It’s In The Blood

High-pitched sounds, sour smells, bitter tastes, blood, and pain. Along with a slight chill that runs down the spine, these are all common stigma that come to mind when somebody hears the word “Dentist”. But then WHY did I become one? A question I am asked on a daily basis.

My answer seems to change based on who’s asking and where the conversation takes place. In the operatory with a patient, my usual response is that I originally wanted to go to medical school but then changed my mind towards the end of college once I learned about the dental field.

When somebody asks me outside of the office, the conversation generally starts off to their surprise and a step backwards saying “Eww, you’re a dentist, well I don’t really like you.” My reply is always the same, “You haven’t met me yet, I’m a good guy.” Then I start to apologize for all of the dentists in their past who gave them that bad stereotype of my beloved profession.

Admittedly, these scripted responses tend to dance around the answer without divulging the truth. So then WHY did I get into this strange career? It’s in the blood. Let me explain. My grandfather Sidney Glick is a dentist. His cousin Dudley Glick was a dentist who created a double-sided dental instrument known as “The Glick.” My uncle Fred Glick is a dentist. And my dad, Danny Glick is…Yes…You guessed it. Here I am, the third generation of Doctors Glick. I wasn’t forced or encouraged to be a dentist by those before me. As a teenager and into college I thought that I was too cool and sought to create my own path. Until I actually shadowed my father and learned what it was all about.

To my surprise, I found out that dentistry isn’t all high-pitched sounds, sour smells, bitter tastes, blood, and pain. He was helping people achieve the smiles they always dreamed of, rehabilitating a mouth full of broken teeth, or relieving them of their pain. I was hooked on this notion of helping and truly improving someone’s quality of life.

I use the phrase of being “hooked” intentionally. I am addicted to this profession, as my lovely fiancé Stephanie can attest. By the way, I thank her dearly for putting up with my addiction. I love helping people and building a business that allows me to provide world class dental care to as many people as possible. Cleveland Smile Center was born out of my desire to help people.

The patients and the team at Cleveland Smile Center are part of my family. This is why we proclaim that we are “Family Owned and Operated in a Family Environment”. The place where Ohio comes home to smile.