About Brandy Hutchens, DDS

My mother died when I was in the sixth grade, and I had little support or focus until, at 13, I moved in with my best friend, got a job at a dry cleaners, and began studying diligently throughout high school. Having no guidance at all, I enrolled in Diablo Valley College (DVC), and I studied there as I learned about possible disciplines to pursue and schools I might attend.I continued working to support myself but found I needed to add a night job at a restaurant to make my way at DVC. I soon discovered that I had a passion for science and enjoyed interacting with people, but still I searched for a professional pursuit. I enjoyed physiology and exercise so I interned at Solano Sports Physical Therapy. I loved working with these people, but often their injuries and state of mind weighed too heavily on my heart. My interests in nutrition science led me to complete an internship in the nutrition/dietetics department at Kaiser in Fairfield. Although I enjoyed the subject, the work lacked creativity. I finally found my calling after the misfortune of cracking a tooth from clenching and visiting my dentist. I flooded him with questions while he restored my tooth and he invited me to intern in his office and mentor me. I knew very quickly that I found what I was meant to do. I loved the diversity, the meticulous nature of practicing dentistry, and especially the long-standing relationships that were developed after years of practice with patients. I earned my Bachelor’s degree in nutrition in 1996 at UC Davis, on my way to eventual enrollment at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) dental school. I was accepted to Harvard also, but their dental school was geared toward research and I didn’t particularly enjoy my experience assisting in the biochemistry nutrition lab while at Davis, so I chose UCSF. I was grateful to attend this premiere school which was also close enough that I could care for my grandmother on the weekends. I received grants, loans, and even continued working at the dry cleaners during dental school. After earning my doctorate in dental surgery in 2000, I found my home away from home with Benicia Family Dentistry. This dynamic practice has given me an incredible opportunity to fulfill my passion for dentistry as a career and equally important, it allows me the flexibility to be actively involved in my profession while raising my biggest blessings in life, my two daughters.