Your General Dentist in Ada, OK
Oklahoma native Dr. Sharolyn Burton has been practicing general dentistry in Ada, OK since 2018. After graduating with distinction from the Oklahoma University College of Dentistry, Dr. Burton brought her dentistry expertise to public health in Newkirk, OK before joining Ada Smile Place. The newest member of our team, Dr. Burton is proud to contribute to the well-being of the Ada community through personalized, compassionate, and quality dentistry.
Here’s what Dr. Burton has to say about life as a dentist, choosing dentistry as a career, and living a life she loves in her home state.
On being a dentist
Being a dentist is meaningful for many reasons, though I especially love completing a treatment plan and witnessing the transformation a patient experiences as they move from oral disease to oral health.
That said, I feel for patients who don’t experience their best oral health because they’re operating under the belief that it’s cheaper or less painful to avoid the dentist until a problem arises. A lot of misinformation about oral health gets circulated (especially on social media), which can convince some patients to follow the advice of what a friend posted online rather than the advice of their highly trained doctors. Waiting until there’s a problem to see a dentist will always result in a costlier visit and usually pain.
Because our smiles are invaluable to our physical, mental, and social health as human beings, the advice I give to my friends, family, and patients is to trust their oral health to the benefits of regular expert care. Dentistry may just be the solution you’ve been seeking to boost your confidence and reclaim your total well-being.
On her approach to dentistry
Since the majority of my days are spent practicing at a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), I have a unique perspective on the patient experience and formulate my treatment plans differently than most dentists. It’s important for me to give my patients more than one solution to help them resolve their symptoms and meet their oral health needs.
On choosing dentistry a career
If you’re considering dentistry as a career, I would encourage you to shadow as many different dentists as you can, as often as you can. Every office and dentist is different, so this process is essential for helping you decide what kind of dentist you want to be.
Then, as you go through dental school and start treating patients, remember why you wanted to be a dentist and repeat that mantra when things get hard. Dental school is not easy and neither is being a dentist, but it’s a very rewarding career when you’re doing it for the right reasons and focus on the good you do for your patients.
On life outside of dentistry
When I’m not knitting, hiking, watching The Office, and snuggling with my dogs (both lab mutts adopted from the OKC shelter), my husband Josh and I love serving youth in the Ponca City community through our local church.
Though I no longer live in Ada, I am grateful for the opportunity to travel to Ada and enjoy visiting the ECU campus, Wintersmith Park, and local restaurants like Pigskins and Heavenly Buns.
Dr. Burton is honored to join the Ada Smile Place team in helping your smile be the best it can be. To discover how dentistry can elevate your smile’s health and your total well-being, contact our office to schedule an appointment today.
