A Visit With ODA President Sharon Parsons, ’81 DDS

Dr. Sharon Parsons (third from left) with her staff and Dean Lloyd
Dr. Sharon Parsons (third from left) with her staff and Dean Lloyd

In February, before most of the world had ever heard the words COVID-19, Dean Patrick Lloyd met with Ohio Dental Association (ODA) President Sharon Parsons, continuing a tradition he began soon after he was appointed as dean of the College of Dentistry. Each year, he arranges a meeting with the ODA president to explore opportunities to collaborate. During their discussion, Dr. Parsons explained how her priorities have been shaped by her personal experiences.

Asked by Dean Lloyd what the biggest challenge is to being ODA president while running her family practice, Dr. Parsons responded with a chuckle, "Keeping everything straight!" In actuality, she planned ahead before taking on her new role. She timed her tenure to coincide with her son, Michael Herman, DDS, joining her practice and she entered the office with a clear vision about what she wanted to achieve. Knowing her one-year tenure would go quickly, she hit the ground running by visiting dental societies around Ohio and communicating her agenda. 

A first-generation college student, Dr. Parsons knew from an early age she wanted to be a dentist. Having never met a female dentist when she was growing up, she wants to do what she can to support the trend of increasing numbers of women entering the profession. "I want to encourage women to find their strength — their strength may be different from that of men," she said. 

“I want to encourage women to find their strength — their strength may be different from that of men,” — Sharon Parsons, DDS

Perhaps because of her sensitivity to the importance of accessible role models, Dr. Parsons has focused on diversity in dentistry. "We're falling behind in the numbers of minority groups entering the profession—and that includes members of the LGBTQ+ community," she said. As a result, she asked College of Dentistry Clinical Professor Canise Bean, DMD, MPH, Division of Restorative and Prosthetic Dentistry, to chair a diversity committee that is charged with determining how the ODA can assist in attracting and retaining members from various demographic backgrounds to the profession.

Another focus area for Dr. Parsons is opioid addiction. This, too, has its roots in her personal experiences. Her oldest son, Sean, died of an overdose in 2017 after becoming addicted to opioids he took to relieve pain from an injury. She has since spoken to local and national audiences about the dangers of over prescribing. Joined by College of Dentistry Professor Purnima Kumar, BDS, MS, PhD, Division of Periodontology, as well as various representatives from dentistry, medicine, pharmacy, and the addiction recovery community, Dr. Parsons established the ODA Opioid Coalition to share information about addiction prevention and any new emerging substance abuse issues. 

As she nears the end of her presidency, Dr. Parsons has demonstrated she is serving her dental colleagues in the same way she serves her patients—by concentrating on those things that matter most. "What's most important at the end of the day is feeling good about what you do," she said.

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