Dr. Nicole Dahlkemper of Water's Edge Dentistry

Dr. Nicole Dahlkemper
Water’s Edge Dentistry/Healthy Sleep LLC
1203 Two Island Ct., #101
Mount Pleasant, SC
843-884-6166
watersedgesc.com
healthysleepcarolina.com

CW: How do you find your passion?
“I’m always looking to challenge myself and learn new things. I continuously work on self-development in my personal life and work life. I read a lot and listen to podcasts on a variety of topics. I love my patients and what I do. I love my family and music. Seeing happy patients and helping people daily reignites my passion for dentistry. To keep the passion going in anything, you have to reignite it daily. I love working with my patients to help them be healthier and have more confidence in their smile. Monthly, I take some type of continuing education.”

CW: How has the past year’s challenges changed you?
“I have become more patient and filled with more gratitude. We had to shut down in March/April 2020, regroup, and figure out how to handle this pandemic that was emerging, both at home and also at the dental office. I like to know facts now and act on them in a timely manner, but with the pandemic this was difficult with new information coming out daily. Our protocol at the dental office has always been very strict when it comes to infection control, but with new facts emerging about COVID and protective gear in short supply for health care workers, we had to figure out new procedures and new strategies to keep our employees and patients safe.”

CW: What inspires you?
“My son Toby. He has a brain tumor that is currently stable but at only 20 months old he had surgery that removed a portion of his brain and some of the tumor. He has therapies (physical therapy, speech and occupational) five days a week and he is treated as a traumatic brain injury patient. My son is one of the strongest, most brave and strong-willed children I know. He has to try harder than most of his peers and is developmentally delayed, mostly physically, but that child believes he can do anything and does not give up. I absolutely admire his tenacity.”

CW: Whom shaped you into the woman you are today?
“My grandmother and grandfather Dahlkemper. My grandpa was going to go to mortuary school and upon graduation got a wild hair and decided to start his own business — Dahlkemper’s Catalog Showroom. He started in a small corner store in downtown Erie, Pennsylvania in the 1950’s. The store sold everything from kitchen goods to electronics, jewelry items to sporting gear. The company grew to 11 stores in the tri-county area and was extremely successful for decades. I admire my grandmother because she was a part of the success of the companies.“

CW: Tell us about your family.
“I am married to a wonderful man, Toby, who supports me in what I’m passionate about. I have two sons: Toby (4) and Alexander (2). My boys are very strong-willed and inquisitive. I have two dogs: an English Bulldog, Ditka and our newest addition Nala, our rescue pup.”

Dr. Nicole Dahlkemper of Water’s Edge Dentistry

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