Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Winter 2023 - 73

Practice Management
My Style
From the Barrio to the Boardroom:
Realizing the American Dream
Dr. Juliana Panchura
Los Angeles, CA
PCSO Bulletin Contributor
Dr. Wanda Claro, a 1977 graduate of the University of
California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Dentistry,
practiced general dentistry for seven years before
returning to University of California, Los Angeles
(UCLA) for postgraduate training in orthodontics and
pediatric dentistry. After 28 years in private and group
dual specialty practice in Irvine, CA, Dr. Claro retired
and joined the full-time faculty at the University of
Tennessee Health Science Center. She shares her
journey of a rich and varied professional career.
Juliana Panchura (JP): What led you to leave a successful
private general practice to pursue postgraduate
training in orthodontics and pediatric dentistry?
Dr. Wanda Claro
Memphis, TN
Wanda Claro (WC): My first position was in a rural
health center for migrant workers and their families.
Many patients that were brought into the clinic were
children with toothaches and bombed-out teeth. I
had only one pediatric dental patient in dental school,
who was 15 years old. I became a quick study on all
things pediatric dentistry, from courses, books, old
notes, and picking my few female dentist friends'
brains, as it seemed many parents steered their children
toward women dentists. I took hospital dentistry
and sedation courses, which helped me manage
many behavioral challenges.
When I left to start my own private general dental
practice, I was the only woman general dentist in a
two-county area in the Central Valley. Because of this,
parents sought me out for their kids' dental needs.
Thank heavens, I had developed some expertise and
confidence in treating children from my rural health
center experiences.
It wasn't long before I started noticing growth
differences such as premature loss of teeth between
siblings, which affected their occlusions, midline shifts,
ectopic eruption, crowding, etc. It was my good fortune
to work one day/week for a UCSF Curriculum II
orthodontist practicing both general dentistry and orthodontics.
He was a good friend of Dr. Ricketts (who
would later be one of our visiting faculty at UCLA)
and would often be on the phone with him to discuss
orthodontic diagnoses and treatment plans. I would
overhear some of these interesting conversations that
seemed like a foreign language to me. His enthusiasm
Winter 2023 PCSO Bulletin
for what he was doing was contagious. Noticing my
interest, he encouraged me to learn more by taking
ortho courses, enrolling in a two-year straight wire
course open to general practitioners.
After finishing my first dozen cases, I noticed that my
cases didn't look as nice as those of the " real " orthodontists.
I was enjoying the ortho part of my practice
more and more. While reviewing cases with my
favorite referring orthodontist (also a UCLA alum!),
he said if I were that interested in ortho I should go
back to school. At first, I thought this was an insult,
but then I realized that it was the best advice he
could give me. The combined pedo/ortho program
at UCLA seemed the perfect fit, and I was overjoyed
when Dr. Turley called to offer me a spot. We scrambled
to sell the practice and move our young family
to Los Angeles.
JP: How did your experience working as a general
dentist serve you later as a specialist?
WC: The major advantage of working as a general
dentist was being able to fit together all the aspects
of a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach for
complex orthodontic cases. I was able to talk their language,
understand the challenges and nuances, and
explain how and when orthodontic treatment could
fit the grand scheme for " their " patient. Also, it was
important to be realistic about what could or couldn't
be done, how long treatment would take, and how
our respective treatments could be complimentary
for the best interest of " our " patient. It was also helpful
with both general practice and pediatric experience
to take care of, e.g., an undersized lateral bonding
to the width that it would be for a future veneer or
crown, sealing a deep buccal pit before bonding, etc.
Many offices requested that I handle any preventive
treatment while their patients were in braces and to
refer back any restorative needs. General dentists like
to think of themselves as captains of the team, and I
had no problem deferring to them. I stayed on top of
getting " their " patients back into their offices to keep
the relationship alive. For the multidisciplinary cases, I
made sure to document all conversations and ensure
specific check points for the general practitioners to
review so they wouldn't lose focus on their stated
goals.
73
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Winter 2023

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