James Rada, Jr.
Dr. Olumide (Olu) Bolarinwa (pictured right) used to drive by Emmitsburg Family Dentistry on his way to go skiing at Liberty Ski Resort. It caught his attention because he was a fellow dentist. He then got to know Dr. Timothy Bringardner, and the two became friends.
So, when Dr. Bringardner retired, it wasn’t too surprising that Dr. Olu took over his practice even though he had a practice in Mt. Airy.
Under Dr. Olu’s care, the Emmitsburg Dental Center has been thriving, and it continues the tradition of patient-centered dentistry that Dr. Bringartner started.
Dr. Bringardner retired in January 2023 after nearly 40 years as a dentist. Dr. Olu took over at the end of February 2023.
He still lives in Mt. Airy with his family and takes the back roads to get to Emmitsburg. “I was already used to the drive because I would come this way to ski, so it doesn’t feel far and I enjoy the views on my drive,” Dr. Olu said.
Dr. Olu is a Nigerian immigrant. He came to America in 2006 and attended Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine at Boston University to get licensed as a dentist in the U.S. He obtained his DMD in 2016. He also received a Master’s in Global Health and one of several residency trainings in Dental Public Health, both at the University of California, San Francisco (USCF).
He wound up in Frederick County because he fell in love.
“I met my wife there (Boston University),” he said. “She was studying for her Ph.D. She had grown up in Mt. Airy, and she liked it there.”
He wound up taking over a practice in Mt. Airy, so when he took over Dr. Bringardner’s practice, he had prior experience and knew what to expect. This made it easier and helped make the transition more seamless for the patients.
Besides general dentistry, he also performs extractions, implants, child sedation, and other procedures.
While dentistry has become his calling, Dr. Olu didn’t always want to be a dentist. He wanted to be a professional soccer player. He still enjoys playing the sport, but when he was a young man in high school, his parents had to set him straight.
“They told me that while they weren’t opposed to me playing soccer, it wasn’t a career,” Dr. Olu said. “They said not a lot of people become professional soccer players, and I needed something I could make a living at.”
Being an obedient son, he looked at where his strengths were with his academics (the sciences), and started to look into medicine, eventually settling on dentistry. It is a decision that has benefitted not only him, but his many patients.
The Emmitsburg Dental Center is located at 101 S. Seton Avenue in Emmitsburg. For an appointment, call 301-447-6662.
Photo by James Rada, Jr.
