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\u201cIt was the perfect combination of medicine, creativity, and people,\u201d Glick said. \u201cI could help others, work with my hands, and build something beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Glick opened her practice in 1985, establishing roots in Tullahoma and becoming a trusted name in family dentistry. What began as a one-doctor office grew into a thriving practice defined by integrity, compassion, and teamwork. She has two sons, Tate and Ty, and is married to Mike Melton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her guiding philosophy is simple: focus on the patient, and everything else falls into place. She teaches new dentists that when financial pressures arise, the answer isn\u2019t in spreadsheets \u2014 it\u2019s in service. \u201cTake care of people first, and the rest takes care of itself,\u201d Glick said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her office vision statement, written two decades ago, continues to shape her team culture:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe aspire to elevate the importance of dental health through compassion, respect, professionalism, and fun \u2014 to brighten the day, elicit a change, build trust, make a friend, and improve a life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For 25 years, her team hosted \u201cCheck and Shine,\u201d offering free exams and cleanings to uninsured children. Each February, in honor of National Children\u2019s Dental Health Month, the clinic transformed into a world of laughter, fluoride, and hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She also founded Project Smile, an educational outreach initiative that brought dental literacy to local kindergarten and first grade classrooms. Through hands-on lessons and colorful activity books, Glick and her staff introduced hundreds of children to proper brushing habits and details about healthy food choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur goal was to prevent decay before it began,\u201d Glick explained. \u201cTooth decay is the most common childhood disease \u2014 and totally preventable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Among thousands of patients, one story remains unforgettable. A young man came to her unable to chew because his back teeth never connected \u2014 an \u201copen bite\u201d that specialists deemed untreatable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe\u2019d seen everyone. No one had a plan that could help,\u201d Glick said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With creative problem-solving and careful lab collaboration, Glick devised a bold solution: reconstructing his bite with custom crowns built high enough to meet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was unconventional. We didn\u2019t know if it would work,\u201d Glick said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It did. Years later, the patient continues to eat and smile comfortably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe told me he\u2019d been ready to give up,\u201d Glick recalled. \u201cThat case reminded me how powerful trust and persistence can be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ask Glick her proudest accomplishment, and she won\u2019t name awards or technology \u2014 she\u2019ll talk about people. The anxious patients who now laugh in her chair. The families who\u2019ve referred generations. The tearful moments when someone finally feels seen and hopeful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI never judge anyone who walks through my door,\u201d Glick said. \u201cYou don\u2019t know their story \u2014 money may be tight, fear may be deep \u2014 but if they made it here, that\u2019s a victory. My job is to listen, educate, and cheer them on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n For Dr. Glick, oral health is inseparable from overall wellness. She educates patients about how gum disease and chronic inflammation link to heart disease, diabetes, and even Alzheimer\u2019s and infertility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGood dental care isn\u2019t just about a nice smile. \u201cIt\u2019s about longevity and quality of life,\u201d Glick emphasized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She encourages regular visits, home care, and a proactive approach to managing medical conditions, such as diabetes, which can impact oral health. \u201cKnowledge is power,\u201d Glick said. \u201cWhen people understand the connection, they take charge of their well-being.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now approaching retirement, Dr. Glick is mentoring a new associate to carry on her mission. Her hope is to be remembered as a dentist who treated everyone with honesty, respect, and genuine care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ve always believed that if you focus on helping people \u2014 really seeing them \u2014 the smiles will follow,\u201d Glick said with a warm laugh. \u201cAnd that\u2019s what makes it all worthwhile.\u201d GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" FOR NEARLY 40 years, Dr. Kim Glick has been brightening lives one smile at a time. From her childhood fascination with science to decades of service in Tullahoma, her story weaves together clinical excellence, holistic prevention, and customized care. Growing up in a military family meant that home was wherever her father\u2019s Air Force assignments […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":195,"featured_media":24672,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24670","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cover"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/tullahoma\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/01\/2-1-1024x683.jpg\")
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