Felix Ramos’ path to a career in pediatric dentistry in the Tri-Cities wasn’t linear.

He served for more than four years as a U.S. Marine after a year of college.

He then earned a degree in accounting and went to work for one of the largest firms in the world.

A native New Yorker, he came to the Mid-Columbia as he and his wife considered possible hospitals she would go to for her medical residency.

But eight years after moving to the region, and just under a year after establishing his own practice at HappiNEST Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, he said everything in his past prepared him for the work he considers his calling.

“On the surface, they may look unrelated, but when you step back and look at them, they have similar skillsets,” Ramos recently told the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business.

Helping people directly

Ramos’ father was in the U.S. Army but he didn’t plan to join the military at first. However, his first year of college showed him he still had growing up to do and he thought becoming a Marine would help him in that regard. After boot camp at Parris Island, he spent his entire enlistment based in the Washington, D.C., area.

After his service, he returned to college and earned his accounting degree before going to work for Deloitte, a London, England-based professional services company considered among the four biggest accounting firms. But it didn’t take long for Ramos to begin looking at other careers.

“I worked with great people, had an important role but I didn’t feel fulfilled,” he said. “I wanted to help people more directly.”

He decided to pursue a career in healthcare. Why dentistry? “I like to see results right away. With dentistry, you can.”

He continued working as a certified public accountant while attending dental school at the University of Maryland. He graduated in 2015 and completed his residency in New York City, which he said called upon the soft skills he developed as a Marine while also preparing him for his career to come.

“I saw everything possible,” he said. “I’m glad I learned to work in a chaotic environment because it still matters.”

All the staff at HappiNEST Smiles Pediatric Dentistry is bilingual in English and Spanish, removing language barriers with patients and their families but also potentially making them more comfortable when they’re in the chair and being asked to open wide. 

| Photo by Ty Beaver

Picking Pasco

Ramos moved to the Tri-Cities a year before his wife, Dr. Dianna Lang, to work as an associate at a dental clinic in Pasco. When his contract ran out, he began preparing to open his own clinic, motivated by an interest in removing barriers between him and his patients.

The result was HappiNEST, where he provides a suite of pediatric dentistry services, including cleanings, restorative work such as fillings and crowns, and even laser procedures to help kids who have ankyloglossia, also known as tongue-tied.

Having his own clinic is more than about providing services, though. Ramos said the clinic is fully independent and not part of a corporate-controlled clinic network.

“Every decision I make here is best for the patient, not a bottom line, not a corporate office,” Ramos said.

He and his entire staff are bilingual in English and Spanish, removing language barriers with patients and their families but also potentially making them more comfortable when they’re in the chair and being asked to open wide.

Another way he seeks to accommodate his patients’ comfort is by offering sedation dentistry. Patients who struggle with dental visits can receive general anesthesia from a medical anesthesiologist while procedures are carried out.

And just as Ramos has learned to incorporate all his life experiences into his profession, he’s also learned to rely on others so he can provide the best care. With his wife as a pediatrician, he has a resource to ask questions about health issues he comes across, contributing to a whole child approach to care.

“I don’t just treat cavities, I treat patients,” Ramos said.

HappiNEST Smiles Pediatric Dentistry: 7425 Wrigley Drive, Suite #201, Pasco. Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Go to: happinestsmiles.com, 509-516-0998, [email protected].