Delano Debro is a servant and he loves it. As one of Dental Depot’s most revered dental hygienists, Delano serves patients in our Moore office. He serves his team members as a mentor, correctional facility inmates as a worship leader, his wife as a best friend and partner, his kids as a loving father, and himself through his faith in God.
Chatting with Delano, it doesn’t take long to experience his spirited nature of servitude. He has a way about him – a sincerity that shines bright, from his smile to his actions.
“What we do often determines the amount of peace in your life,” Delano said. “I was raised in church, but I was 19 when I started reading the Bible for myself. That was the catalyst for the change in my life.”
Delano went on to explain that while he serves because of his faith in God, he sees the benefit of it all in his own life.
Except for a short stint when he briefly considered physical therapy as a career option after experiencing a wrestling injury, Delano said he has always wanted to have a career in dentistry.
Delano graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2001 to become a dental hygienist, and began working for Dental Depot nine years ago.
“I’m a science guy,” he said. “Ever since I was a kid, I loved going to the dentist. I did observations with my dentist and my grandmother’s dentist. I prayed about it. And I’ve been having fun. I still love it.
Delano said he even considered continuing his education and going to dental school, but ultimately, he decided family was more important. And we certainly don’t blame him!
In fact, if you were to ask us (we’re big on family around here!), he made the right choice, to spend his time enjoying his life with his wife of 12 years and their two beautiful children, a six year old daughter and 3 year old son, who Delano describes, respectively, as “a sweet heart,” and “a handful, for sure.”
“We both used to sing on the praise team,” he said about the early years with his wife. “We would be at church one hour early, two nights per week. Now we’ve taken a step back … we do a small Bible study on parenting and marriage.”
Delano’s heart for service doesn’t stop there. For the past three years, Delano has volunteered at the Cleveland County Jail, helping to lead ministry and worship for inmates.
“People are ready to make a change when they hit rock bottom,” he said.
At Dental Depot’s annual Dentistry From The Heart event that took place in November 2016, Delano said, while volunteering he saw a former inmate from the Cleveland County Jail worship program he volunteers with. According to Delano, the man expressed his gratitude for Delano’s assistance with the worship program and said he was doing well and he was back with his family.
It’s not every day you get to follow up with someone whose life you’ve touched, but in our offices, every day brings the opportunity for each of us to impact the life of another, as well as our own life.
“People come in and they share their life stories with you and you get to see their kids grow up,” Delano explained. “[You get to] share in their successes and hard times. [You get to] help people in their life.”
Delano told us a story about his favorite memory of his career: He told us about a little girl who came in for treatment.
He didn’t do anything special, he said. He simply asked her about everyday things, like how her summer was going. Later, he said he received a letter from the girl’s mother. He said the letter thanked him for taking the time to sit and talk with her daughter. The mother explained how the girl had been adopted and how much that simple act of kindness had meant to the girl and her new family.
“You have to approach dental hygiene with a heart to serve,” he said. Delano’s story and outlook just goes to show how something one person thinks is small, can be so major for someone else.
With thanks like that, it’s no wonder Delano says he wouldn’t switch jobs with anyone. “I love what I do. I might be interested in moving into clinical operations or helping to mentor new hygienists,” he said. “But I kind of already do that [mentoring], unofficially.”
In fact, Delano’s unofficial mentoring is exactly why he was nominated by three different team members to be Dental Depot’s January 2017 Employee of the Month!
But, happy in his current roles in and outside of the office, Delano said, “For me, there’s always a hierarchy: my relationship with God comes before anything. Second is my relationship with my wife and kids, in that order. And third is my job and ministry, which really run parallel. But, every decision I make is discussed with God and my family first.”
“Life is good, man.” He went on. “Here this last year, I’ve realized the importance of my time and I’ve tried to maximize my time with my wife and kids. No-one, on their deathbed, says, ‘I wish I would’ve made more money.’ They wish for more time.”
Delano was nominated for Dental Depot Employee of the Month by three of his co-workers:
“He [Delano] always goes above and beyond and helps everyone in any way he can, in and out of the office.” –Teala Cormier, Dental Hygienist
“Delano is one of the most encouraging individuals I’ve ever met. He will help anyone that needs it, without being asked.” –Haylie Douglas, Dental Assistant
“Delano is always willing to help in any area of the office. He is constantly in a great mood, excellent with patients and coworkers. Delano starts our mornings off great with words of wisdom and a morning prayer. Delano is awesome to work with and a great person to have in your presence.” –Rocquel Davis, Dental Assistant
Dental Depot is a locally owned and operated family company. As such, we believe that the incredible group of doctors, hygienists, assistants and staff that make up Dental Depot are more than their job titles; they’re members of our extended family. In our family, we like to recognize when someone goes above and beyond, living the Dental Depot values. This January we are proud to shine a spotlight on Employee of the Month Delano Debro.
