Dr. Randy Harwood "Why I became a dentist"

Dr. Randall K. Harwood started his education at Fresno State. While a student there, he realized that he wanted to help people and could do this as a dentist. After graduating from Fresno State he was accepted in the dental school at UCLA.

At UCLA, Dr. Harwood was introduced to oral pathology by Dr. Henry Cherrick. Dr. Cherrick soon became a mentor and taught Dr. Harwood a set a values that he carries with him today. Harwood recalls, "the first thing I had to think about everyday was the betterment of the patient and it had to be about the patient. It wasn't about me it was all about the patient."

His first job out of dental school was at a hospital in Long Beach that specialized in drug and alcohol rehab. Most of his patients were very sick and had addiction problems. There he met a young homeless man who didn't have any front teeth and a bad self-image.

Dr. Harwood treated him over a year and helped rebuild the man's smile. A year later, a nicely dressed man walked into the hospital. He came up to Dr. Harwood and gave him a big hug. "Don't you remember me?" Asked the man. "I'm Michael. "I wanted to thank you because you gave me back my teeth. I have a girlfriend and a job and I think it's all because you gave me my teeth."

The experience had a profound impact on Dr. Harwood. He recalls, "I realized then, what I could do to help people. Sometimes simple things like just some front teeth can make the difference in how a person feels about themselves."

For over 33 years, Dr. Randall K. Harwood has been helping people live healthier lives by providing excellent patient focus dental care.

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• UCLA
• Dental
• School
• teeth
• doctor
• dentist
• educational
• health
• pain
• self-image