North Carolina orthodontist, nearly 80-year ADA member, dies at 102
Henry Zaytoun, D.D.S., remembered for mentorship, dedication to dental profession
When Shelley Olson, D.D.S., took on the role of secretary of the Raleigh-Wake County Dental Society in North Carolina not long after she graduated from dental school, she received a surprise visitor at her dental practice.
“One day, my front desk handed me a note saying that an older gentleman was in the lobby asking to see me. Curious, I went out to investigate and found Dr. Zaytoun standing there,” Dr. Olson said.
While she instantly recognized Henry Zaytoun, D.D.S. — a well-known orthodontist in Wake County and beyond — she was surprised to find he knew who she was and had stopped by to congratulate her, welcome her to Raleigh and thank her for becoming involved in organized dentistry.
“It was a small, simple gesture, but one that was incredibly meaningful and perfectly reflected who Dr. Zaytoun was,” said Dr. Olson, now the president of the North Carolina Dental Society and chair of the ADA Council on Dental Benefit Programs. “He had a remarkable way of making people feel seen, valued and heard. That kindness, combined with his dedication to the profession and to those around him, is what made him so special.”
Dr. Zaytoun, a nearly 80-year member of the American Dental Association, died May 25 at 102 years old.
“Dr. Henry Zaytoun was an incredible man who truly lived a life well lived,” Dr. Olson said.
Dr. Zaytoun was born on Feb. 23, 1924, in Kinston, North Carolina, and grew up in New Bern, North Carolina, according to his online obituary. He completed his predental studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before attending the University of Maryland School of Dentistry in 1943. He later served as a naval dental officer at the U.S. Third Army Headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany, from 1946 to 1948.
After returning home, Dr. Zaytoun moved to Rocky Mount, North Carolina, where he started his dental practice and married his wife of 74 years, Martha Nassif. In 1959, he earned a master’s degree in orthodontics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Adams School of Dentistry and moved to Raleigh, where he opened an orthodontic practice and raised nine children with his wife.
For the next 60 years, Dr. Zaytoun worked at his practice and supported the UNC Adams School of Dentistry, co-chairing the capital campaign to construct the building that houses the school, according to his obituary. He also established an endowment for a term professorship in orthodontics as well as the Henry S. and Martha N. Zaytoun Professionalism and Ethics Award.
Among his many professional affiliations, Dr. Zaytoun was a former president of the North Carolina Association of Orthodontists. He also supported and encouraged the next generation of dentists by writing numerous letters of recommendation for aspiring dental students and offering jobs and training in his own practice, his obituary stated.
Besides dentistry, Dr. Zaytoun loved reading and traveling. In 2004, he was awarded the Benemerenti Medal, a civil and military honor bestowed by the pope to members of the clergy and laity for exceptional, long-standing service to the Catholic Church. He was also awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, North Carolina’s highest honor acknowledging exemplary service to the state, by Gov. Micheal Easley.
Dr. Zaytoun is survived by his nine children, 24 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, parents, parents-in-law, son-in-law, sisters and brother.
A visitation for Dr. Zaytoun took place May 31 followed by a funeral Mass on June 1 at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Raleigh.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church and School or the Dental Foundation of North Carolina at the UNC Adams School of Dentistry in support of the Dr. Henry S. Zaytoun Sr. and Mrs. Martha N. Zaytoun Term Professorship.
