2019 Best Dentist: Dr. Michael Pratt
Six years ago, Dr. Michael Pratt came along at the right time for Family First Dental.
Pratt — a Kamiakin High School graduate who did his undergraduate work at Brigham Young University before completing his dental training at the University of Washington — stepped into a practice that saw a number of longtime dentists step into retirement.
It was Pratt who would take over helping those retired dentists’ patients. That can be a touchy situation. But it’s also why he was voted top dentist.
“As they retired, I stepped in,” Pratt said. “It’s all about listening to the patient. It’s about getting to know them. That was the dance I had to learn.”
Pratt praises the support team around him.
“I have great assistants and front office staff,” he said.
He also has a great set of skills, such as specialized training in implant placement, laser usage, Invisalign and 3D imaging. But first and foremost, the priority is patient comfort.
“I take the philosophy of trusting that these patients are like your family,” he said.
In other words, make sure they get the treatment that you’d want your parents, your siblings, your spouse or your children to get. And it’s his enthusiasm for what he does that stands out.
He talked of a 16-year-old boy who had lost a lot of teeth through rot.
“He couldn’t smile,” said Pratt. “He’d always look down at the floor.”
But Pratt performed a lot of dental work on the teenager, who ended up being able to smile again.
“There is nothing like changing somebody’s smile, and in turn changing their life,” he said. “It’s so great to see their whole demeanor change.”
It’s what Pratt does on a daily basis.
1. Dr. Michael Pratt
Family First Dental
419 N. Yelm, Kennewick
509-783-1000
www.callfamilyfirst.com
2. Dr. Sean Simper
Southridge Dental
3911 W. 27th Ave., Ste. 105, Kennewick
509 581-0081
mykennewickdentist.com
3. Dr. Robert Pinon
Family First Dental
419 N. Yelm, Kennewick
509-783-1000
www.callfamilyfirst.com
This story was originally published May 31, 2019 at 12:01 AM.