{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"168. Dennis Wells, DDS - Prepless Veneers","description":"Follow @dental_digest_podcast Instagram Follow @dr.melissa_seibert on Instagram Connect with Melissa on Linkedin Though he does so much in memory of his oldest son, he\u2019s also very proud of his two younger sons, Landon (8) and Luke (7). Family is vital to him, and he and his wife Doris enjoy their life in Nashville.With two sons yet to raise, you can also find Dr. Wells giving back by coaching his sons and other kids at various sports. \u201cOur family spends a lot of time on the ball fields,\u201d he says. He also wants us to know the unsung heroes of the Gift of Music Committee: \u201cThe Gift of Music Committee consists of: Tony Conway, Ed Hardy, Deb Ham, Rondal Richardson, Ronna Rubin and Jonah Rabinowitz (director of the W.O. Smith School of Music). The foundation and benefit concert has moved far beyond me, and I am so pleased to see it have a life of its own. I know Dustin would be pleased to see the good that is coming from his life, and I am simply grateful for the love that surrounds me and my family.\u201d When Dr. Dennis Wells lost his oldest son, a music major at Belmont University, he was heartbroken.He knew he had to do something to honorDustin\u2019s memory and celebrate both his young life and love of music. \u201cThe lyrics \u2018I get by with a little help from my friends\u2019 come to mind when I think back to the beginning of the Dustin J. Wells Foundation,\u201d Wells tells us. \u201cLosing my oldest son was utterly devastating, and for the longest time, I struggled to just exist. However, some of my close friends were diligently searching for ways to help me cope with my loss, and generous people responded with acts of kindness, including over $50,000 in donations toward a fund set up in Dustin\u2019s memory. I knew I had a responsibility to honor Dustin and to use those funds in a positive way. Through a national dental organization, the Crown Council, directed by Greg and Steve Anderson, the idea came to have a benefit concert and donate the proceeds to the W.O. Smith School of Music. The Crown Council\u2019s annual meeting fell in Nashville within a year of Dustin\u2019s death. Calling on some of our dear friends and patients to perform, the Crown Council filled theWildhorse saloon for an emotional night of music and celebration and the Gift of Music event was born.\u201d The result has been extraordinary, a partnership between the Foundation and the W.O. Smith School of Music. The school provides opportunity for the city\u2019s children to study music, regardless of their socioeconomic backgrounds. Dr.Wells says his son loved kids and truly enjoyed his time as a counsellor at his church camp, and would have loved the connection with W.O. Smith. Wells still maintains an active role in the organization, providing vision for the Foundation and for the now-annual Gift of Music Concert, which has featured a host of major stars over the past few years. Now, he\u2019s looking at ways they can take the model of the Gift of Music and share it with other communities through the Crown Council\u2014a nationwide organization of distinguished dentists. \u201cWe\u2019re always exploring ways to make the Gift ofMusic a more magical night, as well as how we can generate more revenue for the school,\u201d saysWells. \u201cIn 2013 we\u2019ll have the show at the Ryman Auditorium for the first time and will once again have the Crown Council attending.We\u2019re also exploring using it as a template for other cities and spreading this template through the Crown Council. In fact, some of the students from the school will be performing in January 2012 for the Crown Council in Vegas with hopes that it will inspire other dentists to bring this concept to their respective cities.\u201d ","author_name":"Dental Digest Podcast with Dr. Melissa Seibert","author_url":"https:\/\/www.dentaldigestinstitute.com\/","html":"