Earlier this year, Advanced Dental Concepts made a major addition to their team of talented, passionate dentists, when Dr. Shane Harmon, DDS joined the office. A 2010 graduate from Wabash College, and a 2014 doctorate recipient from the Indiana University School of Dentistry, is a constant learner who is always looking for ways to further his mastery in the art and science of dentistry.
Harmon started practicing in the Region right after graduating from the IU School of Dentistry, spending almost eight years working out of a private practice in Michigan City. He joined the team at Advanced Dental Concepts in April, drawn in by ADC owner Dr. Danny Hayes’ vision for a professional, compassionate, and flexible dentistry that does all it can to help their patients have the best experience possible.
“I really liked his practice model, especially that he has several different offices around the area,” Harmon said. “It really gives our patients and staff a lot of flexibility, there’s always an office open which makes it a lot more convenient for patients. There’s people working full-time with kids in school, and that flexibility is essential for them.”
For Harmon, flexibility goes beyond scheduling – it’s at the core of his patient philosophy. He works closely with each patient to create individual plans for care that suit their wants and needs.
“I approach everyone in a really non-judgmental way, I want to meet you where you’re at,” he said. “Sometimes that means doing everything, other times it’s focusing on something they need right now. I just try to be flexible, accommodating, and give the patient as much or as little as they’d like.”
He understands that a lot of patients have anxiety about coming into the dentist, and one of the things he’s enjoyed most about his time with ADC is soothing that anxiety with compassionate, understanding care.
“There’s a lot of people that have a fear of dentists, or older generations who might not have had the best experiences when they were younger,” Harmon said. “I’ll hear that on almost a daily basis, and one of my favorite things is when I can take care of those patients and show them that things aren’t like they were years ago. It’s much more comfortable and modern, especially here at ADC with the technologies and services we can provide.”
Harmon stressed that dental care is not just a luxury – it is as critical to a person’s physical and mental wellness, he said.
“It’s an absolutely necessary service that a lot of people may take for granted,” he said. “But you can really change peoples’ lives and help people in need.”
Helping to meet that need is part of why he entered the field in the first place - combined with an early interest in science and health, as well as a strong relationship with one of his family’s own dentists.
“I really enjoyed chemistry, biology, and those types of science classes so medicine seemed like a good fit,” he said. “When I got toward the end of college, I started looking more into the medical field and came across all these doctors who said they didn’t enjoy what they did and enjoyed dentistry more. I had an orthodontist my family was close to growing up, so I was drawn to that, and the more I looked at it the more I liked it.”
Harmon works primarily out of Advanced Dental Concept’s Dyer office and is eager to see more patients and showcase their expert care and family-friendly philosophy.
“Dentistry doesn’t have to be uncomfortable or painful,” he said. “It’s not like that here, we’ve got a great, welcoming team and we’re here to help.”
To learn more about Advanced Dental Concepts, visit www.adcdyer.com.
