ADISA RATANASIRINTRAWOOT DMD
A note from Dr. Shuman:
To be honest, it has been challenging to find the right periodontist to join me and take AIP into the future. Some have come through the door, but the fit was not ideal. It is getting harder and harder to find partners who believe in my philosophy that it is first, all about you, the patient, second, all about the staff and lastly, third, all about the doctors.
And then, I met Dr. Adisa Ratanasirintrawoot (We call her Dr. Adisa!), and any worry I had was gone.
She completed her periodontal and implant specialty training at The Boston University Henry Goldman School of Dentistry. This is a superb educational program. Coincidentally, my dad also graduated from the B.U. periodontal program and the founder of the B.U. Dental School, Henry Goldman DMD, was my dad’s partner for 35 years.
Ask Kim, Jackie, or anyone in the office: the moment we met Adisa, we just knew she was the one. Dr. Adisa is of course highly skilled in all aspects of periodontal therapy and the placement of dental implants.
Adisa and I have spent many hours talking about the AIP philosophy of care. Adisa shares the values of treating patients and staff with honesty, respect, and empathy. These are the same values I learned from Dr. Paul Levi and from my dad, Dr. Alan Shuman. Values that we have continually woven into the fabric of AIP over the last 37 years.
I truly could not feel more pride or excitement in announcing that Dr. Adisa Ratanasirintrawoot has joined me at Associates in Periodontics. Here’s a bit about Adisa, in her own words.
If you were telling the story of Adisa Ratanasirintrawoot around the campfire, how would it go?
I would say I’ve always been an adventurous girl. I like to do new, challenging things, especially things that scare me! That all started when I was 12 years old and I asked my parents if I could leave Thailand, my home, and fly to Vancouver for a three-month summer exchange program. They surprisingly agreed with only one condition. I had to promise to call them the minute I landed and then once a day, every day. My dad handed me five pre-paid phone cards (we had no cell phones back then).
I of course promised to call and with limited English and no travel experience under my belt, I hopped on the plane to Vancouver. It was a long trip, 7,334 miles to be exact. I was all alone and a bit scared until I stepped off the plane and met my host family at the airport. They were amazingly nice, and I knew the three months were going to be fantastic. My dream to leave Thailand and be in Vancouver to learn English was actually happening.
My promise to call my parents as soon as I landed… well for the first three days I was so swept up in the excitement that I totally forgot to call!! I think they realized then that my life would be filled with no fear and a passion for learning and travel.
What drew you to periodontics?
I consider dentistry not only a science, but also an art. I was attracted to periodontics because I’ve always been fascinated by the art and science of saving teeth. It’s a thrilling and challenging field, where there are always new advanced techniques to learn and new materials to use. It’s a never-ending continuing education learning experience. And learning has been my passion since I was 12 and went to Vancouver.
Tell us a favorite periodontal school memory!
As someone who moved 8500 miles to a place where she did not know anyone, I would say my best memories are of my periodontal school co-residents. I’m so lucky to have met them, and they helped me feel a sense of home. On the weekends, we would always do activities together, hiking, cooking, or just hanging out. They became my new ‘’US family,’’ and now Dr. Shuman and the staff at AIP will also become part of my new US family.
What drew you to AIP?
Before I learned about AIP, I was doing multiple job interviews. I was discouraged because many practices did not align with my core-values and priorities regarding patient care. But when I had a chance to visit with Dr. Shuman at AIP, I was so relieved to learn that not only were we a value-match but also to find that Dr. Shuman and the staff were so professional and so friendly. I knew that practicing periodontics at AIP was what I had been searching for, the right place for me to land.
Besides starting at AIP, what excites you most about Vermont?
Dressage! I began horseback riding when I was ten years old and started competing in dressage competitions when I was 15. I reached a ranking of third best in Thailand for my age group.
But my dream was to attend dental school and become a periodontist, so my dressage competitions had to be placed on hold. I still try to ride casually once or twice a month but now that I am moving to Vermont, I plan to compete in dressage again. Dr. Shuman and I visited dressage training stables around Burlington and I’m looking forward to riding as much as I can.
I’m also looking forward to hiking on the weekends (my favorite stress-relief activity) and learning how to ski! I took a few downhill skiing lessons while I lived in Boston, but I still have a lot to learn.
Dr. Shuman says I can only do cross country and snowshoeing so I do not break an arm or a finger. He has a sense of humor and I think he was joking? Do you think he was joking?
