Growing up in the small town of Lake Mathews in the hills above Riverside and Corona, Dr. Cartter was the first in his family to attend college, he was recruited straight out of his prosthodontic residency at Loma Linda University to join Palm Desert’s Desert Dental Specialty Group in 2013. Two years later, he purchased the practice.
DDSG is unique in that it also has a periodontist and endodontist on staff. “Having my own dental laboratory and the other specialists under one roof allows me to have better control of all aspects of my patients’ dental needs,” says Cartter, a married father of three children under the age of 5. “It also allows patients to schedule multiple appointments in one visit.”
While dental technology is ever-evolving, Cartter feels computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) are a particular gain. “When we create a treatment plan for a dental implant, we combine the patient’s CT scan and dental models in order to digitally place the implant in the perfect location,” he explains. “We then 3-D print a surgical guide in our laboratory which allows us to place the implant in the precise location where it was originally created. This allows for a more predictable outcome and reduces healing time and patient comfort.”
For Cartter, the difference he makes in his patients’ lives is the most rewarding aspect of his work. “As a prosthodontist, I’m sometimes the last hope someone has to regain a healthy, comfortable, and beautiful smile,” he says. “It’s very satisfying to get to know my patients, their needs, wants, and expectations, and then to deliver the result they were hoping for.”
• VIDEO: Dr. Joshua Cartter says the difference he makes in his patients’ lives is the most rewarding aspect of his work.