.
He’s helped by a wide array of the latest technology, including digital X-rays, a vast improvement over the old film methods. He also uses Cerec CAD/CAM technology that allows him to do most restorative procedures in a single day. But he focuses on the personal.
“My basic approach to dentistry was inspired by my role model, the late Dr. John Lee, when I lived in Vancouver, Wash., for several years. I listen to each patient’s needs and desires and make them feel comfortable in a welcoming atmosphere. I see my role as an educator, too, informing and building trust. I think about what I’d want to know and how I’d want to be treated if it was my tooth, or my wife’s,” he said.
One of his specialties is child dentistry, assisted by his stuffed dog puppet, Astro, who lets kids brush his teeth as they learn about good dental hygiene. He also provides headsets and iPads filled with movies for entertainment while he’s doing dental work.
There are also wall-mounted wide-screen television screens throughout his new building, including his waiting room with an aquarium filled with fascinating fish.
Koontz was born in Southern California, grew up in Vancouver, Wash., met his wife, Lisa, at Pepperdine University in California, then graduated from the University of Washington Dental School. Married more than 25 years, they have four children — Sophia, 12, Christian, 13, Isabella, 16, and Gabriella, 22.
He and his staff work with Medical Teams International to provide services to low-income patients who can’t afford dental work. Gold Creek Church in Snohomish contracts for use of a van that serves as a mobile dental clinic that travels to the Everett Gospel Mission and a Domestic Violence Shelter in Everett.
More information is available at 425-329-8856 or the business’ website, www.northcreekdentalcare-everett.com.
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