Cousins Dr. Deb Peters (left) and Dr. Casey Rhines
By Casey Rhines, D.D.S., CDA Editor From the Winter 2026 Journal of the Colorado Dental Association
When I announced to my non-dentist family that I wanted to pursue a career in dentistry, they were excited. “The first doctor in the family!” they marveled. Questions about having me fix partials or prescribe antibiotics quickly rolled in. I remember playing cards one night — something we do when our extended family gathers — when my grandpa said, “Ya know, my cousin’s girl is a dentist.” His phrasing alone is almost enough for you to imagine my grandpa. My grandpa, Harry, now 86-years-old, came from a humble beginning (and middle and end). Indoor plumbing and refrigeration are luxuries he didn’t know until adulthood. He loves to tell the story about flying through the windshield of a car as a teenager, causing him to lose all his teeth. My grandma, Blanche, on the other hand, will proudly tell you how she lost hers to “the worst case of trench mouth (her) dentist ever saw.” Both Harry and Blanche have each worn the same pair of dentures since before they were married over 50 years ago. So, when my grandpa said that he had a distant, female cousin who was a dentist, I honestly didn’t believe him.
Fast-forward to my final years of dental school in Michigan. I was at my first ADA Lobby Day in Washington, D.C., sitting with the rest of the dentists and dental students from our state. and I sat across from the president of the Michigan Dental Association. She was kind, poised and impressed with us dental students. I remember her asking where we were from and telling us she was from a small town outside of Lansing. I pressed a little harder to find out the exact city she grew up in, stating that my grandpa was also from a small town of about 2,000 people. After confirming that she was from the same small town, she smirked and said, “Ya know, I’m probably related to your grandpa.”
All the dots connected and my grandpa’s words from five years before rushed back. I wondered if she also knew how to play Shanghai Rummy and if she could have helped me get into dental school. (I also felt a little bad for not believing my grandpa, but can you blame me?) We spent the rest of Lobby Day marveling at the surprise relationship and calling each other “Cuz.”
Today, I’m excited to report that my (very distant) cousin, Dr. Deb Peters, is the new ADA Speaker of the House of Delegates. I think of her from time to time when we comment on each other’s LinkedIn or Instagram posts. I think of how serendipitous our meeting was. I also think about how there are technically two dentists in the family and my grandparents are still wearing 65-year-old dentures.
This story is almost too cheesy for readers to believe, but it’s true; organized dentistry connected us. My family has reunions almost every year at the only park in that same small town and yet, we had to fly to Washington, D.C., for a dental event to meet. I’m not saying you must find your long-lost family member to find value in the Colorado Dental Association, but you never know what opportunities you’ll find by getting involved.
