Dr. Holt Gray (UAB School of Dentistry ’04, ’07), is a prosthodontist at the Luma Dentistry in McCalla, where he has worked since 2008.

Luma Dentistry has seven offices in and around the Birmingham area, employing 17 doctors with more than 100 team members. However, as the COVID-19 crisis rapidly evolved, all offices except for the McCalla location shut down in March. During this time, Luma reduced their team to only four members with just two doctors working at a time. The team triaged patients over the phone to help identify dental emergencies and also utilized social media for emergency care.

Gray was quarantined at home for six weeks with his wife, Laura and their two young daughters, Rebekah (7) and Rachael (3). During that time, he filled his time cleaning out his garage, doing yard work, spending time outside with his family, and dealing with administrative items that arose periodically. Gray’s favorite pastime was creating a working prototype board game, which he hopes to have in production this fall.

During the quarantine, the Luma Dentistry doctors and team members prepared for their offices to reopen through virtual Zoom and Microsoft Teams meetings ahead of opening. The administrative team developed an action plan that met all reopening requirements set forth by the ADA, the CDC, and the Alabama Board of Dental Examiners. They supplied each office with plenty of Personal Protective Equipment and instituted specific protocols to ensure the ongoing safety of both employees and patients. Luma Dentistry reopened on Monday, May 4.

He and his family miss the simple enjoyment of being able to eat out at restaurants and frequent their favorite Birmingham locales. But Gray says the family feels fortunate to have spent so much extra time together, and to have food on the table and friends to call.

In a time of great setbacks and uncertainty, Gray resolved to keep his blessings in the forefront of his mind and to remain thankful.

By Elizabeth Carlson