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The close relationship Dr. Curtis Reppart had with his own dentist is what inspired him to enter the field.
Reppart grew up in Fredericktown, Ohio, about 50 miles north of Columbus. His father owned the building where Dr. Jack Renicker operated his dentistry practice.
Reppart said Renicker had a huge impact on him choosing this profession.
“Not only was he my dentist, but he was a friend of the family,” Reppart said. “He was well thought of and very active in the community and I’ve always tried to emulate that here.
“He watched me grow up,” Reppart said. “My father was his landlord, so I grew up seeing his office more than just as a patient, and he followed me throughout my college career.”
Reppart was a three-sport athlete at Fredericktown High School, who went onto play basketball at the Virginia Military Institute before attending Ohio State University’s dental school, where he met the man who would bring him to Hamilton.
Reppart came to Hamilton in 1982 when he was invited by Dr. Kevin Maloney to join the group along with Dr. John Tromans.
In 1989, Reppart bought an existing practice from retiring dentist Dr. Robert Basil and has operated on his own since.
Reppart said he is the third owner of the practice originally started by Dr. Paul Gaylord followed by Dr. Basil.
“Dentistry is not an easy profession, but I’ve really enjoyed it,” Reppart said. “The biggest challenge today is the technological advances in the delivery of care.”
Within the last three years, Reppart said his office has upgraded with the addition of digital radiography and computerization within each treatment room.
But no mater how advanced equipment gets, it still comes down to taking care of the patient, Reppart said, which is why he has maintained his private practice for so long.
“The biggest thing is we hope we can establish long term relationships with our patients,” Reppart said. “We’ve got to make them feel comfortable because dentistry is not always the most comfortable thing for the patient.
“If we can establish those relationships, then we can help them better manage their dental health throughout their lifetime,” he said. “And that will go a long way toward their better overall health.”
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