Dentists Doing Good

Dentists Doing Good: Dr. Shaun Williams

Submitted by Jeffrey Heinz, DDS, MSD Rockford

We’re living in a time where the news we consume is almost exclusively negative. Whether it’s smear campaigns, wars, gun violence, or any of the other numerous stories we consume, it’s depressing. That’s one of the reasons why I enjoy the “Dentists Doing Good” column. I get a chance to showcase people putting good into the world, and this edition is no exception.

Michigan Donated Dental Services is a nonprofit program of the MDA that has been offering free dental care for those in need by partnering with local dentists. I connected with April Stopczynski, the manager of MDDS, and she shared with me that one of our own WMDDS members, Dr. Shaun Williams (and his team at Glen Valley Dentistry), have been participating in MDDS for quite a few years so I decided to reach out to see if I could get some information on this dentist doing good!

After speaking with Dr. Williams’ MDDS coordinator and office manager, Chelsea Hull, I knew our membership would love to hear more. Fortunately, they had recently finished up an MDDS case that deserved to be recognized. Dr. Williams takes on one large case at a time—helping to solve complicated cases, sometimes over several years, for patients who would have no other means for that kind of care. His entire team participates, from front desk to hygiene as well as the other doctors in their practice. They are proud to help take care of our underprivileged populations and find great reward in watching the transformations take place. MDDS even has dental labs that partner in donating care with providing doctors. One such patient that Dr. Williams recently took care of was Julie. Her transformation took several years and does not disappoint! Chelsea described their time with Julie and said “You could see the outward expression of herself change. She became more confident in her smile and more confident in sharing herself. She felt better about herself after each procedure. Her smile was bigger every time we saw her! After we finished her case, Julie changed her hair—and the transformation was complete. We could hardly recognize her! You could tell she held her head higher, and her new confidence was so great to feel in person.”

Julie described her time with Glen Valley Dentistry and Michigan Donated Dental Services. “Being able to go through the program was a life changing experience. For me to be able to smile again with confidence means so much to me. Dr. Williams was also able to alleviate the pain I had experienced for so long. He was always kind and compassionate at every visit, and the office staff were extremely warm and welcoming. I am filled with gratitude for everything they did.”

Check out some photos of the process on the following page. Thank you, Dr. Williams and team, for giving us some positivity to report on.

Smile before

Max arch before Smile after

Final retracted

Michigan Donated Dental Services is looking for volunteers across the state, including West Michigan. All patients are vetted by the program and must meet eligibility requirements prior to the program contacting you. The example given is a more involved case than the program’s typical patient. You are free to tell the program coordinators the types of cases you would like to treat and how often you would like to be contacted to consider a new case. The first visit is only a consultation and you can decline a case for any reason. You can also earn free continuing education credits for the care you provide. If you or a colleague have questions or would like to participate with MDDS, please contact April at astop@michigandental.org.

New Dentist Forum Social Event

Please join us for a New Dentist Forum social event at Founders Brewing Company. This is a great time to mingle with other new dentists in the area and find out more about our upcoming events. We will also welcome and introduce our newest WMDDS members. Spouses and significant others are invited!

The Centennial Room at Founders Brewing Co 235 Grandville SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 Friday, August 19, 2022, from 6:30pm to 9pm Complimentary Drinks and Heavy hors d’oeuvres

Please RSVP to Dr. Jeff Heinz at: DrHeinz@heinzorthodontics.com SPACE IS LIMITED

Sponsored by: West Michigan District Dental Society