Orthodontist Maxwell Abraham, who began his practice in Leamington eight years ago, soon found he had a strong following in Chatham-Kent.
Orthodontist Maxwell Abraham, who began his practice in Leamington eight years ago, soon found he had a strong following in Chatham-Kent.
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The owner of Abraham Orthodontics said about 25 per cent of his patients were making the drive to Leamington from Chatham-Kent.
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“So, that prompted us to try to serve those families a little bit better, make their drive a little easier,” Abraham said of opening a second office in Chatham last summer.
“From there, things have just grown so much,” he said after a recent grand opening for the Chatham office at 729 St. Clair St.
Abraham, 34, has been named young business individual and young entrepreneur of the year as part of the Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce’s 136th Business Excellence Awards.
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“We’re so blessed to have (won) these two awards,” he said, adding the timing with the grand opening has been perfect.
A unique aspect of his practice is the Growing Smiles program, in which the orthodontic practice invests in children, Abraham said, including not charging families for consultation or followup checkups for their kids.
The office likes to first see children about age seven, Abraham said.
“Most of those kids don’t need any treatment right away,” but their progress is followed yearly at no charge through the program.
“Any records, anything we do at that time, there’s no cost to the parents,” Abraham said. “Really, it’s peace of mind for us to make sure nothing it getting missed as their kids grow.”
Most children don’t usually need braces until they’re aged 11 to 13, he added. And when they do need orthodontics, the practice can help families with monthly payment plans with no interest or down payment.
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Families often comment on the big difference with traditionally orthodontic offices, Abraham said, noting the service helps many families who might not have been able to do orthodontics for their kids.
The service is provided in an environment where kids are getting the best new technology available, he added, and their open-concept office also appeals to families.
“The biggest compliment we get from parents about are set up being very open and very welcoming, is parents can always see and know what’s going on,” Abraham said.
However, he added there are also provide rooms if people prefer that option.
Adults make up about 50 per cent of the practice’s patients, often seeking clear aligners, invisible retainers that straighten teeth like braces do.
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“We see a lot of adult patients who’ve never had the opportunity to fix their teeth or have some insecurities about their smile. . . and we help them the same way we help families,” Abraham said.
Receiving two honors from the chamber is “humbling,” and a testament to the work of the Abraham Orthodontics team, he added. “We need everyone’s effort to make this work for our patients the way it does.”
Abraham and other honorees will be feted at the awards event at Chatham’s Everest convention center April 11. Tickets are $135 each, plus HST, from chatham-kentchamber.ca.
THIS YEAR’S OTHER HONORES
Youth entrepreneur of the year: Megan Devries
Business individual of the year: Kaleena Cryderman, TekSavvy
Entrepreneur of the year: Tina Hodgson, Neighborly Care
Business of the year (large): Dakota Hodgson, Neighborly Care
Business of the year (medium): Laurie McCarthy, Styled Co.
Corporate citizenship of the year and business of the year (small): Greg Hetherington, CKXS 99.1 FM
Citizen of the year: Susan Bienstman
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