Rapport Winter 2010/11 : Page 27
dR. bRyaN WiLLiaMs [ ALUMni PRoFiLe A Lifetime of helping children with Special needs by KRis duNdas (ba’94, Ma’95) a “it’s nice to know you can do something for a child others can’t do... i love that feeling. it’s very uplifting. it’s my passion.” dR. bRyaN WiLLiaMs (dds’74) t age 60, dr. Bryan Williams (dds’74) laughs when he admits he’s still trying to ‘make something of himself.’ though the accomplished paediatric dentist and orthodontist held the position of dental director at seattle children’s hospital for 16 years, has taught hundreds of residents in specialty care and holds two masters degrees, the only thing that makes him feel proud is helping children. “it makes me feel really good and it’s nice to know you can do something for a child others can’t do... i love that feeling. it’s very uplifting. it’s my passion.” as a specialist who practises both paediatric dentistry and orthodontics, Williams treats children with complex medical issues, developmental disabilities, cleft lip, cleft palate and craniofacial anomalies. These children often have difficult issues with dental care, he explains. “it is challenging just managing a child with medical needs, the family can’t handle dental care on top of it all.” Then there are the practicalities of getting to a dental office, including mobility and transportation issues, and finding a practitioner and office staff comfortable with treating children with special needs. hailing from vienna, ontario, a small town near Tillsonburg, Williams never imagined where his path to Western would take him. after two years in honors science he was accepted to the Faculty of dentistry. after graduation, he worked in general dentistry in London and taught part-time at the school before heading to the prestigious university of Washington for specialty training. “i really thank my lucky stars i went to Western. it set me up for my whole career,” says Williams. “The quality of my dental education was amazing.” he returned to live in Windsor and spent three years as acting chair of orthodontics at the university of detroit. over the next eight years he built an orthodontic practice where he treated many children with special needs. in 1990 he was recruited to seattle where he established specialty clinics, helped thousands of children, and played a major role in educating practitioners in the region and internationally. despite considering himself ‘semi-retired,’ Williams still works steady hours in two clinics: seattle special care dentistry and bellevue Pediatric dentistry & orthodontics. Through health volunteers overseas, he has treated patients in india, south africa and saudi arabia. Williams also continues his other lifelong passion: teaching. at seattle special care dentistry, he trains dental residents in a special care program with swedish Medical center and continues to teach orthodontic students in the management of children with cleft palate and craniofacial anomalies. “i love when a resident picks something up – a procedure or technique you have modelled for them – you see that light in their eyes when they have figured out how to help someone. i feel even better than when i do it myself.” 2010/11 rappOrt [ 29
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