THE HISTORY OF PARKS ORTHODONTICS

Dr. Bill Parks opened his orthodontic practice in a tiny office on Beechmont Drive in Newport News. He had three patients and one employee, his wife, Sandy. Sandy answered phones, took appointments and managed the books, while Dr. Parks worked on patients. 

After several years on Beechmont Drive, Dr. Parks moved the practice to a larger space in the Denbigh Professional Park on Denbigh Blvd. He and Sandy hired several more clinical technicians to help with the growing number of patients. One of these technicians was 18-year-old Ellen McCandless, who met her husband, Alan, in the orthodontic chair! Apart from Sandy, Ellen is the longest-employed Parks Orthodontics team member.

As the practice grew, the Parks family grew as well. Dr. Parks’ three children were often on hand, helping out after school and on holiday breaks. Sweeping the front walk, taking out the trash and watering flowers were regular office chores for Allison, Meredith and Will. As a teenager, Meredith was trained by her father as a clinical technician and was often seen working with patients. 

Dr. Parks always had an office pet on hand for the patients to admire. From hamsters to guinea pigs, there was always something new and interesting to see at the office. Dr. Parks became intrigued with tropical birds in a nearby pet store and decided he wanted one for his office. His team found a patient selling Sun Conures, and Sunny joined the team as the practice mascot in 1994, living in a small aviary in the office. Sunny became a patient favorite and was often found sitting on patients’ shoulders or hanging out with the team in the reception area. 

With an eye always on the future, Dr. Parks worked to establish a patient rewards system. Rewards over the years have included trips to the beach, renting Water Country USA for the day, giving away new bicycles for prizes, movie nights with people dressed up as characters from favorite movies, parties with candy buffets and video game tournaments. That innovative thinking has grown Parks Orthodontics into a practice that uses technology and modern techniques such as Invisalign and digital X-rays as a cornerstone of their treatment plans. 

Dr. Meredith Parks completed her orthodontics residency and joined the practice as an associate orthodontist. She expanded the Williamsburg location by moving to a new, larger location. 

The team expanded to over 20 team members as the three locations continued to see more patients. The patient fun continued with the introduction of the Sunny Money program, an annual Ice Skating Party and of course, fun contests every month.

Dr. Bill Parks participated in the annual Kyle Petty Ride Across America Charity Ride several times. The ride is held in an effort to raise funds for charities that support chronically ill children. Dr. Parks felt blessed to be part of the ride, which combines his passion for helping others with his love of motorcycles. In 2013, the ride took Dr. Parks from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho to Tempe, Arizona.

In 2013, work began on a new location in Yorktown. After nearly a year of construction, in July 2014, Parks Orthodontics moved its flagship location from Newport News to Yorktown and opened a 5,300 square foot state-of-the-art facility. The new office included viewing screens at each station for a relaxing visit, an open concept treatment bay with optional semi-private and private treatment areas and a state-of-the-art sterilization system. Parks Orthodontics also introduced the iTero digital intraoral scanner, which eliminates the need for messy and uncomfortable impressions and offers a quick turnaround time for Invisalign cases.

On May 21, 2015, Dr. Bill Parks passed away leaving a legacy of exemplary professionalism and kindhearted spirit towards children, which continues to be the cornerstone of Parks Orthodontics. In her father’s absence, Dr. Meredith Parks took over as the head orthodontist, and together with her sister Allison ran the practice. The William R. Parks Memorial Scholarship was established to support current and former patients graduating from high school or attending college.

Parks Orthodontics celebrated 40 years of serving the Peninsula. Dr. Meredith Parks and Allison Parks Hale continue their father’s legacy of providing excellent care. Multiple generations of families have received and continue to receive orthodontic care from Dr. Meredith Parks and Parks Orthodontics. Allison Parks Hale manages the practice and oversees the daily operations that keep Parks Orthodontics thriving. The sisters have taken their father’s lifelong passion and made it their own, with the goal of continuing Parks Orthodontics for decades to come. 

Over the last several years, Parks Orthodontics has been awarded numerous awards in Virginia Living Magazine’s “Best of Virginia” contest and Coastal Virginia Magazine’s “Top Dentist” contest. In February 2020, Dr. Meredith Parks was honored by Invisalign as a certified Diamond Plus Invisalign provider, meaning she completes 200 Invisalign cases every six months. Parks Orthodontics welcomed a new mascot in the summer of 2020. The bird, Mango, is a male Yellow-Sided Green-Cheeked Conure. Along with Mango came an updated Parks’ logo with his image. As Parks Orthodontics continues to serve the Peninsula, it focuses on making orthodontics comfortable and fun while providing the best care around as they have since 1978.