Q+A: DR. STEVEN DELISLE:

Dentist’s advice: Treat patients like family

Dr. Steven DeLisle is passionate about treating patients with special needs, and created the Saving Smiles scholarship to help such patients who are under-resourced. (Christopher DeVargas/staff)

After shadowing his family dentist for a day, Steven DeLisle decided that’s how he wanted to make his living. “I also enjoyed the aspect of the job where I get to help people and assist in the care of their overall health,” he said. And even after becoming light-headed after witnessing his first tooth extraction, DeLisle moved forward on his career path. Now, Dr. DeLisle is the owner and dental anesthesiologist at Children’s Dentistry.

Do you have any recent news you’d like to share?

We are currently promoting Saving Smiles, our $1,500 scholarship for those with special needs who are under-resourced. The scholarship is to be used for restorative dentistry. Many special needs individuals are on Medicaid and lose their dental benefits after age 21. When they lose their benefits for dental care, problem teeth often are extracted. Because of this, we created Saving Smiles so it’s available for those who qualify and need to restore and save their teeth.

From a business perspective, what’s the most difficult part of managing a dental practice?

Putting together a great team of people who work well together, who have integrity and strong work ethic. This is crucial to creating overall success for your business. If you don’t have a strong team, it affects morale, the work environment becomes negative and the patient’s dental experience suffers. While it is a challenge, I have been fortunate to have a devoted staff that treats our patients like they would their own family.

You’re qualified to treat children with dental anxiety and special needs. What training outside the normal curriculum did you receive to prepare you for that?

When I was growing up, our family took care of my aunt, Susan, who suffered from severe cerebral palsy. Living with her and helping take care of her caused me to have great empathy for her and others who have developmental disabilities. As far as training, after I graduated from dental school, I treated more than 2,000 special needs and pediatric patients under general anesthesia during my residency at Loma Linda (Calif.) University.

What personality trait helps you the most?

I’ve always been willing to try new things — I’m a bit of a trailblazer by nature. I can be intense, focused, and I’m always moving forward.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

My goal is to expand the practice to have several more offices in Southern and Northern Nevada. We are always looking to further our reach to more members of the community in both parts of the state.

What’s the biggest issue facing Southern Nevada?

There are a lot of new areas under construction and businesses popping up around the valley, such as the new Raiders stadium, which is a great opportunity that will attract more visitors and businesses, as well as traffic.

Is it difficult for low-income people to get access to dental services?

I don’t think so. Plenty of offices in the area take Medicaid. Also, recent legislative rulings have expanded Medicaid in Nevada, so more people qualify for it.

What’s your favorite place to have fun in Las Vegas?

I like going to the Strip and checking out the variety of dining experiences available. The Strip is a melting pot for foodies, with everything from authentic French, Thai and Italian cuisine, to all-American burgers and fries.

What is your dream job outside of your current field?

I’m interested in possibly going into politics as a senator. I enjoy meeting new people and networking. Also, I have a lot of ideas and want to make a difference in the community, so being in politics and having a hand in decision-making would be a great benefit to what I’m looking to do in the future.

Whom do you admire?

My parents showed me what hard work, integrity and faith can do for me. Growing up, they were a constant source of love and support in my life and as I’ve grown older, I appreciate them more and more.

What is something that people might not know about you?

I used to fly helicopters in my early 20s and was working toward getting my pilot’s license.

Is there any business advice you want to share?

A good reputation takes time to build but very little time to ruin. My advice to business owners and people in the medical profession is to treat your patients as though they are your family, and they will become lifelong clients.

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