Mead marks 45 many years as dentist

John D. Montgomery

When Glenn Mead hung out his shingle to apply dentistry in this article it was June 29, 1977.

Forty-5 yrs later Mead is only 1 of two dentists in his course of 1977 still practicing.

Right after graduating from Heavner Superior College in 1970 the upcoming dentist went to school at Japanese Oklahoma State Junior University in Wilburton for a pair of years ahead of enrolling at East Central University in Ada.

Significantly less than a semester into his Eu occupation, Mead obtained his acceptance letter to the OU College of Dentistry.

Mead had attained out to the Dean of the University by letter inquiring about dentistry.

The Dean corresponded again and a conference among the two was arranged.

“We satisfied on the 3rd tale of an outdated home,” Mead said. “We talked about a large amount of factors. I was a youthful buck who did not know nearly anything. He appreciated that I inquired and held in contact.

“He reported it was not only about good grades but that they wanted very well rounded candidates and not just getting science.”

To utilize learners had been needed to take a dental aptitude take a look at and all those had been only provided in Norman.

Mead explained the powers that be eventually relented and reported if he received 10 pupils to consider it they could choose it at Eastern.

Mead went to perform recruiting his fellow classmates who experienced aspirations of studying medication or regulation.

“I told them if they did inadequately no just one would ever know mainly because it was a dental aptitude examination. I did not have a car so there was no way I could get to Norman.”

He pulled it off and experienced sufficient kids to have the check offered a lot more conveniently found.

“It was a basic instance of if you really don’t ask you never ever know what can occur,” he explained.

Out of the 300 who used for dental college in his class 24 were decided on.

Mead recalled as graduation neared he and Ann, whom he dated in significant university, assumed about likely again to Heaver.

“But there were two youthful graduates from Baylor a year previously, just one going to Heavner and the other to Poteau,” he claimed.

Mead traveled all over southeastern Oklahoma going to areas like Idabel seeking for a location to go into apply.

“But we appreciated the Oklahoma Town place and Dr. Shadid was retiring in Purcell. He was marketing his observe so Bill Skaggs and I went in collectively to obtain it.”

Skaggs experienced absent to Creighton University’s dental college and obtained out the exact same 12 months as Mead did at OU. They experienced two offices.

Skaggs only practiced in this article for two years in advance of transferring to Norman where by he specialised in upper echelon sufferers accomplishing beauty dentistry.

Mead acquired out Skaggs and at that time was the only dentist in McClain County.

“That was ahead of Blanchard (and Newcastle) blew up,” he said.

Now there are at the very least two dentists in Blanchard and Newcastle and 6 or seven dentists in Purcell. He estimated Norman has 60 dentists.

Shadid opened a observe in Norman and took some sufferers. Some also adopted Skaggs so Mead was creating his exercise.

He claimed the most hard aspect of his observe is working with individuals and patient funding specially if a affected person wants something that insurance policies will not cover.

The most gratifying component of his apply is supporting persons.

“I experienced a lady who labored at the prison,” Mead explained looking back. “She was sure and decided for me to pull all of her tooth and make dentures. She experienced been to dentists all her lifetime and processes would not get the job done out. Absolutely nothing worked or nothing lasted.

“I finally confident her that she could preserve her enamel. I preset her problem and built her some great partials. When they retired they moved to a lake south of Forth Value but she continued to push up below for her dental perform,” he said.

“Then there are younger teens who have not experienced suitable care,” he continued. “You see some youthful women who keep their hand over their mouths or won’t smile. With correct treatment a flower blooms right before your eyes and they can date.”

Same for boys he explained.

“It’s a entire different way of individuals getting aided.”

A further thing he’s performed in Purcell was getting fluoride additional to the Purcell consuming h2o.

“Now we really do not see as quite a few young ones with bummed out teeth,” he stated.

Mead stated he’s tried out to help culture as nicely.

It is great when qualified persons, who are commonly a lot more educated and have viewed some points maybe some others have not, get included in a local community, he stated.

“That way all the conclusions are not produced by the great ole’ boys and girls.

“Purcell has constantly been blessed in that regard,” Mead claimed.

“People served on the chamber or the clinic board all accomplishing what they can. If everyone does a small bit it helps make a local community particular.”

Mead summed up his job this way:

“I’m just a state boy who bought pretty fortunate, worked difficult and picked a superior purpose,” he explained.

“I could not be a lot happier for how it turned out. I made a residing for my relatives, produced a great deal of pals and received some fantastic football tickets,” he reported.

Likely back again and offering back at the dental school has also been gratifying for him.

“It’s been wonderful heading again to the dental school with my buddies about the several years,” he confirmed.

When he’s not crawling all around in a patient’s mouth, Mead enjoys remaining outdoors performing garden operate.

And he has 3 granddaughters who preserve him fast paced as their only grandfather.

His daughter-in-law’s father and his son-in-law’s father both equally have passed away leaving Mead as their only grandfather.

“I really feel a little strain to be the ideal grandfather for these girls,” he admitted.

He noted he has very good overall health and has a youthful personnel who is willing to study and is extremely, extremely, incredibly enthusiastic.

“That would make it simpler to get up and go to do the job,” he stated.