This month, in Texas and Michigan, dentists give back and put kindness first in their communities. For George Jurek, D.D.S., of Waco, that means a $1 million dental-clinic donation, and for Dr. William Demray of Northville, Michigan, it takes the form of a toothy tree that generates holiday joy.

In both cases, their recent efforts build on their lifelong philanthropy through dentistry.

Dr. George Jurek gives back in Waco, Texas with $1M dental -clinic donation. Courtesy Waco-Tribune Herald Facebook page.

Retired dentist George Jurek, DDS, adds to his legacy of philanthropy

Dr. Jurek’s gift will help the Waco Family Medicine, a Federally Qualified Health Center, to include a dental clinic in their planned $51 million facility, according to a Waco Tribune-Herald report. Throughout his professional career in family dentistry, Dr. Jurek donated dental treatment to those who could not afford it. During his tenure with state agencies, he created the first educational program in Texas to prepare medical and dental professionals to care for patients with mental and developmental disabilities.

Read more about his connection to Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas, his lifetime of charitable works, and what inspired him on his path as an empathetic care provider HERE.

How does Dr. William Demray bring joy with giant plastic molars?

Outside his Northville Preservation Dental office in November, Dr. William Demray designed and built the world’s first Christmas tree made of 1,111 giant plastic molars to boost holiday spirits in the midst of a pandemic, according to HometownLife.com.

The eight-inch plastic molars were a supply overflow from the 3,333 created for the doctor’s 2016 exhibit in support of community arts. Back then, Dr. Demray hired Michigan-based SPI Injection Molding to produce the teeth, he’s been doing good works with them ever since.

In 2017, he enlisted other inspired artists to use them in support of the University of Detroit Mercy Dental School Community Outreach Program. His “Acci-DENTAL Masterpiece” competition requested a $20 donation to decorate a tooth as a contest entry, with all funds benefitting the University’s Titans for Teeth Mobile Clinic.

In 2017, the Benco Family Foundation participated in Dr. William Demray’s fundraiser for Titans for Teeth Mobile Clinic.by donating to the “Acci-DENTAL Masterpiece” competition. They invited Benco Dental associates at the home office of the nation’s largest privately owned dental distributor, in Pittston, Pennsylvania to “Decorate a Tooth & Make A Difference.”