
Originally I wanted to be in a business of my own. I'd always worked with my hands. Growing up, I made things. I grew up in my garage. We'd make go-karts and wood-crafted things. I always wanted to work with my hands; I love working with people. Took an aptitude test and it ended up being a really good match. I wanted to be able to be in a business that had a lot of autonomy. That was sort of the original part of it. Then later it came to be really something I wanted to have an impact on peoples' lives. When we're all gone, nobody's going to remember us, and so for me it's important to have a purpose in my life that I can have a strong impact on other peoples' lives and have a positive influence on them. It makes my life feel more complete, and my practice is really an avenue for that for me.
I love seeing the change in people. Adults and kids – they'll come into the office and they won't smile, or they'll cover their mouth when they talk or when they smile. It's truly a life-changing experience. So people, we see that change in them, and as an orthodontist, I love being able to get the teeth fit properly and function properly and secondary, that's my job, but to see the change in peoples' lives is the absolute most rewarding thing of all. The other part of it is that it gives me opportunity to create a business, or have a business, that can give back to my community. So our goal is to give 10 percent of our profit back to the community in some form. We do charity events, so it's really, again, it's just an outreach to be able to have an impact on my community and the people around me. My practice has given me that opportunity to do that.
With my experience as well and the continued education that I have had, or that I do and am taking, it enables me to really understand predictable treatment outcomes. People want their braces on, they want them done right, but they want them done in a timely fashion. With a greater understanding of what I do, and again providing state-of-the-art technology, the take-home is that they get a better finish in a shorter period of time. It's just more efficient.
Born and raised in the Denver, Colorado area, Dr. David Richter has always gone the extra mile to achieve his goals, working his way through high school, college, and dental school and graduating in 1993 from the University of Washington School of Dentistry.
From there, he specialized in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics at the University of Oklahoma School of Orthodontics, where he completed his residency in 1995. He went on to earn a master’s degree, researching compliance issues related to orthodontic treatment.
Dr. Richter’s commitment to continuing his education and training is what makes him a top-notch dental specialist in Greeley, CO. Our patients feel confident about the care they receive at Richter Orthodontics because of his experience and other credentials, like:
- Voted Best Orthodontist in Greeley
- Named Top Dentist by 5280 magazine since 2014
- Who’s Who in Healthcare
- Scientific advisor for Inbrace lingual braces
- Key Opinion Leader for Inbrace Orthodontics
- Scientific advisor for KLOwen orthodontics
- Spear Study Club member
- American Association of Orthodontists member
- American Dental Association member
- Rocky Mountain Society of Orthodontists member
- Weld County Dental Society president
- Dawson Academy alumni
- Seattle Study Club and Mountain West Dental Forum member
In addition, he holds a patent for a Virtual Articulator, a computer-based technology that allows dentists to navigate 3-D data to help correct jaw movement. He also has a patent pending for an advanced retainer design. But his expertise is only part of what makes our office a patient favorite. Dr. Richter has the kind of personality that can make anyone feel comfortable, which is why patients of all ages enjoy visiting our fun, friendly practice!
When he’s not hard at work creating wonderful smiles, Dr. Richter loves spending time with his wife and five sons, enjoying the beautiful Colorado outdoors snow skiing, water skiing, and mountain biking.