About Laurence S. Wong, DDS
I have been a resident of Palo Alto since 1960. Through my childhood years, I received dental care through my father’s dentist friend. I was always inspired by his energy and excitement towards dentistry, (he practiced well into his 80s!), so when I was 15 years old, I aspired to become a dentist myself. No other occupation held the same interest for me. I completed my undergraduate work at the University of California, Berkeley, where I also enjoyed playing in the Cal Band. Applying for dental schools during that time, I took UC San Francisco's School of Dentistry's two day dexterity test, a test once administered by UCSF. When I was informed that I had earned the highest score ever achieved there, not only was I granted admission to my first choice of dental schools, but was one of the very few admitted a year early. I received both my BS and DDS degrees from UCSF. I became a commissioned officer in the United States Navy during dental school, and after graduation, served two years on active duty as a dentist stationed at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego. My experiences there were extremely rewarding professionally. There, I not only gained experience in general and emergency dentistry, but especially invaluable was the experience gained in the dental specialties. I received hands-on training working side-by-side board-certified endodontists and oral surgeons in the large, busy dental facility. I served as a Naval reservist for three more years, until I started my current dental practice in 1980.
