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Profile
Orthodontics
Dr. C. Neil Nicholson wanted a career that would not be taken over by computers, a profession where his talents would never become obsolete. Music production was his first love, but after observing a local dentist and working as a dental assistant, he realized orthodontics was where he wanted to be. "In orthodontics, most of the time it's elective and people want to be there. They are happy, not tense or stressed out," he said. "Actually, a lot of people fall asleep in the chair when I'm working on them because they are so comfortable."
Dr. Nicholson went down a long, rough road to get to this peaceful place. Raised by his grandmother -- a single mom who died three months after his own mother -- he took over the guardianship of his two younger brothers at age 19. To pay the bills, he put school temporarily on hold and worked as a dental assistant. "I stayed focused, set my priorities and believed in myself," he said. "I had to invest in myself to do what I wanted to do." He then met Dr. Seok Bee Lim, a Harvard dental graduate, who inspired and supported him through his own orthodontic education and later became his wife.
Today, Dr. Nicholson has his own orthodontics practice in Seattle, where he's entrusted with transforming people's smiles. "I always tell my patients that it's not how fast I can do it, it's how good I can do it." Usually, his patients are excited when the braces are first put on, but midway through the cycle they tire of them. "Every day, several times a day, I hear, 'When am I getting my braces off?'" he quips.
Growing up poor has made Dr. Nicholson keenly aware of health care disparities. "One of my motivations has been to provide and assist people in getting care," he said. "We have to continue to teach the priorities of health care. A lot of people have a perception of health care, but they are focused on one thing. They don't realize it's the whole body. It's not just teeth or eyes. It's overall health issues."
"Dental hygiene has to be under control before I even think about putting on braces," said Dr. Nicholson, the father of two boys with wife of 22 years, Bee. He's turned away patients who have holes in their teeth and advises them to focus on basic hygiene. Contrary to beliefs, orthodontics is not limited to the young. Older adults are getting their teeth straightened today with braces because "they are keeping their teeth longer. My oldest patient is a young 70, and I have several patients in their sixties."
With patients ages 7 to 70, Dr. Nicholson says making them look good is easy. "I want to be sure that the upper and lower jaw work together in a functional way. When there's clicking and popping it can be painful. There are many problems people can have with their jaws, such as temporomandibular disorder, TMD, or muscle aches, which can be caused by clenching or grinding teeth in the night or stress."
Now at the peak of his practice growth, Dr. Nicholson hopes to dedicate more time to organized dentistry by becoming more active with local and national committees and community activities. He's currently involved with the Washington State Association of Black Health Care Professionals, a group of health care providers who collectively share information and host public health care events.
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