SETH NEWMAN, DDS grew up in Staten Island, New York, the son of a school teacher. My two uncles were general dentists and partners in a practice in Brooklyn anD Manhattan. Growing up, I would spend a lot of time with my uncles in their offices. I could see that they really loved what they did. I think in some ways, being exposed to their partnership at an early age also taught me the value that a good partner could bring. One of my uncles even had a boat, which was a huge thing for a seven-year-old. When people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I always said, “A dentist.” When they asked why, I explained that it was “because I want to have a boat.”

EFSTATHIOS GIANNOUTSOS, DDS, My entire family is from Greece. This is a place where dentistry has historically been, and continues to be, a major luxury. In the past, people couldn’t have regular dental work due to geographic and social constraints. In such a historically agrarian society, they did not tend to themselves or their oral needs until their family’s general welfare was taken care of and the land was tended to, or unless there was an emergency.