Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Joyce Wong.
Hi Dr. Joyce, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I didn’t start out in dentistry. I earned my degree in chemical engineering in 1997 and moved to Austin that same year for my first engineering job. I spent five years working as an engineer and enjoyed the problem solving, but I wanted a career where I could work directly with people and see the difference I was making for them. That led me back to school, and I earned my DDS from Texas A&M College of Dentistry (formerly Baylor College of Dentistry). I still think like an engineer in many ways. I love planning a treatment carefully and getting the small details right.
By then Austin had become home, so there was never any question about where I would open my own practice. In 2010 I opened Avenue Dental on Bee Caves Rd. In the beginning it was a small team, and I did a bit of everything, from treating patients to figuring out the business side as I went. Many of the patients who came in that first year still see us today.
By 2016, more and more of our patients were driving in from the north side of town, so we opened a second office on W Anderson Ln. Today our team includes several dentists and a periodontist who handles our more advanced gum and implant cases. We care for families in English, Spanish, and Chinese, which is something I’m especially proud of.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not at all. The first big challenge was the career change itself. Leaving a stable engineering job after five years to go back to school was a real leap. On top of that, when I started dental school I had a three-year-old and a newborn at home. Balancing long days of classes and clinic with raising two young boys was one of the hardest things I have ever done, and I could not have done it without the support of my family.
Opening Avenue Dental in 2010 brought a whole new set of lessons. Dental school teaches you how to care for patients, but not how to run a business. Payroll, insurance, equipment, hiring: I learned most of it by doing it, and sometimes did not get it right the first time.
Adding a second office in 2016 was another stretch. I had to learn to trust others and build systems so that patients would get the same care at both locations, whether I was there that day or not.
Then COVID arrived in 2020. We had to pause routine care, rethink how we safely saw patients, and keep our team together through a lot of uncertainty. It was a hard stretch, and it made me even more grateful for the patients who came back and stayed with us.
Looking back, each of those challenges made us better at what we do.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Avenue Dental?
Avenue Dental is a family and cosmetic dental practice with two offices in Austin, one in South Austin on Bee Caves Rd and one in North Austin on W Anderson Ln. We care for patients of all ages, from routine cleanings and checkups to fillings, crowns, implants, veneers, extractions and gum care. Our periodontist handles the more advanced gum and implant cases, so most patients can get the care they need without being sent somewhere new.
The part of our practice I am most proud of is our special needs day. One day every week, I set aside my schedule for patients with special needs, many of whom travel from across Austin and nearby towns. Those visits run at a slower pace, with more time for each patient and a team that already knows them. For some families, finding a dentist who can do that has been a real struggle, and being that place for them means a great deal to me.
Teaching and giving back have also been a big part of my career. I have lectured on general and cosmetic dentistry at the University of Hong Kong for dental students visiting from Kanazawa Dental University in Japan. Closer to home, I love visiting local elementary schools to talk with kids about their teeth, and I have volunteered with Texas Mission of Mercy, providing free dental care to Texans who could not otherwise afford it.
For anyone without dental insurance, we offer discounted fee schedules, because cost should not keep someone from getting care.
We take the time to plan each treatment carefully, explain it clearly, and treat every patient the way we would want our own family treated.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Some of my favorite memories are of Sunday afternoons with my family in Hong Kong. After brunch, we would head to Victoria Park every single week. There was always something to do, whether it was playing outside, exploring, or just spending time together. My favorite part was getting a popsicle, which, as a dentist, I probably should not admit! Nothing about those afternoons was fancy, but it was a ritual I looked forward to all week. Looking back, I think it taught me how much those simple, regular moments with the people you love really matter.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.myavenuedental.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avenuedental.atx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrJoyceWong/
