Ann Brittain has been a familiar face to dental patients for almost 50 years. In all those years, she has been employed by only three dentists here in Brewton.
She has seen no shortage of jobs since she was 15 years old and was still in high school.
“I went to work with lay-a-ways in Carp’s Department Store that used to be downtown,” she said. “Later I went to work at King Holt’s shoe shore. They all treated me as if I was one of their family members, and I loved working at both places.”
Brittain said that her employers were very concerned about her when they retired and told her about a dentist who might need her. She was hired and thus began her long association with the dental profession.
After working with Dr. Jimmy Neighbors for a couple of years, she then went to work with Dr. Michael Dasinger who came to take Neighbors’ place.
“I first met Dr. Dasinger at the health department where we went once a month to treat Head Start students,” she said. “ I learned to love working with the little kids and helping them to adjust to visiting the dentist.”
That was in 1967 and she continued to work for him until he retired from practice due to bad health. Dr. James Deathridge was brought in to help Dasinger and took over the practice in 2009.
All these years the dental office has remained in the same place on Douglas Avenue.
“I worked at the front desk for a while but Dr. Dasinger wanted me to learn about the business and he became my teacher,” Brittain said. “I got on-the-job training and he even sent me to the University of Alabama to learn radiology. He was a fabulous boss and I thought a lot of him and his family.”
Lisa Schell, who also works in the dental office said that she was glad to see Brittain being interviewed for this article.
“You could not have found a better person to write about,” she said.
Dr. Deathridge also has kind words to say about his longtime employee.
“She is the person that makes things work in the office,” he said. “She knows where everything is kept and when we need to find something, she always knows where it is.”
Brittain was born in East Brewton and attended W.S. Neal High School, graduating in 1960. She married Carl Brittain in 1964, and their first son, David, was born in 1966. Their second son, Wesley, was born in 1970. Now she and Carl have four grandchildren. Her plans do not include retiring any time soon.
“I love my work,” she said. “I want to stay on as long as I can and as long as Dr. Deathridge will have me.”