Lasting Impressions | Fall 2015

NSU COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE © 31 During the first couple years of dental school, Case and fellow students did a lot of community outreach in Fort Lauderdale. “That really touched me, and I feel like my approach has not changed,’’ he said. “It’s a way for me to impact more people in the way I provide care.” His interest in community service continues today. His graduating class of 2001 was the first to complete all four years of curriculum at NSU CDM. (The first graduates were international students who transferred in and completed their training a year earlier.) “Timo- thy is one of the nicest people you could ever meet,” said Peter Keller, D.D.S., executive associate dean for finances and administration at the CDM. “We had to have special stu- dents initially; we were looking for pathfinders and ‘rugged individual- ists.’ Tim can start an event, finish an event, and survive. That’s what we were initially looking for.” This inclination for following through on a vision was seen early on when he first set foot on campus. “When I was interviewing at NSU, there was no physical building yet. But I believed in myself, and I believed in the faculty members,” Case said. “There were a lot of faculty mem- bers coming on board, and I spent time with them. I came to believe that this was an endeavor that I wanted to undertake. That type of faculty-student collaboration was not mainstream. Most schools at the time had more of an adversarial approach. At NSU, we were learning to become competent clinicians and caregivers. I think most patients would want their health care providers to learn in that environment.” During his second year in dental school, he unexpect- edly lost his father in an automobile accident. Case got the terrible news, took a scheduled radiology exam, returned home for services, and was back in class the next Monday. Reflecting on the difficult time, Case said that “to say my dad’s passing was devastating would be an understatement, but I also knew he would want me to carry on and obtain my dental degree.” MILITARY SERVICE STILL AN INFLUENCE After graduation, he spent three years stationed with the U.S. Army at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. At the time, the United States was gearing up to go into Iraq. “I had a series of assignments that broadened my horizons. Reserves from around the country were coming in. We needed to get them ready for deployment from a dental readiness standpoint,” Case said. While on active duty, Case served in various capacities including acting company commander, chief of oral surgery at Taylor Dental Clinic (where he received the Army Commendation Medal), chief of endodontics Taylor Dental Clinic, and member of the den- tal forensics team. Today, his private practice maintains a commitment to see military patients and their families. After military service, Case joined the National Health Service Corps and worked with a Federally Qual- ified Health Center in Northwest Georgia to form its dental clinic. “It was a very underserved community. I’ve always been interested in community health care and gravitated toward those most in need,” he said. He spent two years there. In 2006, Case entered private practice, founding Case Dental Care at the base of Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee. His practice focuses on preventive and basic restorative care. “We develop a comprehensive diagnosis, build a treatment plan, and encourage implementation and follow up.” Case is a three-time winner of the A.C.E. Award, given by the Tennessee Dental Association for high levels of approved continuing education. He also served two terms as chair of the Community Dental Health Committee of The Chattanooga Area Dental Society. After leaving that post, his office was contacted by Head Start centers in