Dr. Ray Cleary, dentist and owner of Tidelands Dental, knows a lot about smiles and how important they are to our quality of life. \u201cWhen you smile, people think you\u2019re happy. Your smile brings back a lot of smiles,\u201d he said thoughtfully.<\/p>\n
Dr. Cleary and his wife have four children and eight grandchildren between them, the newest baby, a girl, was only a few days old at the time of our chat. He graduated from Ohio State University Dental School in the \u201870s, and as a young dentist, Dr. Cleary enlisted in the military and served as Director of Operative Dentistry at Shawn Air Force Base until his discharge from the service. In 1976, he moved to Surfside Beach where he has lived and practiced dentistry ever since.<\/p>\n
Dr. Cleary has always had a strong sense of community and an unwavering desire to serve, which led him to his work with a variety of community organizations, all while maintaining a successful dental practice. His belief that everyone needs a voice in government led him to run for the South Carolina legislature in 2004, where he served for 12 years. Calling himself a compassionate conservative, Dr. Cleary shared a little about his time as a state lawmaker. \u201cTwo of the accomplishments I\u2019m most proud of are being honored as legislator of the year by the Committee for Disabilities and Special Needs for my work helping autistic children, and I was given the Green Tie Award, which is another legislator of the year award given for environmental work.\u201d This caring legislator also helped pass the Raffle Bill, which benefitted all South Carolina non-profits, especially his beloved Shriners and Lion\u2019s Club.<\/p>\n
I asked Dr. Cleary about the importance of dental work and he shared a wonderful story. \u201cWe had an older woman, in her mid 70s, come in to the office with her husband,\u201d he began. \u201cHer teeth looked like a quilt \u2013 they were badly deteriorated, and she wanted crowns and veneers. Her husband wasn\u2019t excited about his wife having the work done and wondered if it was really necessary.\u201d Continuing with a laugh, Dr. Cleary told me, \u201cA month after we finished, her husband stopped by the office to bring me a bottle of wine and told me, \u2018My wife smiles so much now people think she\u2019s ten years younger \u2013 and everyone has noticed a huge change in her attitude.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDentistry is kind of like your cell phone,\u201d Dr. Cleary said when I asked about the many changes he\u2019s seen. \u201cThe work is more durable; it lasts, and is done much more easily. I\u2019ve had patients who were very fearful of dental work and now they have no fear at all. We always take our time and make sure they like our work before we finish.\u201d He then told me that some of the caps and crowns done today are guaranteed for life against breakage. \u201cMy patients are like family, and I want them to have the very best experience possible.\u201d<\/p>\n