Meet Kelly Kirtland, DDS, Chief Pediatric Dentistry

Pediatric Update | November 2022

Kelly Kirtland, DDS, joined UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s in August 2022.  Keep reading to get to know her a little better:

Kelly Kirtland, DDS

How old were you when you felt the call to become a doctor?

A: My mother, Judith “Red” Reigner, an operating room nurse, encouraged me to become a doctor since I was a little girl.

Who or what inspires you and why?

A: My mother, an operating room nurse for 53 years, inspires me to care for others – especially children, every day.

Dog or cat?

A: I love animals but have allergies to animal dander. (No veterinary school for me)!

Coffee or tea?

A: Coffee with cream, cinnamon and nutmeg, no sugar – Iced or hot. I do like ginger or English breakfast tea on occasion.

Cavs, Guardians or Browns?

A:  Monsters - hockey.

Favorite book (outside of medical journals)?

A: Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War by Karl Marlantes. It’s the story of a young lieutenant  and his experiences leading young soldiers.

People would be surprised to know that I …..

A: At the end of each day in high school, I would walk to the hospital and wait in the entrance to the OR hallway for my mother to finish her shift so we could go home together. I would sit doing my homework and say, “Hello”, to all the anesthesiologists and nurses, as they passed by.