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After some time in private practice, Dr. Crabtree\u2019s father, Dr. Larry Crabtree, began working for the U.S. government as a specialist in oral and maxillofacial radiology. His biggest claim to fame was in the 1960s as he helped develop the patent for the Dental X-ray Teaching Training Replica (DXTTR), used to teach radiographic interpretation. The patent was awarded in 1970.<\/p>\n
As an active national organization member, Dr. Crabtree\u2019s father was pivotal in his decision to attend the School of Dentistry at UT Health San Antonio.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was familiar with the faculty there in San Antonio who were also big into dental radiology in the early 1980s,\u201d he said. \u201cOne of the factors that made me say, \u2018Hey, San Antonio is a pretty good place\u2019 was that my dad could speak to the reputation of the school. The quality of the gentlemen we knew and that my dad respected helped me to decide, and I\u2019m glad I did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sight unseen, having never been to Texas before, he made his way to San Antonio after earning his undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University.<\/p>\n
Today, Dr. Crabtree is part of Crabtree Dental, a family dental practice located in Katy, Texas. Along with his son, Colby B. Crabtree, DDS Class of 2018, and R.T. \u201cCade\u201d Foust, DDS Class of 2009, Dr. Crabtree offers general and cosmetic dental services to their community. The family legacy continues with son-in-law Aaron Laird, DDS, an orthodontist. The Crabtrees\u2019 daughter, Lauren, runs his orthodontic practice in Houston and Katy, Texas. (Coincidentally, Dr. Ron Crabtree, Dr. Colby Crabtree and Dr. Laird were all trained in school on the DXTTR created by father\/grandfather Dr. Larry Crabtree.)<\/p>\n
Dr. Crabtree\u2019s wife, Kristy, who manages the dental practice, \u201cmade the difference in the success of our practice. She keeps things rolling on the business side, so I can treat the patients and make sure their needs are met. We\u2019ve had a great partnership in marriage and in our business,\u201d he said. In addition, daughter-in-law Talyn Crabtree assists her mother-in-law in managing the dental practice.<\/p>\n
Taking his practice\u2019s mission to heart, Dr. Crabtree and his colleagues genuinely seek to \u201cbecome lifetime partners\u201d in their patients\u2019 oral care by taking a conservative treatment approach.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think, \u2018Would I want this in my mouth? Would I want this done to my family?\u2019 We use the intraoral camera a lot to show the patient what we see. We have open discussions with our patients, and they learn to trust us. That\u2019s the main thing\u2014gain their trust and do good dentistry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Interestingly, good is not nearly good enough for Dr. Crabtree; he strives for better. As an evaluator for the Clinical Research Associates Foundation, he regularly tests the clinical usefulness of new dental products in his office and provides valuable feedback. His passion for lifelong learning has earned him a Fellowship and a Mastership in the Academy of General Dentistry, reflecting well over 1,600 completed hours of continuing education.<\/p>\n
This kind of dedication rarely goes unnoticed. For the past six years, Dr. Crabtree has been named a \u201cTop Dentist in General Dentistry\u201d by Houstonia magazine and a \u201cTop Dentist\u201d by USA Top Dentists. They just received word that Crabtree Dental has received the honor of being named a \u201cNeighborhood Favorite\u201d for 2021 by the app Next Door.<\/p>\n
For Dr. Crabtree, the accolades are nice, but his patients are his true motivation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the end, the patients are the ones who benefit from the knowledge gained. It\u2019s the drive to be better; I don\u2019t want to be average,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ronald K. Crabtree, DDS Class of 1983, is the grandson of an oral surgeon and son of a specialist in oral and maxillofacial radiology. He is continuing the family’s legacy of providing outstanding oral care with his wife, son and daughter-in-law. His son-in-law and daughter have an orthodontic practice. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":2630,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"magazine":[23],"issue-year":[47],"featured-story":[],"class_list":["post-2557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","magazine-salute","issue-year-47"],"yoast_head":"\n