The novelty of seeing someone’s face repeated on another human creates a positive moment of surprise that will be instantly apparent on your own face. Do you feel genuine happiness when you encounter the miracle of identical twins? Well, maybe there’s a dental practice in your area that will engage that joy, one that will take care of that big broad smile that they bring out of you every time you visit.
Duplicate Dentistry is what you’ll get with twins! At least that’s the general idea. Two individuals who chose the same path in life, right down to their profession and where they would live. It makes sense, though, that twins would find a sense of trust and companionship with one another enough to form a complimentary way to be in the world.
It’s pretty common for spouses to meet in college and then to build dental practices together, or for children to follow their parents’ leads and then join them as dentists in the towns where they were raised. Identical twin dentists practicing together is quite exceptional, and rare, which is a little surprising! As an identical twin, it makes sense to weigh your natural clone’s career ideas along with those that you are considering. Then again, it’s a lot to ask someone to join you for eight years of college and then open up a business with you.
That’s exactly what these wonderful people have done, though. They are identical twins who work together to make dentistry a more enjoyable part of their patients’ lives. Keep reading to see if there are a set of twin dentists or orthodontists that are close enough for you to visit.
Charlotte, North Carolina
Drs. Lindsey Rennick Salone and Lauren Rennick Lockhart
One of the taglines for this practice is “Laugh Frequently. Smile Proudly.” Dr. Salone, Dr. Lockhart, and the other doctor Lockhart (Lauren’s husband) have been providing family dental care and orthodontics in the Charlotte area with the high level of expertise that comes with the rigorous years of additional training they have all received in their professions. The twins were featured recently on a local morning show where they shared why their practice is a great dental home for all members of the family, from toddlers to grandparents. On their website, Dr. Lauren gives us a taste of what it’s like to be her patient. She states, “I love to laugh, I love to smile, and am excited to share these gifts with you!” If you’re lucky enough to live in the Charlotte, NC area, visit them in their office (a renovated house!) or schedule an appointment with them at DualImageSmiles.com.
1315 Matheson Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205 Phone: (704) 334-6907
Midland, Michigan
Drs. John McLaren and Charles McLaren
Some sets of identical twins can be harder to track down than others! Especially when they’re very humble about themselves. You would think that McLaren Dental would make it well-known that twin dentists would be caring for you! If it weren’t for this article written 15 years ago when the two took over an existing practice in Midland they may not have ever been included here. In the article’s interview, Charles echoes the feelings that many twins have about their lives together. “I have yet to meet any brothers or sisters that are closer than us. That’s the way we grew up,” Charles said. “A lot of our decisions in life were at least in part based on what the other was doing. We’ve both had the same interests and skills. I’ve called him up before, and thought I was talking to myself.” They can be found at McLarenDental.com.
308 Northgate Drive, Midland, MI 48640 Phone: (989) 631-7880
Frisco, Texas
Drs. Pantea Nooraee and Kelara Gandy
This is the first of THREE (!) sets of identical dental twins in Texas, located in the far north Dallas area of the state. If you don’t see them both on the same day, however, that’s because they now work from two locations in Frisco to make it even more convenient for their patients. What’s it like to visit them? Here’s one reviewer’s take: “Dr. Nooraee and Dr. Gandy are the pinnacle of dentistry, the office has state of the art technology, SUPER sweet staff and convenience is their specialty. (I don’t know who my dentist is as they really are twins) I think I like them both though.” You can request an appointment and more from their website at TwinsFamilyDentistry.com.
8811 Teel Pkwy Suite 270, Frisco, TX 75034 Phone: (972) 335-3000
2626 Stonebrook Pkwy Suite 400, Frisco, TX 75034 Phone: (214) 872-2200
Austin, Texas
Drs. Kip Nielson and Cody Nielson
Starlight Dental and Orthodontics
Need a dentist (or two) that are fluent Spanish speakers and live in central Texas? It would be surprising to learn that the twins are both undergraduate Spanish majors, until you realized that their education was a continuation of the experience gained as each served as missionaries in Central America for two years. Dr. Kip’s time was spent in El Salvador, while Dr. Cody worked in Costa Rica. They both value building long-term relationships with their patients and providing a level of dental care that will endure as well. Dr. Kip shares his feelings about his work in this way: “l feel extremely blessed and fortunate to provide healthy and beautiful smiles to all those that l treat. I am thankful for the opportunity l have as a dentist to meet and serve so many wonderful people in the Austin area.” You can read more about them at StarLightDentalAustin.com.
10123 Lake Creek Pkwy #2, Austin, TX 78729 Phone: (512) 250-8101
Amarillo, Texas
Drs. Austin Hodges and Patrick Hodges
Hodges and Hodges Orthodontics
Austin Hodges and Patrick Hodges are identical twin dentists with additional specialty training as orthodontists. Which means that while you won’t be able to visit them for your regular dental care, they can make sure that you and your family’s teeth are in the best possible position to enhance your smile. Their childhood orthodontist in Amarillo hired them once they both graduated from Texas A&M University, and after his retirement, they moved to a new office built on the family land that is shared by their dad’s veterinary practice. Dr. Austin and Dr. Patrick were drawn to dentistry as their profession after participating in mission trips to Mexico with local dentists and experiencing profound gratitude from the people they served during those visits. Why did they choose to practice together? In this recent Amarillo Globe-News interview, Patrick addressed the question. “It’s never been a plan that was set in stone, but we always thought it would be nice to work together. We were roommates for almost 30 years, so we figured we’d be pretty good (business) partners.” They now have three locations where Texas panhandle residents can get their teeth straightened. To view a tour of their offices, visit HodgesAndHodgesOrtho.com.
5212 S Coulter St, Amarillo, TX 79119 Phone: (806) 353-9862
1801 4th Ave, Canyon, TX 79015 Phone: (806) 353-9863
1401 E. 1st St, Dumas, TX 79029 Phone: (806) 353-4442
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Drs. Belinda Rhodes and Melinda Rhodes
Rhodes & Rhodes Family Dentistry
Meet BeBe and MeMe, the Rhodes twins who grew up in Sawyerville, Alabama. They’ve been practicing together in Tuscaloosa since 2013 and work with a loving group of dental staffers that know how to put patients first. Although they still practice under their original last name, both dentists are married, and enjoy spending their time serving their communities. After obtaining undergraduate degrees at Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Belinda and Melinda earned their DDS degrees from The University of Michigan School of Dentistry. Learn more about the Rhodes and the rest of their team at RhodesFamilyDental.com.
6000 Old Greensboro Rd, Tuscaloosa, AL 35405 Phone: (205) 409-9088
Cincinnati, Ohio
Drs. Dave Rothan and Mike Rothan
The Rothan brothers may not be exact duplicates of one another, but as twins that have practiced together for over 30 years, they deserve a place in this lineup. They are known for their ability to provide a wide range of dental services so that patients can have both general care and specialty care provided in the same office without needing referrals to other dentists. You’ll find that everyone in the practice is down-to-earth yet professional, and that they have the experience and technology needed to make dentistry less scary. Most importantly, Dr. Dave and Dr. Mike focus on prevention so that their patients are less likely to need more complex care in the first place! You can schedule a free virtual consultation online at TwinDental.com.
11430 Hamilton Ave Suite 1002, Cincinnati, OH 45231 Phone: (513) 825-6111
Monroe, Louisiana and Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Drs. Katina Beverly and Kredenna Beverly
TWINkling Smiles of Baton Rouge
How do you know that your dentist has the right focus to take care of children? When that dentist originally wanted to be a kindergarten teacher. Both Katina and Kredenna were studying at Southern A&M College when a recruited suggested that they should look into becoming pediatric dentists instead of kindergarten teachers. They now practice independently, but that doesn’t mean they practice alone. On two Saturdays a month, the twins operate a satellite pediatric dental facility in Oakdale, Louisiana where they provide joint care to underserved kids, and they mentor each other throughout the week. Their slogan, “Twins Making Tiny Smiles Twinkle” helps them fulfill both their professional purpose as well as deepening their personal worldview. Katina expressed this to the News Star in 2018, stating, “When I talk about my journey, I always include my sister, because I think about our lives as one story.” And then there’s the $2 Bill Initiative that they use to teach kids about their origin and purpose. Learn more at TwinklingSmilesOfMonroe.com and TwinklingSmilesOfBatonRouge.com.
203 North 5th St., Monroe, LA 71201 Phone: (318) 805-9000
2314 Weymouth Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70809 Phone: (225) 926-4444
Porterville, California
Drs. Elwin Hutchins and Erwin Hutchins
Residents in the Porterville area were very appreciative when Elwin and Erwin Hutchins quickly filled in for a retiring dentist several years ago, and they are keen to share their kind demeanor and dental care with new patients as well as long-time patients. The identical twins started in mission dentistry, serving patients in Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago with very busy outreach clinics where they worked for almost two decades before returning back to their California roots. Their wives have also joined them in practice – Elwin’s wife Sonia is an assistant while Sandy is the office manager. Visit them in either of their offices, or online at HutchinsDental.net.
350 N. Second Street, Porterville, CA 93257 Phone: (559) 781-1163
100 N. Palm Street, Woodlake, CA 93286 Phone: (559) 564-8878
Sarasota, Florida
Drs. Amy Nulty and Leslie Nulty
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Drs. Austin Dodge and Ryan Dodge
As recent graduates of Marquette University, Ryan is currently practicing out of state at Howell Comprehensive General Dentistry in Virginia, but once his brother Austin completes his periodontal residency at Marquette, they could end up in a complimentary practice together, somewhere. For now, though, we’re including them here because, look at them! They’re young, they haven’t settled down yet, there’s potential for them to practice together, and who knows? They may read this and decide to cozy up to one another for convenience, for camaraderie, and for the commercial appeal held by the novelty of being an identical twin. Watch this space for updates!
Limerick, Ireland
Drs. Cormac Shields and Conor Shields
Ireland is fortunate to have a set of identical twin dentists in Conor and Cormac Shields, but it wasn’t by coincidence that they chose their profession. Their father and grandfather, both named Frank Shields, were dental surgeons before them. The twins’ grandfather qualified as one of the first dental surgeons in Tyrone in 1917, and their father was a pioneer in oral surgery and sedation in Dungannon. Americans will be surprised to see that the brothers list out their prices for dental procedures on their website and that they are also open on Sundays.
Ever wondered what a modern dental practice looks like in Ireland? Peek into the world of Dr. Conor and Dr Cormac in the video above, as they share their history, a hint of twin dynamics, and learn more about their philosophy as they explain how they provide not only dentistry but facial esthetic services in their offices.
10 Ashdown Ctr, Courtbrack Ave, South Circular Rd, Limerick, V94 K5TX Phone +353 61 480070
Brno, Czech Republic
Drs. Eva Luskačovy and Hana Luskačovy
In the United States it is rare for dentists to also have double degrees in both medicine and dentistry. So when identical twins each have a double degree, is this the mathematical equivalent of a being a doctor to the 4th power? This is what you’ll find if you travel to the Czech Republic to visit Dr. Eva and Dr. Hana, who established their practice together in 2017. Language is not a barrier here, as you’ll discover that both doctors and many of their team members are fluent in English. You’ll find their Facebook page enchanting, with video vignettes that range from random silly office moments to informative dental health tips. Be sure to visit their website, too, at DuoSmile.cz.
Pekařská 84, 3rd Floor Brno, 602 00 Phone +420 720 02 32
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If you know of any other sets of identical twins practicing together that you’d like to see featured here, let us know in the comments below. Thank you to all the practices, and most importantly, to the people who have made this exploration of twins in dentistry a fun journey.
A blogger since 1997, Trish Walraven, RDH, BSDH is a practicing dental hygienist and marketing manager for an indie dental software development company. She likes writing about herself in third person and wasting time watching videos online because she can excuse it as “researching for a post on DentalBuzz.”
