MEET: DESERT INN SMILES:

For dentist, ‘Vegas is home, and home is family’

Dentists Audrey Nghiem and R.J. Guiding own Desert Inn Smiles, 3220 S. Durango Drive.

Describe your practice.

Desert Inn Smiles is a privately owned family dental practice. We are a brand new office, but our doctors have been practicing for eight years. We treat patients of all ages and perform dental services such as routine exams and cleanings, periodontal scaling, composite/tooth-colored fillings, root canals, extractions, veneers, crowns, bridges, dentures, partials, dental implants and Invisalign.

When did you know you wanted to be a dentist?

I never pictured myself being a dentist until graduation was just a few months away at UNLV back in 2005. I thought dentistry was the last profession I would ever get into. But after shadowing a local dentist and friend, I began to see the connection to each and every patient, and how powerful of an impact a dentist can make in someone’s health, appearance and confidence. After experiencing that, I was hooked.

Desert Inn Smiles

• Address: 3220 S. Durango Drive, Suite B2

• Phone: 702-834-7707

• Website: desertinnsmileslv.com

• Hours and days of operation: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m.- 2 p.m. Friday

• Owned/operated by: R.J. Guideng, DMD

• In business since: 2018

How many people are on your team and what talents to they bring?

We have a small but awesome staff consisting of an office manager, a dental assistant and two dentists. We are lucky to having Julie Sisk, our office manager, because she knows our vision and she is helping us create that vision every day. She is great with our patients and is a key element of our success.

My lovely wife, Audrey, and I are the dentists. Because Audrey loves children, she is actually going back to complete a two-year pediatric dental residency program at the UNLV School of Dental Medicine. Patients who bring their kids into the office will rest easy knowing that they are getting someone who treats their kids as if they were her own.

What is your business philosophy?

We are a modern office with modern technology, but we are very traditional when it comes to how we treat our patients. Our parents instilled in us the values of hard work and respect for others. We value our patients and their trust, and we try hard to make sure we are performing dental services to the best standards we can.

What’s the best business advice you’ve received?

The most important people in your office aren’t just your patients and customers, but also your staff. If you surround yourself with the right team and if they share the same values of how to treat each other and your patients, then you won’t have to worry about anything.

What is the best part about doing business in Las Vegas?

I have many colleagues in this city, and we all help each other when it comes to the business of dentistry and treating complex patients. Vegas is home, and home is family.

What are your hobbies outside of work?

We have a 2-year-old son named Jameson, and my wife is pregnant with our second child. So, family is very important to us, and every chance we get, we try and do everything together.

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