Lonnie H. Norris, D.M.D., M.P.H.
Boston, MA
Academia & Oral/Maxillofacial Surgery

"Get involved completely." These are words of wisdom that Dr. Lonnie Norris lives by. Through his 25-year academic and surgical career, he has given his all. In return, he's been more fulfilled than he could ever have imagined.

A Houston, Texas, native, Dr. Norris rose to the top at Boston's Tufts University School of Dental Medicine when he was named dean of the nation's second-largest dental school in 1996. Today, he oversees 700 dental students, who have the opportunity to practice in a state-of-the-art dental simulation lab and provide oral care to more than 60,000 patients a year in the school's modernized clinics.

His passion for dentistry came about later in life after working for eight years as a plastics engineer for Ford Motor Corporation and then the U.S. Army. "The critical influence in someone's decision to enter the oral health profession can come at any time. I looked at where I could make the most impact and wanted more independence. I was good at working with my hands, and I wanted more interaction with people," Dr. Norris said. "Many of my college classmates entered into health care profession schools immediately after graduation, and that influenced my career decision. Now I am one of the few African American deans in the 56 dental schools across the country."

Along with his academic leadership role, Dr. Norris still works one day a week at the school's Dental Faculty Practice and at the New England Medical Center Hospital. "I've always enjoyed patient practice -- making diagnoses and delivering care to restore health. When you work as a dean you have a much broader scope. You need communication skills and trust to get people to work as a team to accomplish goals. A big impact is made when decisions for change affect clinical operations and dental education in the entire school. Planning with your team does not always lead to immediate results. Thus, administration and patient care for me is a balance between long-term major advancements with widespread involvement and short-term results that affect individuals."

Through his work in oral and maxillofacial surgery, Dr. Norris has performed minor surgeries such as removal of impacted teeth and placement of dental implants; and major surgeries in hospitals involving facial trauma, and facial birth and growth defects; and also has consulted on heart-transplant patients. Physicians consult with Dr. Norris and his faculty to determine if there are decaying teeth in organ-transplant patients, which may cause acute infections resulting in complications to the transplant. "There is a direct relationship of oral health to systemic health," he said.

As for the future, Dr. Norris knows he will always provide service. "The future involves using my position as dean to address the challenges of dental education, provide health career opportunities to a diverse student body, and influence the issue of disparities of oral health for underserved populations," he said.