Wednesday: Ask Dr. Chandler (Gum Disease)

Dr. Chandler answers a question on gum disease on our Wednesday segment of Ask Dr. Chandler. We deeply appreciate Dr. Chandler taking time out of his schedule to inform us about oral hygiene.

Monday: Ask Dr. Chandler (Teeth Whitening)

We are excited about this week long series of questions & answers with Dr. Michael L. Chandler of edmondsmiles.com. The questions submitted cover all sorts of dental related questions. Thanks Dr. Chandler!

Saving Marriages: Meet Dr. Chandler

Hello. It was a pleasure to interview Dr. Chandler. He has inspired me in so many ways. And, I hope this interview does the same for you. Dr. Chandler played and continues to play a big part in the success of We Tell Stories Poetry Night and Heady as a brand. However, I decided to do this interview with Dr. Chandler because I believe we need to highlight the success of individuals that can be inspirations to others.

Why did I title this interview “Saving Marriages?” Well, one day my wife and I were visiting a relative’s home and they were showing us around their home. When showing us their bedroom, my wife saw some earplugs next to the bed. She was caught glancing at them and the wife said, “those save marriages.” Her husband was/is a snorer. Lol… And, the earplugs allows her to sleep at night. With that being said, I approached Dr. Chandler about their being something available to help prevent snoring at night and he said yes. Dr. Chandler is capable of creating a type of mouthpiece (not sure if this is the correct term. I didn’t have time to wait for a response from Dr. Chandler.) that can help with the snoring. Let Dr. Chandler “SAVE” your marriage.

Here is the interview:

Heady: What’s your favorite part about being a dentist?

Dr. Chandler: I would have to say that my favorite aspect of dentistry is the interaction that I’m allowed to have with a variety of people – people of different age and cultural backgrounds. I also enjoy the fact that I get to fix things. People usually come to have a problem taken care of and I get a chance to fix it (most times).

H: Did you always know you would be a dentist?

DR: No, I wanted to be a pro-football or basketball player. Or a movie star. Isn’t that what every American boy wants to be. I didn’t decide to be a dentist until I was in my 2nd year of college

H: I hear a bunch of people say they didn’t like visiting the dentist until they came to you. What do you contribute that to?

DR: I think my sense of humor helps. Also, I realize that the dentist office is not in the top 100 of places people want to be. I make a continual effort to ensure that my patients are comfortable and feel relaxed when they come to the office.

H: How often should an individual visit the dentist?

DR: I would say at least twice a year for children and preferably three times a year for adults.

H: Off the subject, why do you enjoy fishing so much?

DR: It may sound corny but it’s a time that I can get away and be alone with nature. No cell phones, emails, computers. It’s just a time that allows me to relax and collect my thoughts.

H: Your office staff is pretty diverse concerning ethnicity. Is that done intentionally and if so why?

DR: I would consider my staff very diverse. It wasn’t done intentionally, it just happened. I believe in the best employees regardless of their ethnicity. It’s all about who can perform the job the best (sounds good anyway).

H: You’re from Guthrie. Having your office in Edmond near Guthrie is a good or bad thing?

DR: It’s good. People who want to see me from Guthrie can make the 20 minute drive, and many of them do.

H: You have sponsored We Tell Stories Poetry Night in the past and we deeply appreciate that. Is being active in the community important to you and why?

DR: At some point we all need to give back. I had positive influences that enabled me to get where I am today. While you and I have discussed, poetry is not my cup of tea, but I see the positive influence it has on the community. How could I not support that.

H: I’m always telling people how nice your office is. Did you handle all the decorating and designing yourself?

DR: No I have to give all that credit to my wife. I’m a guy. My decorating skills are limited. My idea of decorating would be 42 inch flat screens in every room.

H: Seeing that you didn’t just stop with a high school diploma, why is it important for students to continue their education after high school?

DR: I just had a birthday and I can tell you time flies by. College was one of the best times of my life. I tell pre-college kids all the time, “You have the rest of your life to be a grown up.” I know everyone’s situation is different but we all know the longer you wait to do something the harder it will be to get it done. I started college and went for 10 strait years. This is by far, the best professional decision I made in my life

H: Is it true that you once wanted to be a model?

DR: Ha, that’s something my friends, mainly Heady, came up with. You made a brown person blush with that answer. That was funny.

H: I saw the video you did with your son on “how to brush your teeth” and it was a pretty cool video. What inspired the video?

DR: I’m often asked by many parents the proper way to brush their kids teeth. I also hear parents say that they send their two year old in the bathroom to brush by themselves. I wanted to demonstrate how difficult it is for these little people to brush by them selves. My son did a pretty good job but he still struggled. I just wanted to do a demonstration to help parents.

H: What keeps you going?

DR: My kids, Mykal and Chaz. I’m human, there are days that I feel like giving up but I look at my kids and think of what type of example I want to set for them. They depend on me.

H: What’s the one advice that you would share with the basement seven audience concerning dental hygiene?

DR: Visit the dentist as recommended above. Even if things don’t hurt there could be a problem that exists.

H: Who inspires you?

DR: I get inspiration from several different sources, friends, colleagues, family. On of my main inspirations was my Grandma Chandler who worked on her GED, got her drivers license and opened her own business, all when she was over the age of 60. She grew up in a different time when people of color were not afforded the opportunities we are today. She didn’t let that stop her. It took her a long time to accomplish her goals but she did it. Talk about Perseverance!

H: If you weren’t a dentist, what would you be?

DR: A movie star. Probably a comedic actor. I like to make people laugh. Contrary to Heady calling me a model, I don’t think I look good enough to be a romantic lead.

H: What advice would you give to someone starting their own business?

DR: It’s going to be tough. Everything depends on you. You can get great staff to help you but it all depends on you. You are the captain of the ship. I’ve experienced up and downs but I guess to sum it up in a word would be Perseverance. This is just my opinion.

H: How can the b7 audience contact you?

Michael L Chandler, DDs
1745 W 33rd Ste, Suite A
Edmond, Ok 73013
405.330.4630
www.edmondsmiles.com