Meet Dr. Susan Klyber DDS of Berwyn

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Susan Klyber.

Dr. Klyber, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Sometimes after half a lifetime doing what you think you want to do, one can have an epiphany that radically alters the remainder of your life. That’s what occurred in my life when I turned 33. A rare window of opportunity arose, allowing me the freedom to return to college. That’s when I decided to become a dentist.

This may seem like an odd choice, but I was plagued with a childhood of painfully bad teeth.

I was strongly influenced by my childhood dentist, Dr. Bangert. He knew I was extremely fascinated by the variety of dental tools and I even played with his old pulley-style drill ‘on the sly’ on several occasions. Dr. Bangert was so kind and gentle…he knew what I was up to, but never reprimanded me for toying with his tools of his trade. He took time answer all of my questions about what he was doing. From that point on, I was ‘hooked’.

Getting to my goal meant returning to college to complete my science requirements…. after a 14-year absence. Ahead of me was one and a half years of college and then right into four years of dental school. I learned how to live on Snicker bars and four hours of sleep. Graduation couldn’t come soon enough.

After receiving my Doctor of Dental Surgery degree, I worked in Melrose Park part-time…getting my ‘feet wet’ so to speak. I began my hunt for a dental office of my own. An office space in Cicero opened up and in Spring of 1988, workmen drilled six holes in the floor of my first treatment room.

I was up and running in just under a month.

In September of 2001, I had the opportunity to relocate to Berwyn. Many of my patients were from there and the convenience of the train was a big plus. I remember hauling cases of floor tile to redo the old floors…and that’s when the news of the 9/11 attack blared on every radio and television station.

All of my dental Team pulled together and we opened up on October 1, 2001.

Since then we have made it thru those dark days…. somehow survived the economic downturn in 2008…and have had to deal with the setback no Illinois budget for the past three years. Many of our patients are State of Illinois employees…we have cared for them without any reimbursement, waiting for a budget to pass.

I am in LOVE with my choice of Dentistry…. I am in LOVE with the strong women who work for me….and I am in LOVE with each and every one of our super patients. I am blessed beyond words!

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
No one has a smooth road…. Here are some of my issues that I have had to endure or learned to live with:

Time management- Someone wise once said “Everything is meant to steer you from your path” I never seem to have enough time to finish reading that dusty book…. finish every bit of paperwork…or just time to sit ‘on top the mountain’ and get the bigger picture of how to make my Practice better.

Money- In the beginning, I was always the last to get paid. Being self-employed means that the day’s job never really ends and there may not be a regular paycheck every Friday.

The Unexpected- These are the issues that pop up when you least expect them …snow storms that make coming to the Office impossible, squirrels chewing thru our outside phone lines (YES…this DID happen), dental equipment breakdowns, Team members getting the flu several at a time, furnace or air conditioners stop working…. but these are the challenges that force us to think outside ‘the box’. If I can get up every morning,
I know that today’s a GOOD DAY for a GOOD DAY!

We’d love to hear more about your business.
In light of corporate dental offices popping up left and right, we specialize in providing personalized care for each person who walks thru our door. Some dental offices are profit-driven and will present an extensive treatment plan to a new patient on their very first visit. How can we help someone until we get to know them and what they want?

With our philosophy of individual care, we get the basics done first…. a full head and neck exam, cancer screening, appropriate x-rays…with our goal of getting their mouths healthy first. After this is completed, then we can discuss their concerns about issues that range from, fillings, crowns, implants to replace missing teeth, clear braces or wanting whiter teeth for their daughter’s wedding… We do it all here, but no two patients are ever alike.

We have had such positive feedback from our patients who truly appreciate the ‘no pressure’ way we deliver their care. Thru patient education, we help them to see the benefits of dentistry whether they become patients of ours or go on to another dental office. It’s getting the basics done that is the most important course they can pursue.

What were you like growing up?
As a kid, I was always outside…and always doing things that girls usually aren’t interested in. I loved playing softball with the boys from down the block…building a tent out of an old sheet, making a mud pie ‘bakery’, taking apart my bicycle and putting it back together again. I stole my father’s and grandfather’s tools for my impromptu projects and then mixed them up when I put them back. I was finally caught in the act and reprimanded.

When I was 11 years old, I sold enough chocolate candy for the Salvation Army Girl Guards (like Girl Scouts) to qualify for a week at a Wisconsin summer camp. That’s when I took a class offered on photography. I still have the Brownie box camera that I used along several black and white photos that I got to take home. It was the best summer of my childhood!

When I was 12, I bought dress fabric for $0.29 a yard…and starting sewing Hawaiian mumus (sleeveless baggy dresses), selling them to my friends’ mothers for $1.00 each

In summer when not destroying something in the house or yard, I could be found at our local public pool swimming underwater, grabbing my sister’s legs. I got quite good at diving, too.

Contact Info:

• Address: 6725 W Stanley Avenue, Suite 6
  Berwyn Illinois
• Website: www.drklyber.com
• Phone: 708-788-7505
• Email: drklyber@drklyber.com

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