Karen Williamson, DDS, PA

Karen Williamson had to laugh recently when she unearthed an old photograph. “It was a picture of me as a baby and my brother as a toddler, and I am very clearly examining his teeth,” she said. I guess some professional interests spark earlier than others.

“People always assume I came from a family of dentists,” Dr. Williamson said. “But my dad was a NASA engineer. My father’s side is Czechoslovakian, and they all made things with their hands.” Of her 12 great aunts and uncles, one was a jeweler and another constructed windmills.

A Family Legacy

“My dad was the first in his family to graduate from college,” Dr. Williamson said. “Once he had his engineering degree from Oklahoma University, he told my mom, ‘Hey, they’re starting up something in Houston. Do you think we should go?’”

The year was 1964 and that “something” was NASA. The family relocated to the Houston area but maintained a family farm in Jewett, Texas. “My parents built one of the first homes in Clear Lake City and most of our neighbors were other NASA engineers,” Dr. Williamson said. “Every Saturday, all the garage doors went up and all the men tinkered with their cars. Back then, you didn’t hire someone to cut your grass. You cut it yourself. You didn’t hire someone to make repairs around the house. You made them. I was often at my dad’s side learning to work on things. My brother and I even helped him on the farm loading and unloading coastal bermuda hay.” (Her father would eventually use the proceeds from the hay sales to help send her and her brother to college).

Dr. Williamson’s mom worked with her hands too, as a seamstress and later as a china painter. “I had no idea then how the love of science, engineering, and art I was developing would come together into the perfect career for me,” Dr. Williamson said.

A Family Dentist is Born

Dr. Williamson can pinpoint the exact time she decided to go to dental school. “In 10th grade, we were given an assignment to write about a profession we liked and interview someone in that field,” she said. “I decided to interview my orthodontist.” That Friendswood High School assignment was the initial step toward her earning her doctorate.

“Other kids in dental school had worked in their dad’s dental practice or had an uncle who was a dentist,” Dr. Williamson said. “There were only a few of us who had no relative in the profession. I loved dental school from the first day, loved coming home and telling my parents all I was learning.”

One of the things Dr. Williamson learned in dental school was to “wax teeth,” making molds in wax the same way a jeweler did. “It’s called the ‘lost wax technique’ and it’s the way crowns were made back then,” she said.

Advancing With the Times

Of course, now Dr. Williamson makes crowns in a day using a CAD/CAM (Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing). “In school it took me a couple of months to make my first crown,” she said. “Now, the CAD/CAM allows me to scan, image, design, mill, fire, and place the crown all in one day. But I know those early years of learning exactly what goes into making a crown help me do what I’m doing today even better.”

As we’re all learning, AI isn’t always great on its own. “We still need to apply the things we know and understand what AI is able to offer,” Dr. Williamson said. “I’m grateful to my mother and the craftiness and attention to detail she taught me. I use the lessons she taught me through sewing, cooking, and making things in my practice every day. And I’m grateful to my dad for teaching me perseverance. He used to tell us, ‘You can be smart and have a lot of talent, but in the end only perseverance will take you where you want to go’. He also taught by example to be a lifelong learner and never stop learning more and more about your field.

“Today, when I face a complicated problem with a tooth, I know I can’t give up until I find the solution for my patient,” Dr. Williamson said. “Not every tooth is the same, not every patient is the same, and what they want isn’t the same. I’m thankful that I can call on not only the things I learned in dental school and all I’ve learned through thousands of hours of continuing education, but also on those lessons I learned from my parents about working with my hands and about perseverance.”

Things came full circle with Dr. Williamson and her brother when she was able to help him with his teeth after all. “Blake was born with small teeth and also a discoloration because of the tetracycline my mother was prescribed when she was pregnant with him,” she said. “As a teenager, he had to have his front teeth bonded and 20 years later, I was able to replace that bonding with beautiful veneers.”

A Grateful Heart

“I owe a lot to my parents for always pointing me toward the future,” Dr. Williamson said. “Long before I started high school, they encouraged me to think about what profession I wanted to pursue. Of course, a lot more people have helped and supported me along the way and I’ve been blessed with an amazing team and loyal patients. But ultimately, I have my two loving, devoted parents and God’s grace to thank for all I have and who I am still becoming.”

Find out more and schedule an appointment with this award-winning family dentist at KarenWilliamsonDDS.com.