This week, Parker Wellness conducted an interview with the Dr. Steve Parker, and would like to share with you the deeper side of him. Dr. Steve is a dedicated, insightful, warmhearted, candid, and not to mention hilarious, family man, friend, and active member of the community. He is passionate and progressive about his work, and he prides himself on staying at the forefront of cutting edge dentistry.
PW: Tell me about you! Who is Steve Parker, aside from being a dentist?
DS: I would define myself as a man who loves his family, and cherishes the time I get to spend with them. I have the fondest memories of summers in the Keys, weekends cruising around on the boat, and countless little adventures that we all shared together. I feel fortunate that these memorable moments have continued in our family, and that my relationship with my wife and my children is stronger than ever. Now that my kids are independent adults, our relationships has evolved into a great friendships, and I feel blessed to have that with them.
I also enjoy spending my free time golfing and fishing. I have been passionate about both of these activities my entire life. I love playing in golf tournaments with Blake and my dad, and with the other golfers that I have become acquainted with at Grand Oaks. I spend quite a bit of time out on the greens. It is my way to let go, to relax, to clear my mind, and to have some fun. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t fish. I grew up doing it, and find that there are few things better than catching your own dinner. I do most of my fishing these days in Islamorada.
Finally, community service is an aspect of my life that is extremely important to me. I learned at a young age from my father, Dr. Tom, that serving your community is just part of life. It is something that we should all do, regardless of how small or big our efforts are. If we all stand to make our communities a better place for all of us to live and thrive, we are in turn helping to make the world a better place.
PW: What led you to this path of becoming a dentist?
DS: The simple answer is my father. Dr. Tom shared with me the vision of how I could lead a productive life, while offering a great service to the people of my community. I grew up watching the way that he worked hard for his family, and to help the people of his community improve their health and overall wellbeing. As I got older, I realized the importance of what he was doing, and I could envision myself following in those footsteps. This path was the path that I was supposed to take.
PW: How long have you been practicing dentistry? Tell me about the progression of dentistry, and specifically your practice over that period of time.
DS: I have been practicing dentistry for 32 years. I have continuously followed and trained for the progression and advancements of modern dentistry. It is important to me to stay at the cutting edge of dentistry, and to offer advanced cosmetic, restorative, orthodontic, and full mouth rehabilitations using state-of-the-art technology, like lasers, CAD-cam, and Invisalign. It is my promise to myself, and to my patients to always provide the best possible options and treatment.
PW: What do you love most about your job?
DS: I love being able to serve my community. It is highly rewarding knowing that I have a part in improving the lives and health of my patients. I also take great pride in providing dentistry in a calm, and competent manner, with the intention of helping people overcome their fears and hesitations about going to the dentist.
PW: What are your feelings about having Blake come into the practice in the next few weeks? What are your expectations? Goals? What do you think about having three generations of dentists working together?
DS: I could not be more proud or excited to have Blake as the third generation dentist in our family. It is a great testament to Dr. Tom that he was able to motivate his son and grandson to continue the tradition. Blake will bring a new excitement, energy, intelligence, and techniques into our practice.
PW: Why do you think Parker Dentistry Facial Rejuvenation and Wellness is different from other dental practices?
DS: We provide complete comprehensive dentistry in a calm, efficient, economical, honest, and compassionate manner. All of our patients are treated equally, and offered the same respect and opportunities to achieve their optimal oral health. Our facial rejuvenation and wellness program is rarely found in other offices, and it demonstrates our commitment to complete health and wellness.
Thank you Dr. Steve! And, thank you everyone for sharing a smile with us this week!