Former Flight Surgeon Finds Home in Florida Practices by Scott Dickinson, DMD

There are moments that can change the trajectory of your life forever.

For me, one of those moments came in the form of a phone call from a U.S. Army officer.

He called to tell me I had been selected into the

F. Edward Hébert Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP).

The HPSP was willing to pay for all tuition and expenses associated with my DMD at Penn Dental School, as long as I was willing to serve three years in active duty for my country.

In hindsight, I realized that not only had I found a much-needed way to pay for dental school, but my entrance into the program set in motion an experience that would influence the discipline, structure and ideas that built my personal success. It was an incredible opportunity.

Every summer during dental school, the Army would send me to different posts across the United States to train and work under the resident dentist there who would mentor me. After graduation, I completed my residency and was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division as a fully licensed and practicing dentist. From there I was assigned to the aviation battalion, where I was trained to be a flight surgeon.

From that point on, I was working full-time not only as a dentist but as a flight surgeon—flying on helicopters in and out of active military zones providing emergency care to fellow soldiers. My unit mainly was used to support the infantry, including deployments in Central America during times of need in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

A career beyond the military
After retiring from the Army in 2001, I returned to dentistry full time, returning first to academia, then moving into private practice where I hung up my own proverbial shingle.

I was happy but not fulfilled. My dream of focusing on my patients quickly gave way to the realities of running a business. Eventually, I sold the practice. I went in search of an opportunity that would allow me to focus on what I loved best: Caring for and treating the patients who walked through my doors. In that search I found a home at Aspen Dental, a network of independent offices that operate under a common brand.

Today, I’m a practice owner of two dental offices, located in Pensacola and Pace, Florida, where—ironically enough—there is a large population of veterans.

Like the soldiers I helped while in the 10th Mountain Division, the veterans and civilians I meet are often in a lot of pain, haven’t been to the dentist in years, and often need their entire smiles rebuilt.

"Like the soldiers I helped while in the 10th Mountain Division, the veterans and civilians I meet are often in a lot of pain, haven’t been to the dentist in years, and often need their entire smiles rebuilt."

Where the past meets the present
My military experience also gave me a particular appreciation for the established systems and efficiencies that come along with being affiliated with a DSO, Aspen Dental Management. My team and I follow a proven operational model, one focused on making dentistry easier for patients by breaking down the barriers to care.

I’ve also kept my connection to my military roots. Along with hundreds of other dentists with Aspen Dental, I’m an active contributor to the Healthy Mouth Movement, a community-giving initiative aimed at giving back to our nation’s veterans.

We’ve helped thousands of veterans get back on the road to good oral health by providing free dental care that improves veterans’ employment chances, self-esteem, and overall health. Collectively, we’ve provided more than $6 million in free care since 2014, most of it to veterans.

It’s an honor to give back to those who have our served our country, and makes me reminisce on the days that changed my life.

My military career laid the foundation for an incredible career to date, and I hope others may find such success following a similar path.

Scott Dickinson, DMD, owns two Aspen Dental practices in Pensacola and Pace, Florida. He is an Army veteran and former flight surgeon, who graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine.