On the surface, it would appear as if Allison Clark, D.D.S.—known as Dr. Ally to her patients—is in exactly the place she was destined to be all along as the owner and operator of Clark Orthodontics. But the path to following in her father’s footsteps and taking over the family practice he founded and sustained for three-plus decades certainly wasn’t a direct one.
In fact, despite being raised around the business and working in the office as a teenager, Dr. Ally was quite sure she didn’t want to spend her life in dentistry or orthodontics.
“I grew up the oldest of five kids, and when I was younger I always felt like people assumed that I was going to do what my dad did,” she says. “And even though I looked up to him and admired the work he did, I wanted to blaze my own trail.”
Dr. Ally turned down an acceptance into a dental school program right out of high school, and a commitment to academics landed her in the Ivy League at Dartmouth College. At Dartmouth, there was no shortage of opportunities available to her, either. During her time in New Hampshire, she joined the school’s Pre-Dental Society and got to experience the profession outside of the context of her father for the first time while volunteering for and shadowing other doctors. She even spent one summer in San Diego working at a free dental clinic
“That was amazing,” she says. “It solidified that I wanted to go to dental school, because I saw how much of a difference you could make in someone’s life, helping them with the health of their mouth.”
Dr. Ally moved on to the University of Maryland School of Dentistry but continued to keep her options open by establishing a strong foundation in general dentistry and not zeroing in on orthodontics or any other specialty. Then, just like her father, after graduating dental school Dr. Ally completed a year-long general practice residency—hers was at Virtua Hospital in Camden—before realizing that orthodontics was indeed her ultimate goal.
She received her orthodontic training at the Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry after completing an additional year-long internship at the same program, and Dr. Ally then joined Clark Orthodontics in 2020 to work side by side with her father, Dr. Ronald Clark. She brought with her a philosophy that was of course largely inspired by him but also influenced by the many other practitioners she learned under and the experiences she had, and it did not take her long to become a valued member of the team.
“My dad had a lot of trust in me early on, so I felt like I was welcomed and treated like an equal colleague, not only by him but also by the staff and the patients,” she says. “I feel very lucky that I have this opportunity to continue my dad’s legacy.”
She officially took over ownership in January 2024, with her father staying on both as a consultant and as a doctor providing treatment support when needed. Under her leadership, Clark Orthodontics continues to see patients of all ages, offering treatments such as braces and Invisalign at three locations in Haddonfield, Woodbury Heights and Voorhees.
No matter what a person’s age or situation, patients can count on receiving customized treatment that is best suited to their specific needs at Clark Orthodontics.
“I think one of the standouts I got from my dad is to treat patients like family; if I wouldn’t treat my sister or my brother a certain way, it’s not how I would treat my patients,” she says. “We also don’t overtreat: We’re relatively conservative in our treatment and we’re mindful of doing things only when they’re necessary.”
Dr. Ally is also grateful to have most of the staff who served her father for many years along with a few new hires. “I feel so lucky to have such a great team working with me—we’re really like a family and patients feel more comfortable seeing the same familiar faces at their appointments,” she says. Dr. Ally hopes to continue to grow the practice to help more people achieve their dream smile, but she never wants to grow to the point where patients do not receive the attention they deserve.
“I don’t believe in growth for the sake of growth—I’m in this profession because I love making a positive influence on people’s lives,” she says. “I want to promote a culture in the office where staff are happy to be there and people are excited to be a part of what we do. Our new motto is ‘Giving people a reason to smile,’ and I see that as not just physically giving patients a better smile, but also helping people feel good about their experience with us and feeling part of the Clark Orthodontics family.”
For a Haddonfield native who now lives with her husband in Collingswood, fulfilling that vision in South Jersey is just icing on the cake.
“I loved growing up in Haddonfield and I love working in South Jersey and continuing to give back to a community that I feel like gave me so much growing up,” she says. “I’m proud to be a woman-owned business that is also entirely women-staffed. It’s a lot of work but I’m really excited about the challenges ahead, and not only continuing my dad’s legacy but at the same time creating my own.”
Clark Orthodontics
Haddonfield | (856) 428-1444
Woodbury Heights | (856) 845-1144
Voorhees | (856) 770-9200
Clark-Ortho.com
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Published and copyrighted in South Jersey Magazine, Volume 21, Issue 4 (July 2024)
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