Putting the Artistry in Dentistry

Studio art major Casey Taira ’22 plans to pursue dentistry school.

By Jessica Weiss ’05 

Though the fields of art and medicine may seem quite different, for senior Casey Taira ’22 they blend perfectly. 

Taira, who graduates this December with a degree in studio art, plans to attend dental school and is looking forward to applying an artist’s touch to her eventual work with patients.

“There are aesthetics, beauty and artistry in dentistry,” Taira said. “And the process reminds me of making artwork: you have to be very meticulous and intentional.” 

The Olney, Maryland native grew up in a family of dentists (three generations to be exact). But after being so close to the field, Taira was committed to trying something different. By the end of her freshman year at the University of Maryland, she was a declared studio art major on a track to becoming a physician assistant. 

Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and Taira began helping out at her family’s dental office due to staff shortages. 

“Being in the office, seeing patients and assisting made me realize how amazing the field of dentistry is,” she said. “So I changed course.” 

On a pre-dental track, she took a range of prerequisite courses for dental school, including in biology, physics and chemistry. In studio art, she focused mainly on traditional art forms, including drawing and painting. She said she thoroughly enjoyed taking both humanities and STEM classes.

“If given the chance to go back in time, I would always choose this same pathway,” she said. 

Last academic year, Taira was part of the art department’s Honors Program, which allowed her to work closely with faculty advisors, gain unique studio and research experience and create her own body of work. Her thesis exhibition, presented in the spring in the Herman Maril Gallery, featured paintings—including on large, six-foot-tall wooden doors—representing themes of “reclamation, creation and destruction” as they relate to her family history. The exhibition was designed to allow visitors to explore similar themes in their own lives and “tell their own stories.”  

The Honors Program was a transformative experience, Taira said, especially working in a focused way with professors across the department. She especially credits Associate Professor of Art Patrick Craig, who teaches painting and drawing, with helping her “rise to the challenge” and expand her point of view on what art can be. 

“Sometimes making art can become stressful or you lose the vision, the fun of it, but working with him helped me take a step back,” she said. 

Immersing in the artistic process also helped her be in touch with the range of human emotions and cultivate empathy, she said. She expects that to serve her in the healthcare field, by helping her connect with patients and understand their struggles and life experiences. 

Outside of class, she has been involved in UMD's Global Dental Brigades chapter, which is currently preparing to travel to Honduras to provide dental care pro-bono, as well as Terps for Change, Omicron Delta Kappa and the Filipino Cultural Association. 

Following graduation, she plans to work as a dental assistant for her family's dental office, Taira Dentistry, while she applies to dental school for the next cycle. 

Though she won’t be immersed in the art studio as much anymore, she said she doesn’t see this as an ending: “As long as I live I’m going to be an artist,” she said. “I don’t think I could ever lose it.”