By DREW GRANTHUM/Staff Writer

It’s not uncommon for a dentist to spend time working on roots, but in the case of Clanton’s newest private practice dentist, roots have a little bit of a different connotation.

Dr. Sharon New Glass, M.D., has returned to her roots in Chilton County to take over her own private practice. The Jemison native, who now lives in Calera, started in dentistry as an assistant and later hygienist for Dr. Paul Morgan in Clanton in 1992.

“I worked for Dr. Morgan for 16 years as an assistant and a hygienist,” she said. “And I returned to school in 2006, to get my undergraduate degree and then go on to dental school.”

While she had no experience in dental hygiene, Glass said she quickly found that she enjoyed working with patients and alongside Morgan.

“Dr. Morgan sent me to hygienist school a year after he hired me,” she said. “I got my hygiene license in ’94, and I worked for him doing hygiene, cleaning people’s teeth for about a year, and I (told) him ‘I don’t really like this, I want to be back here where the action is working with you,’ and that probably should have been a clue (to pursue dentistry) then.”

Glass said she enjoyed the work of a hygienist, but after receiving encouragement of the practice’s patients, as well as Morgan, she decided to pursue dentistry.

“There was one patient in particular (that said) ‘Sharon, you could do this. If you ever thought you wanted to, you should do it,’“ she said. “And he called me one night at home, he was having problems with a tooth…and he kept me on the phone for two hours. And when we hung up the phone I said to my husband, ‘I think I want to go to dental school,’ and he said ‘OK.’”

Glass said her husband of 15 years, Steven, encouraged her to chase her dream.

Morgan said he wasn’t surprised by the decision.

“In Sharon’s case, she’s always had the enthusiasm; it was mainly trying to guide her in the right direction,” he said. “I didn’t have to do anything to motivate her, just had to teach her what I knew and let her carry it.

Glass said the desire to pursue dentistry also stemmed from a desire to finish her education.

“I started (college) when I graduated from high school and quit,” she said. “So this was my second chance.”

Glass attended the University of Montevallo, earning a B.S. in Biology 2009. She then attended dental school at UAB 2010-2014, graduating with her DMD in May 2014.

While wrapping up her graduate degree, talks began between Morgan and Glass over the possibility of Glass taking over the practice after Morgan retired. Glass said she was surprised by the offer.

“I never dreamed that I would own this practice,” she said. “In my mind, I thought I would work with him. And we really didn’t start talking about the practice transition until my senior year in dental school.”

The transition took place in August 2014, with Morgan staying on board in an associate roll and helping two days a week.

The opportunity was too good to pass up, Glass said.

“He knew I had some other offers…but my heart was right here. It always was,” she said. “This is home for me. I grew up here; I went to high school at Jemison. You don’t work with patients for 16 years and (them) not become your friends. Dr. Morgan was like a dad to me. I was just a kid when he hired me. We’ve known each other for 22 years, (and) I’ve kind of grown up with him. I couldn’t think of a better mentor to start my practice with.”

The chance to continue working with patients she is already familiar with only sweetened the deal, Glass said.

“For me, this is coming home,” she said. “I want to make this a place to be a dental home for the kids in our community, especially the Medicaid patients. I think children need the ability to go somewhere to know the people they’re going to see.”

Morgan said he felt Glass’s drive will help the practice thrive in the year following the transition.

“It really hasn’t been difficult on me because she’s really been the only employee I’ve had that demonstrated this kind of ability, and she wanted to (do pursue dentistry),” he said. “And you’ve got want to, or you won’t make it.”

Glass said she felt honored to be serving the people of Chilton County.

“I’m a firm believer that God puts us where we’re supposed to be. It was just purely fate that ended up here for a job interview with Dr. Morgan. Once I started, I never wanted to do anything else.”