Nan Mullins, D.M.D.
Pensacola, FL
ADA member for 23 years
How many years have you been
an ADA member?
23
Briefly describe your practice.
With the help of a wonderful mature and caring staff, we provide Comprehensive Dentistry, including implant placement and restoration, orthodontics, I.V. sedation and esthetic services.
What generation dentist are
you?
First
What's the most-often asked
question from your patients?
Why did you become a dentist?
|
 |
|
|
What is the most interesting thing that has happened or you’ve done as a dental professional?
1. The AAID Comprehensive Course in Implant Dentistry at the Medical College of Georgia.
2. The Residency in Conscious Sedation at the University of Alabama School of Dentistry.
3. Mission trip to Mexico.
Why did you choose dentistry as a profession?
1. Dentistry seemed to offer a good balance between science and art, and it offered the capacity of helping others. 2. I was a single mother of two little girls for whom I wanted a rich and full life beyond what I could afford as Coordinator of Medical Education at a teaching hospital in Birmingham, AL in the 1970's. 3. I didn't want to be limited by a salaried position, because I like to be challenged and have an overdeveloped work ethic.
What's the most difficult challenge you've faced in your practice?
1. Trying to turn "needs" into "wants." 2. Figuring out how to facilitate the recognition of the relationship between personal choices and consequences.
Name one unique thing on a wall in your clinic or displayed in your waiting room.
My passion other than dentistry is travel. I visited Antarctica in December, making it my 7th continent to visit. I've collected treasures and photos from high in the Annapurnas, the remote regions of the Sahara and even the Galapagos Islands, and several of these are displayed in my office; however, I think the most striking object on display is a spice rack from Marrakesh. Perhaps the most unique thing is my D.M.D. degree from the University of Alabama School of Dentistry, the date of which was also my 40th birthday!
What is/was the most challenging aspect of dental school?
1.Trying to fit a 36-hour day into 24 hours, seven days a week. As a single mother of two daughters, age 9 and 13 when I began dental school, I had no choice but to work when I could, which usually meant collecting blood at a hospital, beginning at 5 am. I actually learned to get by with 2 or 3 hours of sleep. 2. Supporting myself and my children while paying for dental school. (I remember the freshman kit was over $3,000, and that was a fortune to me at the time.) I actually finished paying for my children's education before I finished paying for mine.
What would you be doing if you weren’t a dentist?
Probably organizing and conducting ecological tours, which would combine teaching and traveling.
Name/describe your favorite CE course taken in the past two years.
Florida Dental Society of Anesthesiology sponsored "Review of Office Anesthesia" by Patrick J Louis, D.M.D., M.D. Dr. Louis is an inspiring, gifted educator, and I always enjoy his lectures.
What do you do to relax?
Plan my next adventure! Read, listen to music while cooking, attend concerts and art shows and visit book stores.
What is the most daring thing you’ve done in your lifetime?
1. Starting my own practice from scratch with no collateral. 2.Probably trekking in Nepal for two weeks during the "Millennium". The "Y2K" scare was rampant and many people were predicting that computers would crash and businesses would close, including airlines. Also, after the trek, I was scheduled on a flight from Katmandu to Delhi, which had been highjacked to Afganistan shortly prior to my trip, so alternative arrangements had to be made to travel in India. 3. Opened a bookstore and art gallery three years after starting my dental practice from scratch.
What are you most proud of?
Some of the values passed to me by my parents which my children and grandchild have internalized: respect for all living beings, good reading habits, critical thinking, The Golden Rule, among many.
What is the last book you've read or are currently reading?
The Long Emergency
How do you deal with stress?
First of all, I think it is important to welcome some stress, because growth isn't possible without it. Think "distraction osteogenesis!" When the challenges come, I always try to remember what my mother taught me: "When God closes the door, look around and you'll find an open window." I try to spend the entire time in the shower every morning thinking of things for which I am grateful, and I try to listen to good books on tape as I walk. Also, I try to recognize when negative stress is self-induced and remember another thing my mother often said: "Be careful what you wish for. You might get it."
Where is your favorite vacation spot or activity?
Traveling in the Galapagos Islands for two weeks with my then 9-year-old grandson was a highlight, as was taking my 83-year-old dad to Alaska. The truth is I nearly always think the best trip was the last one, and just now that would be Italy.
What are your hobbies?
1. Cooking and entertaining in my home. 2. Planning adventure trips with my grandson.
3. Creating costumes. I love Halloween.
Who is your favorite singer or musical group?
Placido Domingo, Kathleen Battle
What do you do for exercise?
Walk—preferably outside.
Name one thing you have in your home from your childhood.
Figurines which were gifts from my grandmother.
Name the last movie you saw.
An Inconvenient Truth
Name your favorite movie.
To Kill a Mockingbird
Whom do you admire?
Warren Buffet, Bill & Malinda Gates, Katherine Hepburn, Tom Hanks, Oprah Winfrey, Sven Olaf Lindblad, Jacques Cousteau, all private bookstore owners, and almost anyone who has managed to get a book published without the use of a ghost writer.
Who has most influenced your life?
My mom. She was the original "cock-eyed optimist". She read to us every night, and taught her four children the value of education in spite of having only an eighth grade education herself. She told us all that we were "born leaders," and we all believed her. The tapes she put in my head are still playing.
What musical instrument do you play?
MP3 player, CD player. As a child I played the piano and organ, but now I just enjoy listening to good music.
What's your favorite Web search engine?
Google
What concerns you about the future?
Global warming, oil dependence, power hungry politicians and politicians within any organization.
Any words of advice?
"What the mind can conceive, the body can achieve."
Anything else you’d like to mention?
I'm proud of the young people I've influenced to seek careers in dentistry.
.....................................................................
Disclaimer: The ADA Member Profile is not a referral service and does not constitute an endorsement by the American Dental Association. The information contained in the profiles has been supplied by the individual being profiled and has not been verified except for membership status.
.....................................................................
Are you an ADA Member interested in being profiled on ADA.org? If so, please fill out the profile questionnaire  (please note that this link will open in a separate window so you may need to disable any pop-up blockers). |
