Class Acts

11317 S Western Ave, #100-A, Oklahoma City (405) 692-7223 • elassalortho.com

ORTHODONTICS WITH EMPHASIS ON THE HEALTH OF THE JAW JOINTS.

Dr George Elassal provides orthodontic treatment with traditional braces and Invisalign aligners. Providing prevention and treatment for TMJ dysfunction since 1980's for all ages.

CLASS ACTS: Meet Dr. K. George Elassal, the Man Behind Class Acts

In 1984, Dr. K. George Elassal was a young orthodontist looking for a place to settle down, start a practice, and raise his family.

“I had studied dentistry at the University of Alexandria in Egypt and Creighton University,” said Dr. Elassal. “And orthodontics in Chicago then had worked in Wisconsin for a couple of years after taking my dental boards.”

The Elassals looked around and decided that Oklahoma looked like a pretty nice place to live. It quickly became home sweet home for the family.

“I love living in this community,” said Dr. Elassal. “It’s been home for a long time now and has been so very supportive. I love giving back to the community as well.”

One of the ways Dr. Elassal has been giving back over the past year is as the sponsor of the Class Acts program, which recognizes a student from Moore Public Schools each month.

“My sons are alumni of Moore Public Schools,” said Dr. Elassal. “So, I’ve always had a warm spot in my heart for these students and working with young children. I believe that when we encourage them in their strengths, it will just help them to grow into great adults.”

Dr. Elassal’s advice for any student is pretty simple, something that anyone can do regardless of age, gender, race, creed, or social background.

“You can always do the right thing,” said Dr. Elassal. “Work hard, be gracious, and be nice. That’s a great recipe to having a happy and successful future.”

That successful life for Dr. Elassal was born out of the joy he got from working with his hands. As he progressed through school, he also discovered the joy of planning treatments and cases to help give patients a healthy, nice smile. That has grown into a deep passion for helping children and adults have nice, healthy smiles. He also treats adults dealing with TMJ, which is temporomandibular joint syndrome.

“As a young dentist, I was always intrigued by what caused TMJ syndrome,” said Dr. Elassal. “It’s been a journey, developing a philosophy and learning how to treat it. I’ve taken multiple continuing education courses and then applied that knowledge, honing its treatment.”

Dr. Elassal says he’s always encouraged when he sees local students working hard to succeed with their schoolwork and activities. It’s another reason that the Class Acts program is rewarding for him.

“Being a parent myself, nothing makes me happier than seeing my kids be successful,” said Dr. Elassal. “So, when I see my patients working hard to bring out the best in themselves, I know that it’s also making their parents happy.”

CLASS ACTS

Dalton Witherspoon Takes Aim at Life After College Football

Photo courtesy University of Houston

Talk about finishing up your college career in spectacular fashion! Dalton Witherspoon and his University of Houston teammates rolled up a 12-and-2 record that included a big 17-13 win over the big-bad-SEC’s Auburn Tigers in the Birmingham Bowl. Witherspoon nailed a 52-yard field goal in the game to help the Cougars to the win.

“It was all pretty exciting for us as a team,” said Witherspoon. “We had talked about being a brotherhood in the offseason and how we knew we could win a lot of games and get to the AAC championship, so it was just a part of our culture.”

The Cougars went undefeated in the American Athletic Conference. They lost to College Football Playoff qualifier Cincinnati in the championship game, 35-20, after trailing by just one point at the half.

With his college football career now over, Witherspoon says he’s taking the time to enjoy his time in Houston before moving on to what he hopes will be a place in the NFL.

“I had no idea what the future held for me back when I was a senior at Moore,” said Witherspoon. “I just trusted that things would line up the way they needed to be, trusted my family and my coaches, and just do the work. It turned out to be pretty special.”

Witherspoon’s career after graduating from Moore took him first to Northeastern Oklahoma before he landed at Houston. He redshirted his first year as a Cougar but said even though he didn’t play that first year, the jump to Division I was a big one.

“Obviously, we had a few games in high school with packed stadiums,” said Witherspoon. “In JUCO, the attendance falls off pretty significantly. Then one of my first games in Houston, we probably had 40,000 people in the stands. That’s awesome to see and feel that kind of energy.”

He says his time in Houston helped him grow and mature, not just as a football player but as a person. It’s especially true when he witnessed how the community pulled together in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

“It reminds me of Moore and how we rallied after the 2013 tornado,” said Witherspoon. “It was incredible to me to see practically the whole city underwater and then how everyone came together to help.”

Witherspoon is working out these days, getting ready to take a shot at a professional kicking career.

“I feel like I have what it takes to succeed at the next level,” said Witherspoon. “I believe in myself and my abilities. I just feel like if I can get an opportunity to go in there, I can prove to myself and everyone else that I can do the job.”