This month we take a look back at some of our patient’s fondest memories of Dr. Bill Parks – the man, the myth, the legend! Dr. Parks was passionate about his work and he created countless beautiful smiles for so many people over his amazing career. Today, we would like to share some of their memories with you. His legacy continues as his exemplary professionalism and kindhearted spirit towards children has become the cornerstone of Parks Orthodontics.
“Aside from the wide mouth bass appliance to hold your mouth open, and the numerous impressions that I had done, and the countless hours I spent reading the ceiling tiles from those who had come before me and had their braces removed, I remember so many things about being a part of the Dr. Parks family!
I received my first orthodontic appliance at age 8, a bite plate and a lip bumper, as well as headgear. I loved the interchangeable headgear covers! I remember going to the office and seeing all the friendly faces, watching the gerbils roll around the floor in the hamster balls, playing Pac Man and Nintendo in the game room, and listening to tunes on the radio while having things adjusted. Dr. Parks always had on some sort of silly tie, which got even sillier at the Christmastime Skating Party. I mean, whose orthodontist goes roller skating with his patients??
Once I moved into the world of braces, I had many firsts with Dr. Parks. I believe I was a trendsetter with having multi-colored ties placed on my brackets…I once had blue, pink, green, and purple, and apparently, no one had thought of that before! I think my mouth photo was on the bulletin board for a really long time. I had a superwire and rubber bands and chains, and the whole gamut, but every time I went, I had so many laughs. I swapped stories about drama class with Ellen. Dr. Parks always had some sort of story to tell too.
Another first for me was I got to be on the news because I participated in the Limo rides to Dr. Parks’ office from Gildersleeve Middle School. I’m sure we have that video tape somewhere in the house! It was so cool to be picked up from school in a limo to go to my appointments.
Finally, the day came when the braces came off! I was so excited to sign the ceiling, and I was the first patient to get a gift certificate for a photo shoot at O’Neal’s Photography Studio, and my headshot hung in the office for a while too. I loved to sport my Dr. Parks t-shirts, and tell everyone how awesome it was to go to the orthodontist. My brother and sister had orthodontic experiences with Dr. Parks too, so I got to come back and visit many times.
Thanks to Dr. Parks and the staff, I rode in limos, went skating, and played at water parks, but most of all, I have a smile that to this day (25 years after my braces came off, mind you) gets me compliments. I cannot express how grateful I am that all of my permanent teeth fit in my mouth in a beautiful way, and aside from my parents’ footing the bill, I owe it all to Dr. Parks and his team. He is hands down my favorite health care provider and I feel so lucky to have been a part of the magic in that office. I can’t even begin fathom the number of mouths perfected over the years by that office, and we are all a part of a club of sorts. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of it!” – Bonnie Pancoast
Thank you for being a part of the Parks Orthodontics experience and for sharing your memories with us. We treasure hearing these special stories from our patients and are happy to know the smiles will continue to shine for years to come.
