Meet Dr. Farrell Prete
My feelings of care and concern for the comfort of my patients were shaped very early in my life. As a boy I still remember going to the dentist and being very worried because I did not know what was going to happen, and I was afraid it would hurt. Unfortunately, that dental visit was not a pleasant one. To me, it seemed that the dentist was not at all concerned about how I felt. And it did hurt.
Over the next couple of years, I thought about that experience a lot. I was puzzled. If our nation had the capability to send a man to the moon, why did having my teeth repaired need to be such a bad experience? I told myself, “there has to be a better way.”
At age 12, I decided that what I wanted to be in life was a dentist. Not just any dentist. I wanted to become a dentist who could help people in a way that they would feel understood, safe, and comfortable, and who would help them without hurting them. To this day I still think about my early dental experiences when I greet individuals who have come to me to ask for help with their dental care. I remember my commitment to listen and understand, to help them feel safe, and to make sure they are comfortable during any care they may ask me to give them.
When it came time to attend dental school, I was fortunate to attend the University Of Washington School Of Dentistry, which has a nationwide reputation for training dentists with exceptional clinical skills. Over the years, I have found great satisfaction in using those skills, along with other skills I have learned from continuing education, to provide my patients with technically excellent dentistry. But nothing pleases me as much as hearing a patient who has also had an unhappy dental experience early in life tell me that, after 6 months or a year in my care, she feels safe here and that she is not afraid of the dentist anymore.
I have been married to my sweetheart for over 25 years, and we have been blessed with four children. Some of my interests outside of dentistry include small boat sailing, sea kayaking, tennis, roller blading and serving as a volunteer within my church and in community service projects.
