California Dreamin’

Dr. Reid Pullen helps new associate Dr. Allen Abrishami to accomplish life goals through mentorship

Dr. Allen Abrishami can’t believe his luck.

A recent graduate of the endodontics program at Nova Southeastern University in Florida, Dr. Abrishami gets to report to his dream job every day — alongside his mentor, Dr. Reid Pullen. The two practice together at Brea Endodontics in Southern California.

Dr. Abrishami wasn’t sure where he was headed after graduation, but he was exploring all his options. Most important to him was landing back home in California, as close to his tight-knit family as possible. The next factor on the list? Finding a trusted mentor.

“In residency we read research papers nonstop, but so much of that research is based on lab studies. When you hear it from the messenger himself — your mentor and the endodontist who has seen the cases — you start to learn that yes, research has a lot of value in the field, but empirical evidence trumps most things,” Dr. Abrishami said. “Having someone to bounce ideas off, and learning what you don’t know is way more valuable than a thousand research papers.”

The son of two brave Jewish Persian immigrants who fled their homes during the Iranian Revolution in 1979, Dr. Abrishami was inspired to consider dentistry because of a bout of tooth pain his mother suffered when he was 15.

“I had just gotten my learner’s permit and was excited to drive anywhere I could. At that exact time, my mom was experiencing some bad dental pain … it had been 3 or 4 days, and she couldn’t sleep or eat,” he recalled. “After a few days of struggling, she finally asked me if I could drive her to the dentist.” He was excited to drive but even more excited when he learned about the powers dentists possess.

“I took her to the dentist, and it felt like what she had been experiencing for more than 3 days was gone in 3 seconds,” Dr. Abrishami said. “Obviously, I didn’t know exactly what had happened at the time, but I knew I wanted to be a dentist. I wanted to do what that guy had just done for her.” Later in school, he learned that his mother had undergone a form of endodontic treatment, so choosing a specialty was simple.

“That’s what drove my passion. I love helping patients get out of pain — helping them and bringing them relief,” he said.

Dr. Abrishami is also passionate about hard work, a character trait common in his family. “After immigrating, my parents struggled and worked hard to provide for me and my sister,” he said. “I want to be the best I can be for them and make them proud.” He completed his undergraduate education at UCLA, then graduated from the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry and a 1-year general practice residency at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, before moving to south Florida for his endo residency.

US Endo is such a large, supportive organization, so you don’t get pushback about the specific materials that you want to use and how you want to provide care to patients. Whatever works best in my hands, I can guarantee we’re going to have it in the office.” — Dr. Abrishami

During that year, Dr. Abrishami helped organize a dinner for some of his classmates so they could connect with a doctor and a support team member from US Endo Partners, a specialty dental service organization (DSO), to learn about the opportunities that existed within the group. Upon getting to know him and his goals, and hearing that he was intent on getting back home to California, the team from US Endo told him that he would be a perfect fit at Dr. Reid Pullen’s office, just outside of Los Angeles.

“I thought at first they were just selling me, but they were really listening and understood me,” Dr. Abrishami said. “They read me like a book.” A call was made, and an interview scheduled.

When he reported to his interview, Dr. Pullen apologetically messaged that he was running late because he had been surfing with his children. He showed up soon after — in a wet bathing suit and t-shirt. “Reid is an amazing endodontist, but it was clear from that moment that he also valued life outside of work and his family; that’s the kind of life I want to work toward,” Dr. Abrishami said. “The fact that he showed up in board shorts helped me know for sure that this would be a good fit.” The two also found they shared the same philosophy on patient care, a similar competitive streak, and a deeply engrained commitment to excellence.

Dr. Pullen, also a California native, opened Brea Endodontics in 2007, building the now-thriving practice from scratch. He needed another associate who could quickly go fulltime to help shoulder the growing practice load and who might eventually also choose to partner with US Endo, and he wanted the fit to be exactly right. “I wanted integrity, and I wanted someone who could start off well, but then just get better and better. And that’s exactly who Allen is,” Dr. Pullen said. “We instantly hit it off.” Dr. Abrishami added with a laugh, “He and I joke that we’re endodontic partner soulmates.”

Because the two had established a relationship and personal rapport, the transition from school to work was easier than expected for Dr. Abrishami. “I didn’t feel nervous at all about how I was going to get along with Reid or what his expectations of me were. He’d already made me feel so comfortable,” he remembered.

The first days on the job weren’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination but it didn’t take long to find a groove. “For the first few weeks, Reid was with me more than he was supposed to be. We share a day on Wednesdays, but he would come in periodically other days to kind of check in on me,” Dr. Abrishami said. “There were definitely times where I had to be bailed out because I didn’t really know my clinical skills well enough to be able to say how much time I needed for a procedure.”

Dr. Abrishami said timing was his biggest limitation in the beginning. “In the beginning, there was a period of transition where my abilities and the expectations from the practice team were a bit misaligned, but within the first 2 or 3 days, we all felt each other out; by the second week we were hitting the ground running. Everyone understood that I was fresh out of school and that I needed a little extra time for tougher cases.”

Dr. Pullen repeatedly assured Abrishami that getting the job done correctly and in the best interest of the patient was of ultimate concern to him — not the timing.

“I told him, ‘It doesn’t matter what your speed is right now. I want you to do A+ work. If you do A+ work, you can take as long as you need,’” Dr. Pullen recounted. And that made all the difference in Dr. Abrishami’s level of confidence. “I think the most important thing for a more timid, inexperienced endodontist is to walk into a room and feel like the quality of the work is more important than how much they’re producing. It works wonders,” Dr. Abrishami said.

In addition to the encouragement and validation Dr. Pullen continues to provide Dr. Abrishami in these early days of practice, he also serves as a valuable resource, brainstorming partner, and sounding board. They frequently speak on the phone during Dr. Abrishami’s drives home after work if they haven’t been in the office together, talking through problems encountered during the day and deciphering why potential missteps occurred.

“One of the most valuable things Reid has taught me is to stop what you’re doing in the moment after making a mistake, clear your mind, and ask yourself, ‘Why did you do that?’ Not in an accusatory way, but to figure out why, exactly, the event happened,” Dr. Abrishami said. “Then, if it’s something you can control, start brainstorming right then and there to figure out how you can change it next time.”

Dr. Abrishami likened having a mentor close by to having a safety net. “Endodontics is a very nerve-racking field to come into; you know that there is a plethora of mistakes you could make,” he said. “If you can take the aspect of being by yourself out of the equation, it makes starting out a lot more comfortable and makes the quality of your work go up, too.”

Though as a talented resident he had other options, Dr. Abrishami is certain joining the team at Brea Endodontics and US Endo was the right move for him — although he was the only resident in his group to select a DSO-affiliated practice.

“I can’t even think of a scenario where I would’ve gone out on my own. The idea of setting up shop right out of residency was so intimidating,” Dr. Abrishami said. “US Endo is such a large, supportive organization, so you don’t get pushback about the specific materials that you want to use and how you want to provide care to patients. Whatever works best in my hands, I can guarantee we’re going to have it in the office.”

Dr. Abrishami said that he is thrilled to have complete clinical autonomy in the way he treats his patients and doesn’t feel pressure to complete a certain number of cases, which helps where timing is concerned.

“Reid and I tend to be pretty competitive people in general, so we’re constantly looking at our reports and trying to be the best we can be,” he said. “But at the same time, nobody’s ever knocking on our door to tell us, ‘Hey, you guys aren’t producing enough,’ or ‘You’re not doing enough,’ or ‘You need to pick up the pace.’ I couldn’t be happier being associated with US Endo.”

Dr. Abrishami said he couldn’t imagine having a better start to his career, given all the support he has at his fingertips. “Fresh out of school, you tend to hit a lot of different limitations and restrictions. You realize quickly what you can and can’t do with the arsenal of information you’ve been given during the last 10 years of education,” Dr. Abrishami said. “Practicing has been great so far, and so much of that is because I have a wonderful mentor in Reid. And, honestly, I couldn’t even ask for a better person to spend a day with. I’m so grateful to be here.”

And Dr. Pullen is grateful to have him. “US Endo found me, I think, probably the best associate in the entire nation, and I feel extremely lucky,” Dr. Pullen said. “Allen is a fantastic clinician, but also a fantastic human being with a great heart. It’s been a pleasure to go to work with him.”