Famous People You Didn’t Realize Were Dentists!

What would you think a typical dentist profile would read like? A nerd-bird interested in nothing but hunching over examining patients’ teeth all day? Think again!

There are some famous celebrities out there who once had a dental background before reaching the spotlight. Hard to believe? Well, let’s list some examples:

Famous Athletes, Also Dentists

• Steve Arlin was a Major League Baseball pitcher for the San Diego Padres and Cleveland Indians for six seasons. Even during his playing career, Arlin began practicing dentistry and even after completing his baseball career.
• Les Horvath, played professional football in the NFL as a halfback and quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns. He also was a dentist.
• Erhard Keller won Gold in the Winter Olympics speed skating championship. He was known as the “flying dentist” because his profession was…you guessed it, dentistry.
• James Lonborg played Major League Baseball with the Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, and Philadelphia Phillies. He finally made a career switch from pitching to dentistry.
• Markus Merk was a top-level football referee, considered to be one of the best refs to officiate. He also worked as a dentist!
• Jack Miller, “the racing dentist,” competed in the Indy Racing League and the Indianapolis 500 multiple times.

Dentists Can Be Actors

• Edgar Buchanan was a successful dentist. He also co-starred in countless movies over the years such as “The Beverly Hillbillies,” “Green Acres,” and “Petticoat Junction.”

Dentists get into Zoology

• Charles Spence Bate was a famous zoologist honored with having five different crustaceans species named after him. He was also a dentist!

Rock-Star & Hip-Hop Dentists

• GReeeeN is a pop rock/hip hop/breakbeat vocal group that made their debut with Universal Music in 2007. This four all-male band has a logo image of teeth, appropriate since they are all dentists!

A Gunfighting Dentist

• • “Doc” Holliday was actually a dentist! You may know him for his famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral and his friendship with Wyatt Earp.

The Novelist-Dentist

• Zane Grey wrote over 80 Western novels. His career started as a dentist.

An Inventing Dentist

• Thomas Welch, as in the inventor of Welch’s grape juice, was a dentist. A Dentist and a War Hero
• Paul Revere had a day job as a dentist and specialized in making false teeth. He also made a historical midnight ride just before the battles of Concord and Lexington to warn people, “The British are coming! The British are coming!”

The Common Thread:

See, dentists can be cool too!As in the case of these famous professionals, the quality of patience and dedication is a must to go the distance in dentistry. Call our Fishers family dentistry team today to schedule your cleaning!What would you guess your dentist’s interests are outside of the office—Sports? Writing? Music? Let us know what you think and see how close you come.