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Category:
Published: June 2007
Dr. Lewis Morrison describes his work, his family, and how he overcame tragedy.
Success Magazine: When did you know that you wanted to go into the dental field?
Dr. Morrison: My father was a dentist; he had a successful practice in Albany. However, it wasn't until the middle of college that I decided to get into dentistry. In retrospect, I think having a father who was in the field gave me an advantage over other professionals going into dentistry. I knew firsthand what it was about.
SM: Did you immediately work with your father after college?
LM: No, I took a one-year, comprehensive residency in New York, at Polyclinic Medical School. There, I met a nationally recognized practitioner who was great with his patients. I studied with him for a year before coming back to Clifton Park to set up my own dental practice.
SM: You've been in practice for over thirty years, and you've gone from basic general dentistry towards specialization in certain fields. Was the transition an organic process or did you always know you wanted to get into more advanced work?
LM: I would have to say it was somewhat of an organic process, based on the changing population. Television shows like Extreme Makeover showed people that their smile was the most defining aspect of their appearance. They realized that improving their smile is one of the best and longest-lasting aesthetic enhancements they could make. We took notice of this trend, and became heavily involved in cosmetic dentistry.
Even though we are probably one of the highest producers of cosmetic dentistry, we also make sure we stick to our roots. I still practice and enjoy routine dentistry, like filling teeth and doing extractions. We have a lot of children in the practice, and do a lot of great things with them. In fact, four patients who started here as children feel so good about dentistry that they are now pursuing it as a profession. There is also a senior bus which brings patients to the office.
SM: What attracts you the most to dentistry?
LM: There are three things I find extremely rewarding. The first is the ability to grow and learn. I'm constantly continuing my education, which keeps dentistry from becoming too routine for me. Second, I enjoy the variety of tasks and personalities I encounter. It keeps you on your toes when you go from a 4-year-old to an 89-year-old. Third, I enjoy patient contact. I had back surgery about 20 years ago, and it was a life-changing experience. I was out of the practice for three months, and during that time I realized what I missed most was the patient interaction. I was driving my wife crazy at home, and I really missed seeing my patientstalking with them, catching up, helping them and having them say, "thank you." That was huge.
SM: So you're a people person?
LM: Definitely. Back in '75, a national dental magazine did an article on my office. That article talked about how our focus here is on patients, and not on the profession of dentistry itself. Back then, that sort of idea was somewhat revolutionary. We called the office a "patient-centered practice" for a reason, and that philosophy has never wavered. The patients need to feel like they are the center of the dentist's attention. From there, the dentist needs to look at their needs and concerns, and give people what they want and need. I once asked a consultant we had in the office what differentiated my office from others. She said it was the fact that we told people what we saw and gave them the benefits and risks of each solution to their problem. When patients come in here today looking to change their smiles, I always ask them what they want. They may not want to be a 10. Not everybody wants to enhance their smile to a 10. Some people are just embarrassed to smile. They spend their lives with their lips closed when people take out the camera to take a picture. They don't want perfect teeth, and they don't need that. But they do want to be comfortable smiling. They don't want to go through their life not being able to smile.
SM: How do you make sure you hire people that share that philosophy?
LM: The relationship I share with my staff is slightly unique in the sense that I went through a tragedy two years ago. I lost my 21-year-old daughter. She fell out of a fourth floor dorm window while she was at college. So, my staff, almost all of whom were here then, really helped me. My wife and I were very blessed with a lot of friends as well. I had been active in the community in a number of areas, and our friends, family and patients gave us a tremendous amount of support. To this day, my staff is extremely supportive of my wife and me. Through that situation, I developed a level of trust and caring with my staff that goes beyond the norm. I really appreciate them. It does not lessen the pain when people support you, but it does help give you the ability to deal with the pain. My staff planted a beautiful butterfly garden outside the office in memory of Mandy.
SM: When you went through that, what made you able to survive?
LM: Well, I knew it's not uncommon for couples to divorce after they lose children. I had no idea why, but I knew it happened. So, the first thing my wife and I said to each other was, "We're not going to let that happen." One of my strengths is my wife; we're there for each other. During that time, we made no decisions. We took things as they came and just did what felt okay. We each dealt with the pain differently, and that's fine. During that time, neither one of us wanted to be alone with nothing to do. We focused on doing different activities, and to this day we keep pretty busy lives.
SM: You need that kind of activity after such a loss. What is in the future for your practice and yourself?
LM: My son, David, just graduated from Buffalo Dental School, and he's going to do a residency at the Veterans Hospital in Albany. After that, I'm looking forward to him joining my practice. As for myself, I enjoy taking classes in dentistry and other fields. I'm pretty active in the environmental movement. I know that is what my daughter would have wanted. You know, we live in a world where technology allows learning to be so convenient. I can go in my sunroom, get on my computer and watch live-screen education courses. The ability to learn on-the-fly like that is just so incredible, and really brings a lot of joy to my life. I also try to keep physically fit, which is why I trained for a triathlon and am involved in other sports, like windsurfing and racquetball. But, it's not just about reading a book or a manual or staying in shape. I get involved in my community. Some of the organizations I belong to are the American Dental Association, the Dental Society of the State of New York, the Fourth District Dental Society, and the American Academy of Implant Dentistry. I am a Fellow of the American Society of Osseointegration (Implant), as well as a Fellow and past president of the National Academy of Chronic Disease. I am the founder and past president of the Southern Saratoga Study Group, and a member of the Southern New York Cosmetic Study Group. I have been a guest on local TV and radio, and I have been a guest speaker to community groups, as well as dental organizations.
SM: If you had to describe yourself in one word, what would it be?
LM: Let me tell you. I went to a funeral of a friend of mine. He was 50. He got stung by a bee in his garage and died. His wife was saying that he was kind, gentle, caring and easy. And I thought, "You know when I die, I would like people to think that I was kind, caring and gentle, but never easy." And my wife said, "Don't worry about it."
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