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A Family of Thousands

Editor’s Note: Patterson Today shares stories of dental professionals who bring their practice to the next level through investments in technology, equipment and new or remodeled office space. But have you ever wondered how our featured doctors are faring years down the road? We checked in with Dr. Kou Vang, whose St. Paul, Minn., practice was featured in Fall 2000.

Dr. Kou Vang’s practice has changed tenfold over the last several years – from what he affectionately calls "a little grandma and grandpa shop" – to a state-of-the-art dental facility.

Dr. Vang’s passion for dentistry and the importance he places on family hasn’t changed a bit over the years. His practice, Vang Dental Clinic, is staffed by several family members, including two of his sons, daughter and daughter-in-law. Since Vang Dental Clinic opened in 1998, Dr. Vang has treated nearly 20,000 patients. He says every single one of those patients is now a member of his family. "My practice is successful because I treat people just like my own family," he said. "We are a family clinic and everyone who comes in becomes our family member, too."


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Dr. Vang is so dedicated to the practice of dentistry that he has never turned a patient away due to inability to pay or lack of an appointment. Some of his unscheduled patients have to wait nearly two hours to see him, but Dr. Vang tells them that if they wait, he will see them that day. He sometimes stays open as late as 9:00 p.m. treating patients. "I feel that if I don’t take care of their problem, I can’t go to sleep at night. I’ll be thinking about the pain they must be feeling," he said. And Dr. Vang’s dedication hasn’t gone unnoticed – he received the Minnesota Dental Association’s Humanitarian Service Award in April 2008.

From a Dream to a Reality
Vang Dental Clinic is located in St. Paul, Minn., home to the largest urban Hmong population in the world. One of only three Hmong dentists in the area, Dr. Vang’s services were in high demand when he opened his doors 10 years ago. Word of mouth spread in the community and his patient load quickly increased.

As his practice grew, Dr. Vang found himself working longer and later to keep pace in the small space. He had already expanded from two operatories to four and he had no room to grow in his current building. When a large building just two blocks from his practice became available in 2006, Dr. Vang knew it would be the perfect location for his new, larger practice. But Dr. Vang’s dream went beyond just expanding his practice – he also wanted to create a one-stop medical center for the community, with dental, medical, pharmacy, chiropractic, optometry and other healthcare facilities in one location. The new building provided the perfect location to make that dream a reality.
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