Dr. David Lewis Parrish, DDS

David Parrish, D.D.S.
 My interest in dentistry began at the age of 13 while a patient of Dr. Buzz Hauetter. I was fascinated by all the tools, equipment and materials in his office. That summer I would spend my quarter to ride the street-car down to 12th and McGee to help around the office and shadow Dr. Hauetter while he worked. I decided at the end of that summer “this is what I wanted to be.” My brothers and parents thought I was nuts, but I stuck to my guns and have never regretted it.
In 1962, I entered the University of Kansas with a major in Chemistry. In 1965 I started at the University of Tennessee School of Dentistry in Memphis where I earned my DDS degree in 1968. By the end of my senior year of dental school it occurred to me that my mother was right—my kids (3 at the time) were more grown-up than I was! The only population I could relate to were kids, so I applied to the graduate Pediatric program back home. It was a perfect match and all of my family and friends …agreed. I finished my pediatric residency at Children's Mercy Hospital and received my Pediatric degree from UMKC Dental School in 1970. I started in practice with Dr. William J “Wild Bill” Carter, former head of the Graduate program in Pediatrics and Dr. Ron Gier, the current head of Oral Diagnosis Department at the UMKC School of Dentistry. This was when my “real” education began.
Here I am, 40 years later and I still love it! I can't wait to get to the office in the morning and I enjoy it more now than when I started. I have surrounded myself with a staff of excellence who have been with me for decades; we are a big family and I love all of them. Most of my patients know me as “Gramps” which is my preferred title. I have 4 grown and married children and 8 grand kids ranging in age from 7 to 20 years. I have been greatly blessed by the Lord.