Today we’d like to introduce you to William Demray.
Hi William, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
A little more than 50 years ago, shortly after graduating from the University of Detroit dental school – and putting push pins in a map of southeast Michigan – I decided to purchase an historic home in downtown Northville to turn into a family dental practice where I have been practicing general dentistry ever since. I opened the doors and made waffles in the mornings…the aroma brought townspeople who became lifelong patients. Families grew, moved and continue to come back to what they consider their dental home. Why? I like to believe it is my philosophy to save and preserve every tooth in their mouth. Each smile is unique and I like to keep it that way.
I didn’t go about building my small, hometown business with cookie cutter ads and coupons, not my style. I like to believe I’m pretty creative. And when I’m not working, I want to be flying. It’s my passion. I travel and bring home ideas. I have set five world aviation records – that is a story in and of itself!
I bought a vintage VW early on and built a cast of characters to get my dental message out in my community. They paraded through the streets and I needed a few more cars. We’ve got the Tooth Fairy, Miss Sweet Tooth, Mr. 2th DK, the Candy Cops from the PDPD – Preservation Dental Police Dept. There’s the Sugar Bugs, Miss Ginger Vitis, PlaqueMan…and more. If we can get folks excited – welcome them as patients and teach them how to limit sugar and clean their teeth we could turn around the most prevalent diseases in our lifetime, tooth decay. It has become well-known in the medical community that good dental hygiene is the gateway to overall good health. Think about seat belts and MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers) and how they made significant improvements to the quality of our lives.
At Preservation Dental, we treat children – cleaning their teeth, entertaining them with characters, rewarding them with PD Bucks and providing a Binky Tree for that monumental rite of passage. And one of the VWs is now the Molar Express – serving as the Shuttle Bug for patients who simply need a ride.
In addition to a strong dental message, we look for ways to support our community – not simply writing a check – that is the “corporate way”. We roll up our sleeves and play an active roll – with the help of staff, family, friends – and patients! There are at least 100 volunteers year-after-year who come forward to help. The faces change, the kids grow up and we keep on keeping on.
I like big art, always have. The Northville Art House is a little gem in my town. I saw a picture of booze being poured out the windows of a building in downtown Detroit during the Prohibition Era. I thought – hmmm – can I spill thousands of teeth out of the windows of my upper level as part of the annual Arts & Acts Festival in town? It took the creative efforts of several people to make it happen – but we did it! It was a one-time art project that turned into a Mol-Art Exhibit – where folks created unique works of art out of white, plastic molars, and donations went to the UDM Mobile Dental Unit, that cares for the underserved children in Detroit.
Patients would come in and ask: “When are the teeth coming back?” There was no plan for a return exhibit – then COVID hit. It was a sad time. The holidays were coming. The VWs had taken on the role of Rudolph and the eight tiny reindeer in the Northville Holiday Lighted Parade for nearly 20 years. 2020 – no parade. One day someone said to me – how about a Christmas tree of teeth? There it was – the idea – and I called upon those around me who could make it happen. It wasn’t just a tree of teeth – it had music and a light show – and we all put on masks, social distanced – and brought a little light to a dim time in our history. The Tree of Teeth is now recognized around the world as one of the most unique Christmas trees.
Our partnership with the Northville Art House led to a writing competition. As part of that Arts & Acts festival, the event Short on Words was also created using interesting photos I took in my travels to inspire authors of all ages to write 1500 words or less, competing for cash awards while earning donations for the Art House.
The art of giving back caught on for me personally, and for those around me. The Rotary Club in my town joined me to raise the money needed to repaint the iconic American flag mural commissioned after 9/11 on the wall of the historic Marquis Theater. The local chapter of the American Association of University Women decorated my home (also in Northville) for a home tour raising funds and showcasing the work of many of our hometown designers and craftspeople. Overall our efforts have raised more than $100,000.00 for local charities. In addition to those previously mentioned other recipients include: Tipping Point Theatre, Northville Historic Society, Living & Learning Enrichment Center and Northville Community Foundation.
Last year I celebrated a milestone – 50 years of working on the corner of Griswold and Main in downtown Northville – we call it the intersection where community meets exceptional dentistry. The idea for a celebration came about – I had two requests. First, the focus is on the patients. Second, a dunk tank – to raise funds to renovate the playscape and honor a young boy from our town who lost his life in a tragic accident. I was dunked more than 50 times!
I am honored, and humbled by the turnout then, and day-after-day as I treat patients who seek my care.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Most of the obstacles I have faced have been as a result of time. Life changes, the community grows. The trouble for many small businesses is compliance issues – the big companies have full on departments to handle the paperwork. The tracking effort to keep ahead of all the regulations that have come to be over a 50-year period is daunting. The idea of an employee handbook for a few hard working people seemed overkill. It was not – it became necessary. Looking back, it kept us on track and with updates as needed, it still does. Of course the cost of doing business is tough. Goods and materials change and it’s difficult to find some of the tried and true. But despite cost I will not compromise what is best for my patients. The test of time however, is also a blessing. Building a solid foundation early on, with the intention to make this community my home, has helped me sustain. As a business in the health care field – insurance has been the single most challenging obstacle we face. That is a topic for another time!
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about William S Demray DDS dba Preservation Dental ?
As I mentioned, I am a general dentist and I own and operate a family practice in downtown Northville. My goal is to save every tooth in your mouth – which in today’s climate is rather unique. I am not a cosmetic dentist. I expect my hygiene team to have a relationship with each patient – where they work together toward the outcome of healthy teeth and gums. We are partners with our patients. I rely on specialists who are trained to the maximum degree and who have open lines of communication to assist when necessary.
A smile is like a fingerprint – unique to the person. A gap could be considered a trademark like many of the talented actors with a shelf full of Oscar awards! After an extensive trial program we started offering bleaching for patients who meet a criteria. For example, if you have sensitive teeth and gums I would not necessarily recommend bleaching. However, if your son or daughter are getting married and you don’t feel comfortable smiling for the photos because the aging process has taken away the sparkle – we will work with you for an ear-to-ear grin! A patient doesn’t always like what I recommend but I have followed a code of 12 principles which have proven results.
Number 5 on the list of principles is: “The health and needs of the patient take priority over the wants of the patient.”
What’s next?
The biggest question in my office is when am I going to retire? I am seeing the third, fourth and even fifth generations of my first patient families. My hope, God-willing – I have at least ten years in me. And, I’d like to set at least one more aviation world record!
Last year when I celebrated a landmark milestone I went to a bull riding show. After the show I asked to hop on one of those bulls for a photo op. You see there is a famous quote: “Pedro Romero (18th Century) was the greatest bullfighter in the world. Romero was about to retire. When he does he will step into the ring for one more fight, cut off his ponytail to a standing ovation and everything will change….BUT NOT YET.”
(Everyone who knows me knows I love a good quote!)
Pricing:
- We are in network with Delta Dental.
- We accept Care Credit.
- We have convenient payment plans available.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://preservationdental.com
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- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/docdemray?
