Team Spotlight: Deitra “Dee Dee” Fox, Hygienist, DOC – Kannapolis
Quarterly, we’ll shine the spotlight on a DOC employee. We’ll ask why they got into dentistry as well as other fun questions that will allow our patients to get to know their dental care team better.
Dee Dee joined Dentistry of the Carolinas in January 2003 when she started as a temp. Within two-weeks she was promoted to the hygienist team full time and the rest is history.
“They’re so appreciative,” she says of all the patients whom she treats as her patients. Treating children and watching them grow while they continue to come to her for care throughout their lives is one of her favorite parts of being a hygienist.
She also enjoys seeing the progress her patients make and how happy she makes them by removing the calculus (tartar) from their teeth. In fact, one of Dee Dee’s most favorite memories at Dentistry of the Carolinas was when one of her patients who hadn’t been to a dentist in a while and had advanced calculus on his teeth. When she was chipping off the calculus, the patient exclaimed, “You’re breaking my teeth, you’re breaking my teeth!” It was at this time that she used a mirror to show him the teeth and the beautiful smile he had behind the calculus.
Originally from West Virginia, Dee Dee is the youngest of NINE children, including six brothers and two sisters. She earned her nickname from her brother who was 18 months old when she was born. He couldn’t pronounce her name so he called her “Dee Dee.” It has stuck ever since. While she won’t reveal all of her talents, Dee Dee has a knack for acting. During school, she acted in plays, including “Lend Me a Tenor,” “Steel Magnolias” and “A Miracle Worker.”
In her free time, Dee Dee enjoys anything outdoors, especially boating and biking. She has a 24-speed mountain bike that “can go up a hill like nothing.” She also has a cat and two dogs and loves spending time with her two grown sons and one grandson, adding “The most rewarding part of being a mother and grandmother is the way I know how my kids and grandson feel about me.”
Dee Dee’s Favorites
Most Desired Super Power: “Flash” so I can be quick about everything and get done working on patients before they could feel anything.
Where would you go in a time machine (and why): The Wild, Wild West so I could “strap on a six-gun, jump on a horse and go.”
Two to three items you’d want on a deserted island, other than food and water: Lotion and wet wipes!
Adjective that you want everyone to feel when they think of you: Warm
Celebrity you’d like to meet: Jackie O/Jackie Kennedy