When I worked as a community TV reporter part of my interview training involved sessions with a very experienced crew member named “Mel”. Mel was a memorable teacher who schooled us on asking open-ended questions that encouraged the interviewees to talk about themselves. Mel told us “everyone has a story, it’s your job to tease it out.” It constantly surprised me to find seemingly ordinary people who had the most interesting or unusual stories.
The following are examples of people who share the dentistry occupation and who have fascinating, thought-provoking, unforgettable and downright funny stories. These are dentists and orthodontists whose brands are an outgrowth of who they are personally and professionally.
Childhood experience tempered career choice
Simon Shung DMD, is an orthodontist who (oddly enough) wanted braces and developed a bromance for his orthodontist, Dr. Campbell. He remembered Dr. Campbell as “the coolest, happiest, jolliest person. He worked with tools, was fun and had great staff.” When it came time to choose a career, Dr. Shung realized he wanted to be that same cool, happy guy who works with tools and has a great staff. He recounts his story in his captivating blog.
Utilising Dentistry Skills to Foster Humanitarianism
Apparently, there are so many dentists who contribute to humanitarianism the American Dental Association (ADA) created an annual humanitarian award to honour their achievements. Below are some of the remarkable dentists who use their skills, expertise and hearts to make the world a better place;
- Dr. Loree Brolin is a dentist who could easily claim bragging rights for her 10 Ironman competitions. But that’s not what sets her apart. In 2014, Dr. Brolin established the Health & Hope Foundation to provide care for impoverished families in Nepal, the Philippines, Haiti, Honduras, Tanzania and Uganda.
- Dr. Charles F. Craft, D.D.S. is the founder of the East Meets West Dental Program based in Vietnam. Dr. Craft’s program provides dental services to disadvantaged children who do not have access to dental services.
Says ADA, “The East Meets West Dental Program has welcomed the services of more than 1,200 volunteer dentists, hygienists and dental students from around the world, treating more than 160,000 patients and providing over $30 million of free dental care.”
- The first female recipient of the American Dental Association Humanitarian award, Dr. Usa Bunnag, D.D.S. founded Smiles on Wings in 2003. Her non-profit organization provides dental, medical, humanitarian aid and educational programming to the underprivileged in Thailand, her homeland. Dr. Bunnag’s work doesn’t stop there and she adds “My message for all the young girls out there in villages around the world and to young immigrant children in the US is keep on dreaming. Don’t stop believing in yourself. With hard work and dedication, you can achieve your dream.”
Dentists with artistic passions
Dentist Michael Chalef and orthodontist Harold Enoch bonded over artistic pursuits and together have pursued SCUBA diving, glassblowing while discovering a passion for woodturning.
Although his day job is dentistry, on weekends he takes center stage. Dr. Mackey of Coldbrook, Nova Scotia, volunteers as a musical arranger and vocal coach for the St. Jospeh’s Stage Prophets, a community theatre group.
“Every year I see people overcome fears and success in their goals. Something they never thought they could do before,” said Dr. Mackey. “Like getting in front of several hundred people and singing. It’s an incredible feeling to be part of it.”
November 27, 2018, Your Dentists. Your Communities.
Dentists with a funny bone
If you really want a laugh – check out 65 Dentists with an Awesome Sense of Humor. Here you will see how dentists put their funny side to work both inside and outside their practice for hilarious results.
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