Meet Your Doctors: Dr. Alex Gilliland

Note: The Holton Recorder is publishing a series of stories about local doctors in the community. This is the third story in the series.

Dr. Alex Gilliland of Holton Dental completed his undergraduate degree in biology at Kansas State University in 2002. He then pursued a career in general dentistry with dental training at the University of Indiana School of Dentistry and earned his DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) in 2007.

After graduation, Dr. Gilliland and his wife, Taige (Tuley), moved back here to their hometown of Holton and opened Holton Dental.

Alex and Taige have four daughters - Tuley (9), Marley (6), Haddie (2) and Norah (11 months).

This is Dr. Gilliland's 10th year in general dentistry and his eighth year at Holton Dental. His hobbies include hunting, camping, spending time with family, and coaching youth sports. He is a member of the Holton Community Hospital Board of Directors. He and his family are members of the First United Methodist Church.

“Growing up in a family dedicated to healthcare definitely influenced my decision to go into dentistry,'” Dr. Gilliland said. “I always knew that I wanted to be a doctor and return to Holton to practice, but it wasn't until college that I discovered dentistry. I have always enjoyed helping people, as well as building and creating things with my hands, and dentistry allows me to do this on a daily basis. It is enjoyable to recreate a person's smile or restore their ability to eat again.”

Dr. Gilliland, 35, said that being born and raised in Holton has been a blessing to him and his family.

“There are many things about this community that I love,”' he said. “Probably the most enjoyable thing is having the opportunity to give back to the people of this community. Each day, I have the opportunity to care for many of the same people who cared for me growing up. This includes friends, family members, teachers, coaches and many other role models who influenced me growing up. Hopefully, there will be a time in the distant future, when a local kid has the opportunity to take care of his or her old dentist - me.”

Dr. Gilliland says that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure'” and that “brushing and flossing on a daily basis is the cheapest insurance that a person can have.”

Dr. Gilliland is the son of Frank and Betsy Gilliland of Holton. Taige’s parents are Dean and Peggy Tuley of Holton.