Oral surgeon the first ever in Franklin County
A survey showed the area had about half as many dentists as the national average.
By Samantha C. DePoy
Staff Writer

FARMINGTON – As an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, John “Jack” Ellis Jr. is used to going boldly where no one has dared go before.

Usually, that place is the dark, hidden crevices of a patient’s mouth.

Last month Ellis took a different direction, becoming the first oral surgeon in Franklin County and the Livermore Falls area.

A Massachusetts native, Ellis moved to Virginia in the 1980s to be a banker. When he was discouraged after seeing a slew of layoffs in that industry, a dentist friend suggested he consider dentistry. He was enrolled in Virginia Commonwealth University’s Dental School program before he even realized it Ellis joked Tuesday as he recalled his 1990 career change.

While in dental school, he said he was attracted to oral surgery after meeting an inspirational oral surgeon. Ellis completed four years of dental school and a four-year residency, then decided to get his medical degree also, so he could better serve his patients.

In 2001, he moved to Maine with his wife, Deborah, and five children, John, Brandon, William, Chandler and Bethany. “The reason we came here is the outdoors,” he explained. “That’s the way to raise five kids – outdoors.”

While living in Liberty, he worked out of Augusta and Waterville as an oral surgeon. Meanwhile, carpenters were building the family’s dream home on property they’d bought in Vienna.

In 2003, they were ready to move in and Ellis decided to open his own practice, seeing a huge need in the area. Not only has the county never had an oral surgeon, there is also a serious shortage of dentists.

Filling a need

A recent community health assessment by the Healthy Community Coalition showed only one dentist per 3,274 residents. That’s about half as many dentists per capita as the national average. The average age of dentists in the county, 51.5, is also a concern, the assessment concluded.

Ellis hopes the opening of the practice will encourage more local residents to stay in the area when it comes to getting dental care. Right now, he is renting space on the second floor of Franklin Memorial Hospital, formerly the outpatient wing. He has a lease through February and is seeking a permanent home for the practice.

His office is staffed by office manager Jim Shinn and registered nurse Cathy Matthews. There, Ellis’ work includes extractions, bone grafts and treating infections. The main focus, he explains, is relieving patients of their pain as quickly and safely as possible.

“So many of the folks I see I can help very quickly. It’s very rewarding surgery that way. I love that,” he says.

Ellis realizes that dental pain is like no other, and many people get nervous just at the word “extraction.”

“I try to put them at ease by being really efficient. I realize that their time is as valuable as mine. When you are in pain, every minute seems like an hour.”

Education is also a crucial part of his work. “Part of the fear is the mystery. Information really helps with that anxiety.”

So, he teaches patients what they want to know. With kids, he tries to make a visit fun by letting them see and feel their vein, what he calls the worm, before he gives them an IV.

Building on trust

Before he moved here, Ellis traveled to 12 dentist offices in the county to introduce himself and his idea for a business. “It’s almost like a marriage commitment,” he says of the relationship between general dentists and oral surgeons. “It’s built on a lot of trust.”

People, he said, have been very welcoming and his business, he expects, will slowly grow. “I don’t want to get huge because I don’t want to lose that personal touch,” he says. “Small and efficient.”

And Franklin County’s first oral surgeon says he’s committed to the area. “I want to see Maine grow. I plan on retiring here.” For more information, people can contact Ellis at 779-2420.

sdepoy@sunjournal.com

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