Front and Center: Dr. Hiram Gatewood

Some of Dr. Hiram Gatewood Jr.’s earliest memories involve falling asleep on the floor of his father’s dental office in Raymond. 

While his father finished making dentures or other lab work after a full day of seeing patients, a young Gatewood was content just to be there. 

“I was a daddy’s boy anyway, so I wanted to be with him,” Gatewood said. “I would go, and sometimes I would fall asleep on the floor while he was working because I might have been five, six or seven years old.” 

Those evenings gave him a front-row seat to a profession that would shape the rest of his life. 

Today, Gatewood is marking 45 years on the University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Dentistry faculty after first arriving as a student in one of the school’s earliest classes. A member of the school’s third graduating class in 1981, he has spent nearly his entire career balancing private practice in his hometown of Raymond with teaching future dentists. 

“It just happens that I have been able to work here this long,” he said. “I think it was God’s plan for me to be able to do that, and I’m thankful that I have. I have enjoyed it.” 

Going into dentistry was never an expectation in the Gatewood household, even though his father practiced for decades in Raymond. Yet all three Gatewood brothers eventually chose the profession. 

“It wasn’t designed that way,” he said. “It just worked out like that. My dad never said we needed to become dentists. It just happened with all three of us in kind of different ways.” 

His youngest brother, Dr. Chet Gatewood, graduated from the UMMC School of Dentistry and practiced pediatric dentistry in Clinton until selling his practice several years ago. He also served part time for a few years on the School of Dentistry faculty in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry. 

His middle brother, Dr. Scott Gatewood, graduated three years after Hiram and later became chair of endodontics and academic dean at the School of Dentistry. 

“He was like my boss,” he said with a laugh. “We got along great.” 

Although dentistry always interested him, Gatewood briefly considered becoming a surgeon while attending Mississippi College. He completed training as an operating room technician and worked alongside surgeons at Baptist Memorial Hospital. The experience ultimately convinced him that medicine wasn’t the right fit. 

“I saw those guys live at that hospital,” he said. “They would be operating and then say, ‘Today’s my child’s birthday,’ or ‘It’s my anniversary.’ But they had to work. They were there on weekends and holidays. It wasn’t worth that to me.” 

Dentistry offered what he was looking for: the opportunity to help people while still building a life outside of work. 

When Gatewood entered dental school, the School of Dentistry itself was still finding its footing. The building had just opened, and workers were still painting walls and putting on finishing touches as classes began. 

“It was a big learning curve for everybody — the faculty, administrators and students,” he said. “There was a lot of trial and error. But it all worked out really well.” 

He credits the school’s founding leadership, particularly inaugural dean Dr. Wallace Mann, with establishing the culture that continues today. 

“We had some really good people here when the school first started,” Gatewood said. “Even back then, it was considered a very good school.” 

Near graduation, Gatewood expected to return full time to Raymond to practice alongside his father. Instead, his endodontics chairman, Dr. Ronnie Martin, convinced him to spend a year teaching. 

“I graduated, took the state board the next week, and the following week, I was faculty at the dental school,” Gatewood said. 

Gatewood split his time between the School of Dentistry and his father’s practice for decades after that, eventually taking over the Raymond office before selling the practice in 2022. Throughout those years, his father remained both mentor and colleague. 

“It was great because I had somebody I could ask questions and talk to,” Gatewood said. “He had kind of a teacher mentality. He liked to tell you and show you how to do things.” 

His father’s advice also became the foundation of his own philosophy of patient care. 

“He told me, ‘Always remember to treat your patients by the Golden Rule,’” Gatewood said. “‘Treat them like you’d want to be treated. And if you do that, you’re on the right track.’ That stuck in my mind and I’ve always tried to do that.” 

Working in a small town reinforced that lesson. Many of his patients were neighbors, church members and lifelong friends. 

“If someone’s crown popped off on a Friday night, they’d call me,” he said. “And yeah, I would do it. That’s part of being in the community — giving back.” 

Gatewood’s devotion to his community left a lasting impression on many of the families he treated over the years. 

"Dr. Gatewood always listened to his patients, clearly explained every treatment option and truly cared about their long-term oral health," said longtime patient Geneva Lindsey, who was a patient of both Gatewood and his father for more than 35 years. "I still have dental work he did years ago, and it has stood the test of time." 

That same commitment to serving others now extends to the classroom, where Gatewood enjoys sharing lessons that only years of experience can teach. 

“I enjoy working with the students and trying to give them some knowledge—maybe some little tips and tricks the books don’t tell you about, something you just know from experience,” he said. 

His dedication to students has left a lasting impression on colleagues as well. 

"For 45 years, Dr. Gatewood has shared his knowledge, patience and kindness with generations of students in the clinic and, more recently, in the lab," said Dr. Leneise Lynn, chair of the Department of Endodontics. "He has been a tremendous asset to our department and, during the almost three years I have been here, a wonderful source of support and guidance to me personally. I am truly grateful for all he continues to contribute to our students, faculty and department." 

One of the biggest rewards for Gatewood has been watching dentistry continually evolve. From practicing before dental implants became routine to seeing today’s advanced restorative materials and technologies, he has witnessed a lot of change. 

“I enjoy seeing what’s coming along and talking with the other faculty members to get knowledge and understanding,” he said. “It’s like the proverb, ‘Iron sharpens iron.’ When you’re around a lot of people, everybody gains something from it.” 

After more than four decades, he says the School of Dentistry continues to improve, attracting exceptional faculty and increasingly competitive student classes. 

“I enjoy being a part of the dental school because it is a very top-notch school,” Gatewood said. “I’m proud to be a part of it.” 

As for retirement, he isn’t setting a date. 

“I’m not one to retire and sit at home and read a book or watch TV,” he said. “I like to do something and get pleasure from what I’m doing. It keeps me going.” 

For now, he plans to continue sharing the lessons passed down from his father while helping prepare the next generation of Mississippi dentists.