Dr. Matthew T. Ertl has called North Carolina home for the last 25 years. His tenure as a Tar Heel began while earning a Bachelor of Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he majored in environmental science and minored in chemistry. Dr. Ertl was one of the first graduates of the Carolina Environmental Program, which has now grown into the Institute of the Environment. The Institute plays a key role in interdisciplinary research and education on some of our most pressing environmental challenges. His education at UNC-Chapel Hill impressed upon him the importance of environmental stewardship and community service and how these elements affect the health of a community.
After graduation, Dr. Ertl worked within the dental research field at the Center for Oral and Systemic Diseases. He helped investigate connections between an individuals oral health and their overall health. Some of the research projects examined links between periodontal disease (gum disease) and their association to cardiovascular disease (heart disease), babies developmental challenges in an expecting mother, diabetes, stroke and drug delivery systems. This job deeply informed Dr. Ertls knowledge of how the latest medical and dental scientific knowledge can help keep patients healthy for years to come.
Upon graduating from the University of Floridas College of Dentistry in 2008, Dr. Ertl began serving communities within the piedmont and western North Carolina. Both Dr. Ertl and his family are avid outdoors people and love road cycling, mountain biking, backpacking, and hiking.