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Dr. Willes takes advantage of a winter swell at Tamarak |
To meet Dr. Michael G. Willes (pronounced "Willis") means meeting someone who truly loves what he does–both the daily challenge of achieving excellence in orthodontics, and the opportunity to interact with exceptional people–his patients and staff–each day. In all aspects of his life, Dr. Willes is a perfectionist who strives to excel in everything he undertakes.
A Southern California native, Dr. Willes established his practice in Carlsbad in 1996, and can't imagine being anywhere else or doing anything else for a career. His journey here included growing up in Fullerton where he played high school football and baseball, and was named football league MVP his senior year. He went on to play baseball at Brigham Young University, where he was a two-time All-American and led the nation in home runs in 1987 and 1988. In addition to baseball, Dr. Willes took two years off during his undergraduate studies to serve an L.D.S.
mission to Paris, France.
After graduating with a pre-dental zoology major and French minor, Dr. Willes continued his education at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Dental School where he was on the dean's list, had research published in the Journal of the American Dental Association, and graduated with honors. Dr. Willes received his orthodontic specialty training at UCLA.
While there, he put braces on himself to know what it felt like since he had never needed them as a kid: he wanted to be sure he knew what his patients would be experiencing.
Dr. Willes is an active member of the American Association of Orthodontists, the Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists, the American and California Dental Associations, and is past president of the San Diego Association of Orthodontists, as well as member of the Omicron Kappa Upsilon Honorary Dental Society.
Dr. Willes is committed to community involvement, and frequently speaks to local school classes about dental health. He supports numerous school and community activities, coaches and sponsors his children's sports teams, and is active in his church. In his spare time, he enjoys being with his wife and four children, surfing, wakeboarding, riding motorcycles in the desert, camping, running (including his first marathon in 2004), playing the guitar, designing and building furniture, and reading.
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