After 49-year practice, honoree still enthusiastic

After 49 years in practice, Dr. Rex Witherspoon's voice still rings with enthusiasm about his chosen profession: "I enjoy coming to work every day!"

Witherspoon attributes his enjoyment to his co-workers. "I don't think it's me so much as the people around me. I've had really good, capable employees," he said, "We've been a team for years and years. We think of ourselves as a kind of extended family."

The oral and maxillofacial surgeon, an honoree in this year's Salute to Health Care, is the founder of Witherspoon, Collins, Quinn, Collins, and Gipson, DDS, PC, which now practices in three locations.

Innovator

Since beginning his practice, Wither-spoon has been on the forefront of dental innovation in Springfield. In 1953 he performed the first orthognathic jaw surgery case in Springfield, and the following year he performed the first dental implant in Springfield.

"That was in the early part of my ca-reer," he said. "I was adventuresome with it and loved to do the newer and more exotic things. Now we've come so much farther. That was a time in which we were feeling our way. I was happy to have been a part of that."

In nominating Witherspoon for the award, Diana McClure, RDA, MS, said, "Dr. Witherspoon is very involved in all aspects of the practice. He is extremely knowledgeable about the financial as well as the personal side of running a health-care-based business. All patients are treated equally, and his staff knows they are well-respected for the jobs they do."

Born and raised in Springfield, Witherspoon attended Drury College before going on to obtain his DDS degree from Washington University in St. Louis and his oral surgery training at the University of Chicago. After serving in the Navy, he returned to Springfield and in 1952 established his private practice and firm.

Achievements

Robert L. Carolla, MD, in nominating Witherspoon, listed many achievements and awards. In September 2000, Wither-spoon received an award from Washing-ton University "for his years of dedicated service to the School of Dental Medicine and his outstanding leadership in his profession." The same year he received the Doctor of the Year award from the Springfield Dental Assistants' Society. Other awards include the 1984 Dentist of the Year award for the state of Missouri, "for contributions to dentistry and in particular work as editor of the Journal of the Missouri Dental Association for 10 years."

While serving as editor, Witherspoon continued to run his practice. According to McClure, Witherspoon has authored more than 100 articles and lectured nationally. "Dr. Wi-therspoon has do-nated his time to dentistry, including the Springfield Dental Society and the Missouri Den-tal Association, and has served in virtually every officer capacity," she said. "In addition, he has served on numerous boards for Springfield organizations, including Burrell Mental Health Center, the American Cancer Society and the United Way."

McClure added, "His 49 years in oral surgery practice have not left Dr. Witherspoon standing still. He continues to keep up with the latest advances in all aspects of his profession. This includes the use of laser surgery and dental implants." Witherspoon also was instrumental in helping establish St. John's Oncology Dental Support Program, the state's first and only full-time program of its kind for cancer patients in a non-university hospital setting.

Nicaragua

"Dr. Witherspoon is an extraordinary person who exemplifies the spirit of community volunteerism," McClure said. "He is well-known in the Spring-field school systems, assisting yearly with oral screenings for children of all ages. In addition to quietly providing charity work here in Springfield, he has, on his vacation time, made five trips to Nicaragua with a team to provide free medical/dental care."

Carolla said that on these trips, Witherspoon was the dental team leader for an "organized team which includes two dentists, two surgical assistants, sterilization personnel, interpreters and others. The team sees at least 100 patients per day."

Witherspoon said the medical missions to Nicaragua have been extremely re-warding. "That is one of my all-time favorite things to do," he said. "It's a way of showing people in Third World countries that we care. And I come away with a feeling of having done some good. I hope I can go every year as long as I live."

As leader of the team, he is responsible for training the rest of the personnel how to work effectively without tools to which they are accustomed. The teams must work in very difficult circumstances, he said. With no electricity and lacking the comforts and convenience of an office, they go out into the mountains and fields to treat their patients. "There's something that comes out of that," he said. "We work from daylight to dark, and although it's fatiguing, it's stimulating to me, so I guess that's another reason I enjoy it."

Children

Witherspoon and his wife, Jan, have five children. "I'm also fortunate that several of my children have followed in my footsteps, not in oral surgery, but in the medical field," he said. "I didn't pressure them at all."

He added, "I didn't want them to do what I do, I wanted them to find their niche and do what they wanted to do."

Balancing his career, his volunteer work and his personal life has been quite a juggling act, Witherspoon said. He added that he loves to work, he's always had a great deal of interest in civic organizations and he also enjoys golf and travel.

"Fortunately, I've had a lot of energy," he said. "I sometimes feel like I'm doing more than I ought to be doing." But that hasn't made him change pace. "You always think you're going to do all those things when you're younger," he said, "and then slow down." Witherspoon's life certainly hasn't followed such a pattern, he added, but, "I like it that way."