We are always curious to hear how our Benevis colleagues found their way to their careers in dentistry, especially as no two stories are alike. Can you share yours?
While my father has been a dentist for thirty-plus years now, the path towards a dental career wasn’t always a straight line for me. Originally, I majored in psychology, where I graduated from Dillard University in New Orleans. While my dad made efforts to plant the dental seed in my head early on, I was still up in the air about what I wanted to do post-graduate, and he didn’t push me. What followed was a number of corporate jobs working in, for example, the enterprise IT division of HP. After yet another round of layoffs, I looked into going back to school to get a master’s degree and possibly a doctorate in psychology, but at this stage, I had a wife and child. I pivoted and decided to take some prerequisites to get into dental school. Eventually, we took the leap of faith, and I applied for dental school, and everything worked out from there.
And the rest is history! Your dad must have been so proud!
One of the best things about my dad is that while he led me in a certain career direction, I was also able to venture off and do a lot of things on my own that fit me as a person. My dad wants a man to be whatever he wants to be, so he never really pushed it, but he did remind me that I already knew what the dental work-life balance was like, that you were able to have a career and spend time with your family.
It is worth noting that I have worked in his dental office every single summer since I was 8 years old. So, I was familiar with dentistry, not necessarily procedure wise, but I knew the dentist lifestyle. I knew my dad was always in a position where he never seemed stressed out and he enjoyed the work he was doing every day. I knew that it was a field that I could go into and strive. It’s funny, I am in the same situation now as I have a son and I have two daughters, and I throw the scenario around every now and then with my kids. They are like, “nah, I don't want to do that.” So, we will see.
When you entered dental school, did you have in mind what you wanted to do once you had graduated? Like where you wanted to work, what type of practice, etc.?
Initially, going into dental school, I knew that I wanted to work in a community setting. After graduating from the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry, I worked within community health and in private practice in my dad’s office. A couple of years later, I decided to join the Kool Smiles practice (now Sunnybrook Dentistry) in Jackson, Mississippi, because I realized I was especially passionate about giving back and caring for underserved populations and that I wanted to provide services to younger kids.
At the time, the practice had such fun aspects, the environment, and the culture. What they were doing was such a vibrant thing, and it was such a needed thing in the community. Nobody had ever seen anyone that looked like them providing services because previously, access to care in the community was very slim. That was very fulfilling, that was very refreshing, and that was one of the reasons I got up every day and went back to work.
It’s great that you and your colleagues were able to address such a pressing health need in the community, but what were the alternatives? How else would they have received care? Or would they not?
One of the biggest things and one of the saddest parts is that they probably would not have gotten care. That’s one of the greatest things about working at Kool Smiles, and now Taylor Dental & Braces/Benevis, is that outside of providing standard dental services, we are always educating our patients and the kids about the importance of routine dental hygiene and regular dentist visits over time.
You've been with the organization for a long time now and you are very involved in community outreach and service. You talked a little bit about that education piece. What kinds of things do you do to give back to the community?
After working in Mississippi, I moved to Louisiana to work at Taylor Dental & Braces, which has nine Louisiana-based dental and orthodontic offices that provide care during 101,000 patient visits annually. Four years ago, we actually adopted an elementary school, Dolores T. Aaron, here in the community. And since then, we're showing a presence and making ourselves available for anything that they may need. We are going to them to deliver care, so they don't just necessarily have to see us in the office all the time. Whether it's parent-teacher night, or whether it's career day, we're still going to this school. They don’t have to come to us; we'll come to you if you have any questions. And I think that this availability stands out.
Does your practice also take part in Benevis’ Sharing Smiles Day each year?
I've been taking part in Sharing Smiles Day since I left Mississippi. In the Taylor Dental & Braces Metairie, LA office, we actually saw the most kids in the nation. I think we do a really good job networking where we reach out to the Hispanic community (about Sharing Smiles Day) because they need a helping hand enrolling in Medicaid coverage to get dental services paid for. So, we engage with the Latino community, and we provide services all day to them. Again, it is making yourself available. The community wants outreach, and that's what we're doing. We're making ourselves available and letting them know that we're here.
What other sorts of things do you do beyond your work that bring you joy and contribute to your community?
I'm an avid cyclist and I participate in a lot of events with my fraternity. We give away bikes on Christmas. We go to the senior citizens’ home and cook breakfast for them every first and third Saturday of the month. On Thanksgiving, we give out food to the homeless. And I love the Saints. I’ve been a season ticket holder for years. But most of the time, it's just spending time with my kids and my family. I have a 21-year-old who's in college. I have a 17-year-old who's going to college, and I have an 11-year-old. So, most of the time is spent with my youngest daughter as she's an equestrian and loves horses, so I try to hang in the stables with her as often I can.
One last question. What advice would you give to someone who's considering a career in dentistry?
The advice that I would give them would be the same as I would give my children. Dentistry is a profession that requires patience. You have to have empathy, understanding, and integrity for the work you do. No one can tell what a bad tooth looks like but another trained dentist. So, when that patient gets out of that chair, you don’t want them thinking everything is fine and it’s not. Without a sense of integrity, without a sense of empathy, and without a sense of patience, we would not be where we are right here. I think we are here for the preservation of the integrity of the industry.
