My time at Dentalqore: Designing hundreds of websites across the country
Behind every dental website is a story—and usually a pretty great human.
After five years designing custom dental websites and working with hundreds of dentists across the country, I've walked away with a few observations:
There are a lot of dentists.
Most of them are incredibly kind, intelligent, and community-minded people.
The clients who seem the most difficult at first usually aren't trying to be difficult—you just have to be patient enough to uncover the real problem they're trying to solve.
At DentalQore, every project started with a consultation. We'd ask doctors to gather website examples they loved, then pair those ideas with our own recommendations and previous work. The goal was always the same: create a website that felt uniquely theirs.
Some practices had themed offices and wanted their website to reflect that personality. Others served high-end demographics and wanted a more refined, luxury feel. Over the years, I've designed what feels like hundreds of pediatric websites filled with bright colors, bubbles, and smiling children; countless rustic designs for small-town family practices; and just as many sleek, minimalist sites featuring natural textures and elevated branding.
One thing I didn't expect was how much my previous biases of dentists would change.
Like many people, I had my own stereotypes. Utah has an incredible amount of dentists, and occasionally a few give off a "do you know who I am?" vibe. And sure, every profession has a few big personalities. But after spending years talking not only with clients, but also with their office managers, hygienists, assistants, and front desk teams, I started to see a different side of the industry.
What I found was that most dentists genuinely care about the people they serve. They obsess over patient outcomes, worry about anxious children, celebrate life-changing smile transformations, and invest heavily in technology and training to provide better care. Many of the things I initially interpreted as ego were actually passion, pride, or an intense commitment to building something meaningful for their patients and community.
At the end of the day, most weren't trying to show off their success—they were trying to build trust. A confident smile can change how someone feels about themselves, and many of the dentists I worked with saw that transformation as the most rewarding part of their job.
Designing websites taught me a lot about branding, user experience, and client communication. But more than anything, it taught me that first impressions are rarely the full story. Behind every tough client is a person who cares deeply about what they've built, and the patience to come to an understanding that makes all the difference.
