Photo by Ray Bryant, Bryant Studios
cover feature
Thomas W. Dawson, DDS
Reshaping Retirement
and Dentistry at the
Same Time
by Tina Cauller
Dr. Dawson and Susan Shepherd, his clinical assistant, wanted the new practice to embrace digital technology in every way possible to make
the practice more efficient.
A
dental patient with a condition such as cancer, accidentrelated trauma, or severe malocclusion often requires complex treatment that is outside the comfort zone of most
dentists. Sometimes, even making a referral can be challenging.
Since these cases require deep reserves of expertise, dedication
and patience, there are few clinicians who are prepared to embark
on such a demanding and time-intensive course of treatment.
For Dr. Thomas W. Dawson, this type of complex dental care
turned out to be a perfect fit. That realization did not come, however, until the closing of one door revealed an exciting new opportunity. In 2007, after 40 years, Dr. Dawson made the choice to
8 NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com
sell and retire his busy practice with 11 employees and 7 treatment
rooms. It seemed like the natural evolution of a career. After all,
he had treated thousands of patients over the course of four
decades, had held almost every office at the Pankey Institute, had
taught restorative concepts to thousands of dentists, and had
served his profession well.
The relative stillness of retirement allowed Dr. Dawson to reflect
on the past while looking for a path to a meaningful future. After
much soul-searching, he determined that he didn’t want to stop
doing what he loved, he just wanted to do it with more flexibility
and freedom. He acknowledged that the most challenging cases