About Tate L. Vo, DDS
A letter about me certainly would have to start with a little introduction to my family and how we got to the US. I am the third and last child of first generation Vietnamese immigrants. My parents fled their homeland with three small children in search for a better future for us. My mother was a practicing dentist while my father taught at the Saigon University after receiving his doctorate in geology. Since my parents had some higher education and sponsors in the US, we eventually were allowed to immigrate to the United States. My parents were always extremely supportive of whatever direction I wanted to take my education. I spent many hours at mom’s office playing with the dental materials. The polyvinyl material that starts off runny and set to stiffness in my hands was my favorite as a kid. My mom was and always will be my primary role model. She brings love, culture, immense skill, and incredible food all in one neat package. She’s also got a great chair side demeanor. I watched how she interacted with so many patients who soon became her friends. Eventually, I focused on a pre-dental major. I started dental school at 20 years of age in SUNY Buffalo. When I interviewed there, it was winter and I thought the snow and the campus was so beautiful. They had a medical program which they integrated with the dental program for the first year which I thought was interesting. We ended up taking a lot of the basic science classes with them. I finished up dental school and received my degree in 2002 from USC. I went to work and realized I know how to do things but I didn’t necessarily know why this is the way a certain procedure is done. I wanted more information. I wanted the confidence and skill my oldest brother had. He had gone on to UCLA to work with Dr. Beumer and Dr. Caputo in their maxillofacial prosthetics program. That sparked another graduation for my parents to attend. I went back to USC for more answers to these dental questions. I can safely say that I learned a handful of new things every day of that program. We read 60 articles of literature for one of the classes every week in preparation for full discussion of the topic. I rehabilitated case after case with crown and bridge work on teeth and implants. I learned from over 20 difficult denture cases in which there was poor ridge support or other factors that posed a challenge for the referring dentist. I liked teaching dentures and fixed prosthodontics because those were very hands on and I could almost see the light bulb shine when students implemented the concepts successfully. I finished grad Prosth in 2007. After my credentials transferred, I found work as an associate at a dental office. My day consisted of a 25 minute ride to work, exams, anesthetic for scaling and root planning patients, and my scheduled patients. I have the determination. I understand hard work. I have respect for people and of the human body. My idea of a successful practice is having the opportunity to treat all of my patients as if they were my family. I want to provide an environment where people feel comfortable and safe with highly trained staff attentive to their every need.
