Dr. Aaron Neale
When Dr. Neale was six years old, he had a brother who was much older than him. One day, his brother wanted to teach him how to fight and took him into the backyard. He pushed Dr. Neale and said “hit me!” That didn’t seem like a smart idea (his brother was twice his age!) so he backed away and said no – but the pushing kept on. Finally, Dr. Neale took a swing at his stomach, only for his brother to smile. “First lesson,” he said. “Never hit anyone bigger than you!” The next thing Dr. Neale knew, he’d been hit in the mouth and his two front teeth had flown right out.
While Dr. Neale definitely doesn’t suggest this method for anyone else, this early incident started him down the path towards dentistry. He was very self-conscious about his knocked-out teeth and realized then how important someone’s teeth were to their self-image.
However, he still wasn’t quite sure what medical profession he wanted to enter into later in life. Dr. Neale shadowed ERs, pharmacies, and doctor’s offices of all kinds, but nothing seemed like the right fit. Finally, his aunt (who worked as a dental receptionist for several years) suggested that he shadow a few dentists too. He chose to visit one clinic that his family had gone to for several years, and within hours, he knew he was going to choose dentistry as a career. He was able to shadow a man who genuinely cared for his patients, treated them with respect, and worked hard. When the patients were done with their appointment, they would thank him – in fact, one lady started to cry and hugged the dentist. “Thank you,” she said. “I would have never been able to get this done without you.”
Dr. Neale admired that dentist very much, and he knew he wanted to be just like him. He wanted to make people comfortable, happy, and able to enjoy dentistry the way it should be enjoyed!