Meet Dr. Adams

Dr. John Adams is a Kansas native. He grew up in Wichita where he attended East High School. Dr. Adams finished High School a year early, graduating in 1965 at the age of 16. After this, he went on to graduate from Wichita State University in 1969, during which time he earned a BS in Biology, and minors in both Chemistry and History. It was during his attendance at Wichita State that he met his wife, Sherilyn, in a French class and they were married in 1969.

He continued to further his education, working toward an MS in Microbiology, while also teaching laboratory microbiology to dental hygienists and nursing students, until he was accepted into UMKC dental school in 1971. Dr. Adams graduated six months early, in December of 1974. Early graduation was an honor that he was nominated for by professors at the school, who selected 12 students based on superior grades and outstanding clinical competence.

He moved to Salina, Kansas in December of 1974. It was here where he began his dental practice in February of 1975, moving to his current location at 909 E. Wayne in March of 1977.

Dr. Adams has a passion for dentistry and enjoys all aspects of dental procedures including cosmetics, restorative work, implants, and orthodontics, as well as both periodontal and surgical procedures. He was one of the very first dentists in Salina to begin doing implants. He has helped many people with seemingly hopeless conditions (ex: Having little to no remaining teeth or jaw bone) - to restore their smile and regain their ability to eat again through the wonders of modern dentistry and implants. Giving back and being involved in the community is a huge passion for Dr. Adams.

He has been a leader in setting up volunteer dentistry for low income families in Salina. He was a Co-Founder of the Salina Cares Dental Referral Program and through this program organized three free sealant clinics. These clinics treated over 900 3rd graders in Salina schools. He was on the local arrangements committee for the Kansas Mission of Mercy; a free clinic that is put on by the state dental organization, and is moved from city to city every six to twelve months.

In addition, Dr. Adams is extensively involved in community outreach programs including serving as the President of the Salina United Way, as a Chairman of the Salina/Saline County Health department, assisted in starting the Salina Head Start Program, and was on a committee that organized bringing Habitat for Humanity to Salina.

When he is not busy creating incredible smiles or being active in the community, Dr. Adams enjoys spending quality time with his family. He and his wife Sherilyn were blessed with three children. His son Jonathan has a BS from Reed College in Portland, Oregon and a PhD from University of Washington. Jonathan currently resides in London. Dr. Adams' daughter Amy has a BS in economics from the University of Chicago and a MBA from Stanford's Graduate School of Business. His daughter Laura has a MS from Purdue University in Management Engineering, and a MBA from UCLA's Anderson School of Business. Amy and Laura currently both reside in Chicago.

Some of Dr. Adams' favorite hobbies include bicycling, walking, hiking, reading, computer research, beta testing, and software development. He and his wife believe strongly in education and have provided scholarships to high school students in Salina through the USD 305 Education Foundation for nearly 20 years. They were also one of the original founding contributors to the Greater Salina Community Foundation. Both he and his wife continue to contribute both time and financial resources to the Salina Community in hopes of helping it continue to be a great place to live and bring up a family.