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As a young man, I had a neighbor who was my dentist, and he was in the military, and I noticed at one time while I was visiting him in his dental office he said, “I’ll be leaving for the next couple of weeks to go do my military training," and so I talked to him about it and said, "How did you get into dentistry? How did you figure out what you wanted to do?" And that conversation sparked me to start to look in dentistry. I was probably a teenager at the time, and I really enjoyed, he was a craftsman, that he kind of cared for the clientele that he was seeing. But that sparked my interest.
So after that, I started looking into why dentistry, why me, and dentistry just fit me. I can care for patients when they come and say, "Hey, I have a challenge. Can you help me with it?" I get to work with my hands. I get to create, I get to be a craftsman and a master tradesman of restoring health and form and function to my patients. What I really love about dentistry is I get to sit down with my patients. I get to just get to know them before I even start their dental work. I get to know their life. I get to know their abilities, their fears, their concerns, their happiness, their joy, and I take that relationship, and I get to build off of that so that when they come and see me, I clearly identify and say, "Hey, Karen, how's your family? What's going on? I know you have a health concern. Let's get you feeling better so you can move on with the things that are important to you." That's what's fun for me. When I get into dentistry I'm not only crafting and creating smiles and making sure that people are healthy and happy but getting to know my patients too. That's what's fun.
The most rewarding aspect of dentistry for me would be that moment when people recognize the improvement of their smile. There's no question. There's a great patient I was thinking of, Natalie, who really had some challenges with her oral health and wasn't sure that she'd be able to succeed in getting her form and her function back and when we changed her smile from something she wasn't pleased or happy with to something that really allowed her to converse and smile and be in front of people again, that was fun. That's what makes it great in dentistry. So that aspect of changing somebody's perception of how they be themselves and how they can project themselves because of their smile, that's worth it to me.
Dr. Murdock loves people. He loves hearing the stories of their lives, their struggles and successes, their hopes and fears, and most importantly, the things that make them laugh. This knowledge comes from building relationships with patients and relating his own experiences to what they are going through.
In fact, he will tell you that the best part of his job is getting to know so many families and individuals. He loves it when a small child hugs him to say thank you for helping with a problem. He cherishes the friendships he has formed with his patients since he started practicing in 2004. This includes more than a decade serving people in Colorado Springs, CO and the surrounding area.
He also has been inspired by the excellent health care providers he has had throughout his life. Their example and his love for biosciences and public health led him to become a dentist.
Dr. Murdock’s parents raised him to value acceptance, faith, hard work, honesty, kindness, and listening to others. Those values guided him through his undergraduate studies at the University of Utah. They helped him as a student at the University of Louisville School of Dentistry. He also put them into practice during a hospital residency at the University of Utah School of Medicine and throughout his career in private dental care.
Professionally, he stays up-to-date on the latest advances in modern dental care. For example, he completed a general practitioner implant residency. He also is an active member of the American Dental Association, Colorado Springs Dental Society, and Academy of General Dentistry. Dr. Murdock also received the Dale Carnegie Highest Award for Leadership Achievement.
For him, dental care is about more than technical knowledge and training. Dr. Murdock is known for his outstanding chairside manner. He puts his listening skills and patience to good use to provide compassionate care. This is invaluable for anxious patients. It’s also helped him build many lasting relationships with patients.
Outside the office, he is blessed with a wonderful companion and their five amazing children. He spends much of his free time at church and volunteering to serve in other ways, such as creating events and projects for youth groups. Dr. Murdock enjoys socializing at small group gatherings and landscaping his yard. He also has fun by backpacking, hiking, riding his motorcycle, playing soccer, wakeboarding, waterskiing, and taking the occasional nap on a grassy hill in the sun.