Lasting Impressions | Fall 2017

44 © NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY NSU COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE © 45 Alumni Impressions Dental students have ups and downs. Most don’t have them on back-to-back weeks, however. Theodore Kerry Chamberlain, D.M.D., did. During his first year at the CDM, Chamberlain had an unexpected surprise when he scored a top grade in the cariology course. His happiness was followed by a low the next week when he faced an exam in the dental anatomy class. “I studied forever for it,” he said, but ended up receiving a low grade. Despite these two incidents, Chamberlain, a 2010 alumnus, never considered another profession. Chamberlain’s father was an oncologist, so Chamberlain grew up expecting his career would have something to do with the medical field. His father encouraged dentistry, thinking it wouldn’t have as many time demands as an osteopathic physician. The new dentist quickly learned that wasn’t true. “I started from scratch with zero patients, and I was working six days a week, only taking Sundays off,” said Chamber- lain, now the practitioner and owner of Chamberlain General and Sedation Dentistry in Clearwater, Florida. “I was able to design the building, layout, and equipment place- ment,” said Chamberlain, who started his practice with two treatment rooms and now has five and a full-time staff of six. “The past five years since residency have flown by.” Chamberlain knew he wanted to attend an undergraduate college with an affiliated dental school. He interviewed at Baylor University in Texas, was admitted, and put down a deposit. At the last minute, however, he heard about NSU’s Dual Admission Program, which was much closer to home. The Dual Admission Program accepts a student into an NSU undergraduate program and automatically reserves a seat for the student in one of NSU’s graduate or professional programs while he or she earns a bachelor’s degree. So, Chamberlain flew to Fort Lauderdale, toured, applied, and enrolled. The rest, as they say, is history. Chamberlain completed his undergraduate work at NSU’s Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography in two-and-a-half years, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with honors in 2007. Before entering the CDM, he volunteered for six months in the dental office of Bill Strupps, D.D.S., in Clearwater. “It helped cultivate my true passion for dentistry by witnessing how much fun he had helping people and the joy he received from performing high-quality dentistry,” Chamberlain said. “His personality was contagious and made everyone in the office laugh and enjoy life. It was his professionalism and chairside manner that developed my strong love for dentistry.” Strupps also illustrated to Chamberlain the need to guide patients toward what is best for them. “He told me patients don’t know what they want; you have to show them,” he said. “He likened it to Henry Ford marketing the automobile. If it wasn’t for Ford, people would still be shopping for faster horses.” GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY In addition to running a growing practice, Chamberlain believes in giving back to his community—a core value of NSU. One of Chamberlain’s proudest professional achieve- ments is founding Believe in Smiles—a nonprofit founda- tion that does pro bono dental work in the Clearwater area. The concept evolved in 2013, at a time when Chamberlain was seeking more spirituality and meaning in his life. “The idea came to me on a plane ride home from an Arizona dental conference,” said Chamberlain, who has fellowship status in the Academy of General Dentistry and is a member of the Oral Cancer Foundation. “The main idea of Believe in Smiles was to provide free dental work to those in need. The issue my office had was ‘Who deserves it?’ ” His office staff didn’t have the time or qualifications to research the background of potential benefactors to determine who had overwhelming need vs. someone who was looking for a handout, he explained. Never one to let a stumbling block stop him, Chamberlain managed to solve two problems at once. “I linked up with a church and began using pastor recommendations to determine who would benefit from the work. It turned out to be a great solution. It was a motivator for me to attend the church and a win-win for everyone,” he said, adding that his patient base has grown to include fellow parishioners. Believe in Smiles provides dentists with the opportunity to tithe by donating dental work and improving the lives of others. Three other dental professionals have joined him in Believe in Smiles, and the faith-based group offers help to patients of any religious affiliation. “We work with one patient at a time from start to finish. It can be as simple as an emergency with a single tooth to a full-mouth rehabilitation,” Chamberlain said. “There is a faith component to everything—even dentistry.” Believe in Smiles was Chamberlain’s first founding role in a charitable organization, but he wasn’t new to the concept of giving back. While at the CDM, Chamberlain was part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and still maintains Dental Career Continues to Surprise BY SANDI DRAPER Theodore Chamberlain chose NSU for its Dual Admission Program. He earned his undergraduate degree at NSU’s Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography before enrolling in the CDM. “The main idea of Believe in Smiles was to provide free dental work to those in need.” —Theodore Kerry Chamberlain