Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2018 - 21

Portrait of a Professional

to braces. I don't think I have used one since then.
My classmates were Doug Tinloy, Harry Chin, Rick
Hannah, Mario Ricciardi, and Walt Wexel. At that
time, research was not a component of the residency, although some residents got involved
helping Dr. Baumrind with research projects.
JN: Did you immediately start practicing with
your father, Eugene, in the San Francisco practice?

Fishing in the Upper Sacramento
River

SW: Yes, I worked one day a week with my dad's
patients and another day a week starting my
own patients. The years with my dad were the
most fun of all my time in orthodontic practice.
He was so approachable and willing to collaborate. Rather than just providing answers to my
questions, he would work with me to find the
answer. He always brought a great sense of
humor to the office. Patient families and staff
enjoyed that very much. We had one receptionist
and one chairside, so it was not a high-volume
practice. There were more children in that downtown city office then, because parents felt it was
safe to send kids to the orthodontic office on the
Muni trains and buses.
I grew up with a strong sense that service was
part of one's basic lifestyle. Both my dad and
grandfather served in orthodontic associations
and at universities.
I currently have the San Francisco practice and a
practice in Daly City.
JN: Are the practices different?
SW: Quite different. The practice in San Francisco
is a solo practice: mostly adults, clear aligner,
interdisciplinary, and orthognathic treatments.
In Daly City there are three separate practices in
the same office. There is a pediatric practice (Dr.
Hung Pham), an adult restorative practice (Drs.
John Kis and Paul Belluomini), and my orthodontic practice. We each have our own staff and
accounts. We share the office space, reception-

ists, x-ray facility, and laboratory. It was originally
a group practice with associates. I joined the
practice as an associate when the orthodontist,
Dr. Frank Cercone, decided to go to Santa Rosa.
After working as an associate for a while, I
bought the orthodontic practice from the group. I
enjoy the group experience. Interdisciplinary collaboration is great, patients appreciate the convenience, and there is little need for external
marketing efforts. Developing patient referrals
has been one of the primary ways we have developed the practice.
JN: What types of treatment do you offer?
SW: I do clear aligners, interdisciplinary, and
orthognathics. I also care for mixed dentition
patients, mild expansion, crossbites, and skeletal
problems, but not much craniofacial because
UCSF is so close.
JN: My private practice was with partner orthodontists; we shared a building with pediatric
dentists. Your group is unique - how does it
work out?
SW: Our group has full staff and doctor meetings
once a month. We have to work out a fair distribution of expenses. The volume of patients for
the pediatric dentists and me is much larger than
for the restorative dentists, so we have different
needs for facilities and front desk staff. It may
sound complicated, but we have worked out a
formula based on the number of doctor days, collections, and square footage.
JN: Do you pursue other activities besides your
professional practice?
SW: I was a consultant for the Veteran's Administration Dental Services at Fort Miley in San Francisco. I consulted on their orthognathic cases and
provided presurgical orthodontics. I started this
service shortly after graduation. Then I started
teaching one half day per week at UCSF Ortho. I

Steve and his wife, Rosie

Spring 2018  PCSO Bulletin

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2018