I Was Built to Be A Dentist

Dr. Kyle Hunt Joins Personal Care Dentistry Practice
Dr. Kyle Hunt’s recent graduation from the dental school at the University of Illinois (Chicago) is the culmination of more than 8 years of college it’s the outcome of several decades of being immersed in a dental family. And Kyle, who recently joined the practice at Personal Care Dentistry, couldn’t be happier about the outcome.
I grew up in a dental household my dad (Dr. Walter Hunt) founded Personal Care Dentistry in 1977, and my mom (Michelle) worked as a dental hygienist for many years, notes Kyle. In fact, Kyle began helping out in the practice when he was just 10 years old.
He would come in with me to help out with emergency patients on weekends, recalls Dr. Walter Hunt. He would hand me the instruments as I was working on a patient. Eventually, Kyle worked for a full summer at Personal Care Dentistry, helping out where he was needed.
But his decision to follow in his father’s footsteps didn’t take place until his sophomore year at Gustavus Adolphus College, where he majored in chemistry. I had thought about being a medical doctor, but I liked the creative aspect of dentistry. Plus, I feel like I have pretty good hand skills and I felt confident working with patients, which I learned from watching my dad.
According to Kyle, My Dad never pushed me into dentistry. He has always told me, ‘do what makes you happy, don’t worry about what I do.’ He was hands off in my decision to become a dentist but I could also see the impact he was making on people’s lives  – and how much his patients and staff appreciate him.
Kyle chose the University of Illinois because of the large numbers of patients that the college’s student intern clinics treated. He was one of just six out-of-state students who were accepted in the 2010 entering class out of 1,200 applicants. I knew I would get a lot of opportunities to provide dental care to patients when I was there, and it turned out that way. In fact, the U of I clinics saw more dental patients than any other college in the country when I was there.
In the 2 1/2 years that Kyle interned in the U of I clinics, he was able to work on many cases and gained a variety of clinical experiences due to his persistence in seeking out patients that needed complex dental care. Kyle believes in fact, that due to the large patient population, he completed more complex procedures than he would have anywhere else in the country.
“Watching my Dad work in private practice gave me the confidence and understanding to seek out and treat the more complex cases in school, Kyle notes. “The fact that I watched my Dad do dental procedures helped my speed immensely as well.”
While working on his dental degree, Kyle sent photos of his work to his dad so he could critique his efforts. We discussed cases for the entire four years while he was in dental school, says Dr. Walter Hunt. During breaks he followed me from room to room as I treated patients.
Dr. Walter Hunt is excited to have Kyle join the practice. He shares the Personal Care Dentistry  approach to patient care and embraces our practice’s central philosophy   what I call the ‘Golden Rule Dentistry.’ I know the kind of care that I demand as a patient, and that is the kind of care that I strive to provide. It is a philosophy shared by all of our staff members.”
Joining Personal Care Dentistry is an amazing opportunity for me, says Kyle. I feel very fortunate because this will advance my skills much quicker than if I had joined a different practice and not been able to take advantage of my dad’s mentorship.
What motivates Kyle as a dentist? To help people, he says. To use the skills I have and will continue to develop to help people be more confident in their smile and their oral health, and to make sure every patient I see is treated with compassion and excellence.
I’m proud to follow in my Dad’s footsteps and I think he’s pretty excited about it too, says Kyle with a smile. His father and the founder of Personal Care Dentistry, Dr. Walter Hunt, smiles in agreement.
Concludes Kyle, I guess I was built to be a dentist!