Dr. Ted Aspes’ Smyrna waiting room looked more like a Chuck E. Cheese than that of a dentists’ office. And that was the way he liked it. He was determined to make dentistry fun for kids, even 30 years ago, long before pediatric dentistry was as popular as it is today.
“As much as my dad cared about keeping your teeth clean, he wanted to make the experience fun,” said Adam Aspes of Atlanta. “And he had a good time too. He was always joking around with the kids. When I was in college I’d drop by to see him and he’d have me signing autographs for the kids. I wasn’t famous, but I was his son, and they loved him.”
Dr. Aspes, of Atlanta died Wednesday at home from complications of brain cancer. He was 66. His body was cremated and a memorial service was held Friday at Temple Sinai in Sandy Springs. Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care handled the arrangements.
Simply called Dr. A by his patients, the Air Force veteran opened his dental practice in 1975 after completing a residency in pediatric dentistry in Augusta at the Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry. He’d previously earned his bachelor’s and doctor of dental surgery degrees at the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Dr. Aspes was famous for encouraging his young patients to be the best they could, and reach for the stars. He promised his patients that he’d give every kid in Smyrna a free tube of toothpaste if they snagged an Oscar, a Grammy or a Tony award, a Masters green jacket, a Heisman trophy, a World Series ring, won a national spelling bee or became a Rhodes scholar. So in 2001, when former patient Julia Roberts won an Oscar, Dr. A may have been the most popular dentist in metro Atlanta.
“I had two families waiting for me in the parking lot when I got here this morning,” he told an Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter, after handing out hundreds of tubes of Crest the day after Ms. Roberts’ acceptance speech. “They said, ‘OK, Dr. Ted, pay up!’ This thing is almost out of control.”
From his office décor to his demeanor, Dr. Aspes was a trailblazer in children’s dentistry, his family said.
“He found a way to meld all of his talents,” said Judy Aspes, his wife of 43 years. “He was very artistic and creative, and he made a number of the games that were in his office. He also had a very steady hand, which was important for working on those little mouths and little teeth.”
The day he found out he had brain cancer, four years ago, was his last day at work. It hurt him to have to leave his patients and practice so suddenly, his wife said. But the outpouring of love and support from former and current patients helped ease his pain.
“I think he was ahead of his time,” said his son Jason Aspes , who lives in Singapore. “It wasn’t just a job, it was who he was. He was Dr. A.”
In addition to his wife and two sons, Dr. Aspes is survived by his sister, Lila Holdridge of California and five grandchildren.
About the Author
