Dr. Douglas N Smith

A little about me...
I was born at Meadville Medical Center, and have lived in Saegertown all my life. After graduation in 1981, I attended the University of Pittsburgh obtaining a Biology degree in 1985. Following this I entered dental school and graduated with my dental degree in 1989. It was during Dental school that I met my wife, Deb, here in Meadville. We married in 1987 between my second and third year of Dental school. Also, just before graduation our son, Zack, was born in 1989. After dental school I did a one year residency at the Oakland VA hospital in Pittsburgh. I then continued my education back at the University of Pittsburgh. I guess I could not get enough of the place. I finished my Masters in Orthodontics in 1993 and subsequently returned to the home I loved. I set up my practice on July 15, 1993. Thereafter, I became certified by the American Board of Orthodontics. In 1994, our second son, Derek, was born and we moved into our current house in 1996. We have an old …painted lady Victorian house that we have been working on since then.  Then, in 2010 came a great opportunity to combine two of my professional loves.  I was asked by Dr. Don and Dr. Dan Rinchuse, the chairman and clinic director of Seton Hill University Department of Orthodontics, to teach biomechanics (moving teeth) and be on the clinical staff.  I travel to Greensburg, PA every other Wednesday to teach orthodontics.  Furthermore, in 2010 I was fortunate enough to be one of the ten orthodontists chosen to become a consultant at 3M Unitek, the largest orthodontic supplier in the United States.  That means I get to use my past experience in tool and die, biomechanics, and orthodontics to be on their advisory board, a very exciting honor.
I was introduced to the World of Orthodontics through baseball! I considered myself the slick fielding shortstop of the minor leagues. However, when I was nine, a baseball hit a rock and I became the slick fielding shortstop without a front tooth. The dentist tried to reimplant the tooth which lasted for only a year or two. The tooth was knocked out again while I was wrestling with my brother. I then had to wear a flipper until the space was orthodontically treated. Dr. Tesone was the Orthodontist in Meadville then and my experience obviously was awesome. I decided then that my baseball career was officially over and I wanted to be an Orthodontist. I was twelve and put on the blinders, never looked back and set my sights on Orthodontics. I have never wanted anything different.