Family celebrates 100 years of dentistry in four generations

San Jose, Calif.鈥擬ore than a century after Dr. James Rex Calvert’s 1908 graduation from Northwestern University Dental School, his legacy continues through four generations of dental professionals.

“We’re following in our grandfather’s footsteps,” said Dr. Dennis Wade Calvert, a 1973 graduate of Northwestern University Dental School and a grandson of Dr. James Rex Calvert. “One of the reasons I went into dentistry is because my father came home feeling good about what he did every day.”

Dr. Wade Calvert, Dr. Dennis Calvert’s father and the son of Dr. James Rex Calvert, graduated in 1951 from the University of California in San Francisco.

“I really enjoyed my work,” said Dr. Wade Calvert, who is now 85 years old. “As a matter of fact, I loved dentistry so much, I’d practice again if I could.”

Dr. Dennis Calvert, a periodontist, isn’t the only offspring Dr. Wade Calvert made a strong impression upon. His other three sons, Dr. Scott Calvert, Dr. Kevin Calvert and Dr. Randy Calvert, also entered the dental profession. Dr. Scott Calvert and Dr. Kevin Calvert are general dentists and Dr. Randy Calvert is an endodontist.

This century, a fourth generation of Calverts began in dentistry. Dr. Dennis Calvert’s son, Dr. Terrak Calvert, is a periodontist and his youngest daughter, Natasha Calvert, is a registered dental hygienist. Dr. Scott Calvert’s daughter, Jenny Calvert, is also a registered dental hygienist and his son, Dr. Jason Calvert, is an endodontist.

The Calverts celebrated their dental heritage in March 2009, totaling an impressive 239 years in the profession between them all. To mark the centennial anniversary, the Calvert family established the Calvert Dental Heritage Foundation. The foundation gives back to the community in volunteer dental education and also offers scholarships to aspiring dentists and health care professionals.

“Dentistry has provided security for the Calvert families and has given a fulfillment of pride and self-worth to our daily work. With the dental foundation, we can share our respect for our profession and encourage others to learn and share the passion of dentistry through entrepreneurial resources,” Dr. Wade Calvert said.

Like his father, dentistry wasn’t the first career Dr. Wade had in mind. A test pilot in the U.S. Air Force when World War II was winding down, Wade thought he would pursue a commercial pilot’s license. But when his wife had a baby (Dr. Dennis Calvert in 1945), the time away from home that a pilot’s career would require became undesirable. A quirk of fate鈥攐r a stroke of luck鈥攃hanged his course. Needing some dental work, he visited a dentist at the air base who strongly encouraged him to go into dentistry. When the decision to enter dental school was shared with his father, Dr. James Rex Calvert, his father was excited and the legacy began. He entered the University of California at San Francisco and graduated in 1951.

Dr. Wade Calvert’s father, Dr. James Rex Calvert, was a student of the famous Dr. G.V. Black. James Rex told his family that one of his favorite classes was oral anatomy, where he had the opportunity to construct tooth models with G.V. Black and his own son, Dr. Arthur Black.

“My grandfather remembered Dr. Black as an astute professional with a keen sense of humor and love for his students,” Dr. Dennis Calvert reminisces. “He told stories about how G.V. Black would visit his class with models of teeth and pull pranks to amuse and motivate the students. My grandfather said the students were in awe of him with his long white beard and famous reputation.”

Dr. James Rex Calvert had initially thought he might go into bricklaying work at his dad’s company in Ogden, Utah. But because he was a fair-skinned redhead, the time required in the sun was impossible for him. His father sent a letter to Northwestern University Dental School requesting that although his son was slightly young at 17 years old to begin dental school, he hoped the university would consider him. (Northwestern returned the letter for posterity more than a century old to the Calverts when the school closed.)

“My dad practiced for 65 years, and he did it while standing up the whole time,” mused Dr. Wade Calvert. “I stood for 15 years. Much of it is hard to believe when I think about it now. I practiced for over 50 years, and I hope my sons and grandchildren will achieve the 50-year pinnacle of pride. I believe they all will follow because we love to work with people and love our profession.”

Send inquiries about the Calvert Dental Heritage Foundation to calvertdentalheritage@gmail.com.