After graduating from the University of Michigan, Dr. Jack Shader moved to Clarkston in 1977, and has stuck around ever since.
“I saw Clarkston as a growing community and a good place to raise a family,” he said.
Today, Dr. Shader’s office has a staff of about a dozen people ready to serve their patients. Shader estimates he has seen more than 20,000 children since he first started his practice.
He explained how he got started.
“My practice started off with doing basic repair work for people,” he said. “I guess I found the general maintenance problems of cleaning teeth and filling the occasional cavity didn’t always satisfy what my patients really wanted. I think they want to look better and feel better about themselves — having a smile that could project confidence and a healthy self-image whether they’re a housewife or a businessman.
Dr. Shader started off by doing braces on kids, which he believes gave him a greater understanding of the relationship between a good bite and long-term dental health. Today, he practices the concept of dental aesthetics by replacing the old silver fillings he has used in the past with white materials.
He thinks his experience with aesthetic dentistry sets him apart, “in particular, difficult cases involving full-mouth rehabilitation for people that want to make a statement with a smile,” Shader said.
He talked about other dental improvements.
“The newer fillings are bonded,” Dr. Shader said. “There’s less leakage and less cracked and broken teeth. Crowns have changed — we’re able to do full crowns with no metal. Today’s crowns are all porcelain. The look you get is stunningly natural. In the last 10 years, we’ve seen a great increase in the types of cases we’re doing, such as replacement of lost teeth with implants.”
In addition, Dr. Shader stated there is newer technology for patients wearing dentures. “People with dentures, and particularly lower dentures, can get mini-implants at a lower cost and a greatly improved and enhanced fit so they can talk and chew,” he said.
Another innovation in Dr. Shader’s office is sedation dentistry, for those patients that don’t want to be awake during their dental work.
His partner, Dr. Mark Dennis, was chief resident at Detroit Receiving Hospital for five years. He also graduated at the top of his class. Dr. Dennis offers sleep dentistry, for those who want to wake up when their dental work is finished.
Dr. Shader makes it a point to give back to the community in any way possible. He has given school presentations to elementary school children in the Clarkston school district for about 10 years, and is the coach for the Clarkston High School Lacrosse Club.
Dr. Jack Shader’s office is located on 6300 Sashabaw Road in Clarkston. His phone number is 248-625-9444 and his fax number is 248-625-4813.