Dr. Adam Haws is the new dentist in the town of Buellton, but even from the inception of his clinic’s foundation in February 2008, Haws has been accruing dental patients left and right. The clinic itself has a home and hearth feel to it; a feel which Adam Haws and his wife Camene Haws help to affirm with their own friendly and welcoming style with which they run their business. Dentistry runs in Haws’ family, as before opening Adam Haws Family Dentistry he practiced with his dad and brother in Santa Barbara periodically, and with his brother in law in Solvang when he wasn’t in Santa Barbara.
With time, Haws kept adding days to how often he worked in the Valley, and finding himself more and more attached to it, he decided to stay and open shop in Vintage Walk in Buellton. For 30 days, Haws hung a sign above his new location with a phone number attached to it, and began booking patients right away. After the 30 days were up, so was the clinic, and Haws began business.
Forty percent of Haws’ patients are local Buellton natives, while the other 60 percent make up patients he had transferred from Santa Barbara, new patients from the area, or patients from Santa Maria and Lompoc and some from Riverside.
As Haws says, “When people find a dentist they’re comfortable with and willing to let their guard down for, they’re willing to stick with them and be committed, as long as the dentist is committed to them, so I really do my best to be that dentist for them here.” What that commitment entails is what Dr. Haws does for his patients – which is essentially everything he can do for them. This includes the obligatory general dentistry (and this is where the line is drawn for many patients, depending on their preference) which includes full service, cleanings, fixing things like toothaches and plaque build-up, as well as specialties like root-canals, crowns and bridges, removing wisdom teeth, periodontal therapy, invisalign, and deep gum cleanings, made possible by his office’s soft tissues lasers, which go in and clean out the bacteria below the gum level for that much more of a cleaning.
“I ask the patients what goals they want to achieve throughout dentistry, and I help them meet those goals,” says Haws, “Essentially, anything I can keep in house, I do; if not, I send you to who I think can treat you the best for what you need.” In certain cases, like the 2009 MakeOver competition he offered, these can be completely life-changing goals that through his dedication can be achieved.
On the technical homefront, Haws’ office offers state-of-the-art technology for his patients, which assist in both comfort and in technical precision. For instance, on the comfort side of things, Haws’ cleaning stations feature built in screens above the chairs for patients to watch films while being worked on, with earphones to drown out the noise and help the time pass. This is of course optional, but helpful for people who hate going to the dentist or have phobias and things of that nature. Educationally speaking, these screens are also hooked up to the Casey Education system, which offer hundreds of different didactic videos to help explain about all that confusing tooth care jargon.
Another feature on the technical side include Haws’ intra-oral camera, which can be used to magnify the inside of people’s mouths so the doctor can show the patient the inside of their mouth directly on the screens in front of them. On the financial comfort side of things, Haws’ front desk attendant Nicole is an experienced financial coordinator and has taken it upon herself to find out as much she can about insurance and how to make the most of their dental insurance benefits, while offering creative financing options.
On the green-friendly side of things, Haws’ office is paperless, to decrease waste and increase efficiency. This shouldn’t be a turn off or intimidate anyone who is used to the old ways of doing dental paper work, as there is an assistant ready to help with any questions in using their computer system. Their X-ray is digital as well, which decreases the amount of radiation and chemicals by about one-sixth of a normal X-Ray.
While it might not be glamorous, Dr. Haws tries to make dentistry as comfortable and interesting as possible; so if you’re looking for a new dentist but are afraid to make that big leap of commitment to laying down under a guy you don’t know with a lot of tools at his disposal to really freak you out, then why not check out Dr. Adam Haws’ DDS Family Dentistry.
Here’s what else the Valley Journal learned about Adam S. Haws DDS:
Why did you start this business?
I have always wanted to have my own business and wanted to set up and run a dental practice and treat patients the way I had envisioned. I learned a great deal working with the dentists in my family particularly my dad.
What is your business background?
I graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in International Relations with an emphasis in Japanese Business. During those undergrad years I took many business, and economic courses.
What is the best piece of business advice you have been given, and who gave it to you?
“The difference between good dentistry and great dentistry is the patient.” That is my dad’s quote. In other words, to do great dentistry you must always keep in mind you are not just taking care of teeth but treating the patient as a whole. My dad has taught me there is a person and a soul behind that mouth, and I must take care of the whole package.
What sets your business apart from your competition?
The old-school service mentality with the latest up-to-date comforts and technology. My wife and I are a great team she comes up with new ideas that make the practice more efficient and service-oriented.
What books are on your bedside table?
Bible, Book of Mormon, Love Leadership by John Hope Bryant and Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
Why did you choose to set up your business in the Valley?
The people. We moved our family up here to raise our kids in a good environment.
How could local elected officials make it easier for you to be successful?
Continuing with the plan to develop Avenue of the Flags.
Where do you see your business in five years?
Working at my current location and continuing to do what I love.
Finally, what is on your to-do list?
You’ll have to consult with my wife, ha ha. We are currently accepting applications for our 2010 Santa Ynez Valley Dental Makeover and we’ll be selecting a winner before Nov. 1.
Business name: Adam S. Haws DDS
Owner(s): Adam and Camene Haws
Business address: 593 Avenue of the Flags Suite No. 101, Buellton CA93427
Business telephone: (805) 688-9546
Business hours: Mon-Thurs. 8 to 5 and Fri. 8-1 p.m.
E-mail address: adamhawsdds@comcast.net
Website: www.adamhawsdds.com and on Facebook, where you will find photos of our patient of the month and last year’s dental makeover winner’s before-and-after photos.