So recently I have converted a Ford Transit Van into a camper with solar power. I love sports, especially Missouri sports. So I’ll watch the Chiefs, Cardinals and Missouri Tigers any chance I get. Most importantly, I look for every opportunity to be with family. Joanne and I will celebrate our 51st anniversary this December and our daughter, Nicki is adopting a 4-year-old she has been foster parenting.
and impact the future growth of our community. It can be difficult to juggle everything, especially being a small business owner and wearing multiple hats every day, but I strongly recommend other young dentists to take on these leadership roles and support and protect our profession by being a part of organized dentistry. We are blessed to be in a profession where we control and govern ourselves, and if we want to keep it that way, I believe it is important for young dentists to grow into dental leaders and advocate for dentistry.
Outstanding New Dental Leader Dr. Ashley Meyer
This award recognizes a member who has been in practice 10 years or fewer and has demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities, professional and ethical conduct, and volunteer activities in their community and organized dentistry.
D
r. Meyer (UMKC 14) is especially rec- ognized for her new dentist leadership and volunteer activities within the dental profession at the local, state and national levels, and has been deemed a rising star among her peers and within the Association. She is the immediate past president of the Greater Springfield Dental Society and has served on its Foundation Board for seven years. She currently chairs its Smiles from the Heart charity ball which raises money for local dental charities, including the Ronald McDonald House Tooth Truck. She serves on the MODentPAC board and is a past ADA delegate. Dr. Meyer was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Dentists in 2020 and currently is an execu- tive board member of Women With a Mission, part of Mercy Health Foundation. She serves on the advisory committee board for Ozark Technical College Dental Assisting and Hygiene Programs and volun- teers regularly at the Good Samaritan Care Clinic in Mountain View, Mo., more than an hour drive from her practice. Dr. Meyer is a second- generation dentist and owner of Dental 32 in Springfield.
You’ve been extremely active within organized dentistry since graduation from dental school. Is there a particular volunteer experience that really pushed you to stretch yourself or something you enjoyed more than any other role? Is there a specific achievement in your dental career that stands out in your mind of which you are most proud?My favorite volunteer effort within the Greater Springfield Dental Society has been chairing the Smiles from the Heart event for our Foundation. This fundraising event is a huge undertaking; however, I truly enjoy helping to plan the evening alongside our committee and society manager, Jean Harmison. Smiles from the Heart is for a great cause, and I love seeing our members come together for the evening and enjoy socializing with one other.
Why do you feel it’s important for your age bracket (new dentists) to volunteer, especially when we know it’s a busy time for many, in terms of starting practices and families? How would you encourage others to carry the torch? Volunteering within the dental society and the Greater Springfield community is important not only for networking with your colleagues and peers, but I see it as an opportunity to give back to the community that has given me so much over the years. I was born and raised in Springfield and am happy to be in a position to give back
You were the Greater Springfield Dental Society president during the outbreak of COVID-19. Are there changes you’ve made that while the pandemic maybe forced, in retrospect, you now feel it was good they were brought about? The COVID-19 pandemic has placed many obstacles in our way and has proven to be challenging and trying at times. It was interesting being the Greater Springfield Dental Society president during the height of the pandemic; one of the major changes our society made was to offer virtual options for our monthly board meetings and for continuing education events. We were solely virtual, using Zoom, when the COVID-19 shutdown started and continued virtual only meetings throughout the remainder of the 2020. I noticed an increase in attendance and a consistent quorum due to the convenience of being able to attend the GSDS board meeting from any location. I believe offering the virtual option will continue going forward, as this allows for more flexibility with everyone’s schedules.
In 2018 you became owner of Dental 32, which was the former practice location of longtime MDA member, Dr. John Hume, who also was very involved in organized dentistry. Can you tell us about this experience as a new dentist—purchasing a practice and renovating an older, more established space to update it and make it your own? What would you tell other new dentists who’d like to consider a similar path, but it seems daunting? When I graduated from UMKC in 2014, I moved back to Springfield and had the opportunity to work as an associate for Dr. Derek Kaelin. For about three and a half years I gained invaluable experience working at Northside Dental Clinic. I am grateful for that position and the knowledge I gained, and glad I chose to work in a private practice setting versus a corporate dental office.
I purchased Dr. John Hume’s practice in 2018 and could not be hap- pier with my decision. I knew instantly when I came to the office and met with Dr. Hume that his office was going to be my forever dental home. Sometimes in life you have to make big decisions, and it may sound strange explaining the situation like this, but I just had that feeling when I stepped through the front door. I knew this was it. I had the same feeling and sense of home when I chose my undergradu- ate school in Lynchburg, Virginia. We decided on a cut-and-dry new ownership deal. I organized a large meet-and-greet and farewell party for Dr. Hume at the office. We invited all his existing patients as well as other dental professionals in the area. The turnout was overwhelm- ing; we had more than 300 people in and out of the office that night in December. Everyone was wishing Dr. Hume farewell and thanking him for his many years of service to dentistry, and patients were excited to meet me and thanked me for taking over for Dr. Hume. There are many ways to transition a private practice, and even though I wish Dr. Hume and I could have worked alongside each other for a month or two, I do feel the abrupt change of ownership was the best. This way there was no confusion with staff on who to go to for leadership and questions.
Over the next few years, I started slowly renovating one room at a time and upgrading equipment and technology. I brought in a CEREC
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