Stephen K. Williams, DDS
Bicknell Dentist Dr. Stephen Williams Uses the Latest Dental Treatments
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Well, I broke my front tooth when I was in college and went to a dentist there in Bloomington. He just took really good care of me, and at that point I was kind of teetering between med school and dental school, and that just kind of solidified the decision that, "You know, I think I want to do this for a living."
Indiana University graduate 1975. Went to dental school in Indianapolis. Indiana University School of Dentistry, graduated 1979. My father was a building contractor, and he came down from Bedford to Bicknell and built our office.
I used to tell the story that as far as getting in dental school, I didn't have any pull or anything to get in, but after I got out, I had the dad that was able to build a nice building for me when the interest rates were 15-16 percent for me, so that was a good deal.
I just enjoy helping people, and I just enjoy talking to people. I know we have services that can really help the patient out. Many times the patient's not aware of what they need. The tooth is broken or if a tooth hurts, they're aware of that and they want that fixed. But they may not be aware of these other things that someday is going to be a problem for them.
I just enjoy presenting treatment to patients, letting them know what's there, what needs to be done. Ultimately, I work for them. So they're the boss. I tell you what you need and what you can do. You tell me what you want to do, and then we go from there.
I think being able to take someone's smile that really doesn't look very good – and it might be natural teeth or it might be a denture – and make it look really nice. Then we hand them the mirror when we're finished, and we see that kind of look in their eye and the big smile that they just can't believe.
I've had patients even cry. We're all tearing up and stuff, but just to be able to change, make a difference in people's lives that way, that's probably the most rewarding part of it.
Some people are lucky to discover their calling and spend a lifetime pursuing it. Dr. Stephen Williams is one of those people. A 1979 graduate of the Indiana University School of Dentistry, he opened his Bicknell office later that year. Over the next 22 years, he expanded his practice and his dental artistry, taking hundreds of hours of classes in advanced dental techniques. To fulfill his desire to provide complete dental services for his patients, Dr. Williams trained and became proficient in many areas of dentistry, including:
- Orthodontics
- Implant Dentistry
- Advanced Oral Surgery Techniques
- Endodontics (Root Canal Therapy)
- Wisdom Teeth Removal
- TMJ Therapy
- CEREC Tooth Replacement Technology
After dedicating 22 years of his life to providing quality dental care to his community, and raising four children, Dr. Williams was dealt a difficult blow: he was diagnosed with cancer. Uncertain about what the future held, he decided to retire. When he was blessed with a full recovery from his cancer, he took on the position of assistant basketball coach at North Knox High School, where his daughter played.
Although life was wonderful and he was surrounded with family and friends, he had a lot of spare time on his hands, leaving him wondering if there was something more he should be doing with his life. One afternoon Dr. Williams had been praying and asked, “Lord, what do you want me to do for the rest of my life?”
It was then that his phone rang. It was a former patient asking for some dental advice. After the phone call, Dr. Williams went back to his thoughts about what he should be doing with his life. Then the phone rang again. It was another dental patient with a question. After hanging up from the second call, he sat down, trying to concentrate on his future.
Ten minutes later, his phone rang again. “If this is another dental patient …” he said out loud. To his astonishment, it was.
This time when he got off the phone, he understood the message, and his purpose was clear. He was going to reopen his dental practice. But before he did, he wanted to make sure he could bring something really special to the people of Knox County, IN.
For the next two years, he traveled all over the country to study the latest dental techniques and procedures from the world’s top dental instructors. This included receiving advanced training at the prestigious Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies. He also purchased the best and latest equipment and built a state-of-the-art dental center.
Dr. Williams opened the doors of this facility in September 2008, bringing the finest dental care to the people of Knox County. He stayed open until 2016 when he decided to, again, retire.
In December 2018, Dr. Williams opened the doors once again. Although he keeps a full schedule at his busy practice, Dr. Williams still makes time to coach basketball, rescue animals, be active in ministry, and play golf.