Doctor Mom - Mary Kovac O'Connor '83
Mary Kovac O'Connor with her kids by Michael R. Haskins (Courtesy of USD Magazine)
Mary (Kovac) O'Connor's kids just love going to the dentist. In fact, they go every day. OK, it helps that the dentist is their mom, and the daily trips to the office are made with their dad, John, so the family can lunch together. But still, the 3-year-old twins, Matthew and Patrick, and their 1-year-old sister, Emily, never complain when mom fixes their teeth.
"They like the attention," says O'Connor, who graduated from USD in 1983, attended dental school at Loyola University and spent two additional years earning a pediatric dentistry credential. "When they come in and they're mom's patient, that appeals to them." O'Connor appeals to lots of kids, and vice-versa.
Among the family pictures and USD memorabilia in her office is a framed drawing presented by a young patient. The picture of a little girl holding hands with O'Connor is captioned, "Thank you for fixing my tooth. It hasn't hurt since you fixed it. You're the best dentist in the whole world." Praise like that isn't easy to come by, but O'Connor's quick laugh and comfortable manner with children make her office a kid-friendly place. "It's funny, because the kids aren't usually very afraid, and as long as you keep them distracted and laughing they don't feel what you're doing," says O'Connor, who treats kids from birth to late teens, as well as developmentally challenged adults. "Sometimes it's the parents who are hard to deal with, because they get so nervous."
O'Connor has a way with adults, too. When she received the Mother Rosalie Hill Award at Homecoming November 1999— the honor is given annually to recognize commitment of service to USD — O'Connor was feted in large part for her longtime work with the alumni association, which she served as president and key architect of the association's long-range plan. As in her dental practice, O'Connor made the process as painless as possible. "Mary dedicated so much of her time and engaged others in the year-long effort that yielded a clear set of goals for the alumni association," says alumni relations director John Trifiletti. "Her greatest gift is that she inspires so many others to volunteer and give of themselves."
It helps, too, that O'Connor has seemingly endless patience. She has no problem spending a half-hour on the phone with a concerned parent, explaining treatment options and procedures. It's also not uncommon for USD biology students interested in dentistry to drop by and spend the day observing her work. "I like taking care of people from USD, because I felt very taken care of when I went to school there," O'Connor says. "Even now, as the university gets bigger, I feel very comfortable and welcome there."
