More Than a Dentist’s Office: Lee Dentistry Gives Back to Local Communities

Community involvement is important to Dr. Preston Lee III of Lee Family & Cosmetic Dentistry.

On August 12 at 5:00 p.m. his office will host a cookout for Oxford police department, University police department and Lafayette County Sheriff’s office.

Office manager, Corey Ussery, said, “Dr. Lee developed this concept for this event to let the local law enforcement know that they have our support and how appreciated they are. We want to be involved in our community not only as health educators but also to give back to our community. Come on by and have a burger with us!”

Those who know Dr. Lee and his office wouldn’t be surprised to hear of this. Lee Dentistry has made a point to give back to the community from the annual Halloween Candy Buy Back to hosting a free dental day for those who cannot afford these services to awarding three scholarships to students enrolling at the University of Mississippi.

“Lee Family Dentistry has a big heart,” said Lee. “We are always looking for ways to give back.”

He currently serves on the board of Oxford Medical Ministries and the L.O.U. Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Jennifer Romero and he both work together to help not only provide dental care but provide support for communities in Oxford and Senatobia.

Dr. Jennifer Romero (Photo: Lee Dentistry)

“Dr. Romero and I are both very involved in the community,” Lee said. “We both feel a responsibility to give back to those around us.”

Lee Dentistry recently sponsored a 5k on June 4. Romero said, “We fully sponsored that, and that will continue to be our race. It’s a free race for everyone involved and it’s one of the only free races available in Oxford and actually in the surrounding areas too.”

Lee and Romero added that in December Lee Dentistry will choose a day to provide free dental treatment for those in need on a first-come, first-served basis. The attendees need only contact the office to sign up.

The practice has been in Oxford since 2004, and Lee has been taking care of the patients since he bought the practice from Dr. Mark Ellis in 2010. In 2013, he expanded his practice to include an office in Senatobia. Romero has been with the practice since July 2014 when she heard of a job opening there through a colleague.

She said, “I heard of it through a colleague of mine when I was in residency at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. When I spoke to Dr. Lee, I loved what he had to say. And now I enjoy very much working with him and for him at Lee Dentistry.”

Dr. Preston Lee III (Photo: Lee Dentistry)

Both Lee and Romero have a connection to the University of Mississippi. Lee graduated with honors from the University of Mississippi in 2004 before attending the University of Tennessee’s School of Dentistry. Dr. Romero enrolled in the University of Mississippi’s School of Dentistry after graduating from the Mississippi University for Women.

Now for the fifth year, the office has provided three scholarships for graduating high school seniors in Lafayette, Yalobusha and Tate Counties to attend the University of Mississippi. To qualify for a scholarship, one needs a 3.0 or higher GPA as well as involvement in school activities.

Lee said, “My wife, Elise, and I both leaned heavily on scholarships for our education, so we know firsthand how important it is for others. It is always a joy for our office to be a part of the continued success of our youth.”

He and Elise grew up together in Greenville and married right after he completed dental school. Now Elise works with him as an insurance specialist and the marketing director at the family practice, and they both said they feel “so blessed to be able to call Oxford home.”

Elise and Preston Lee have two daughters: Grayson and Anne Preston.

The couple and the entire team at Lee Dentistry work hard to ensure that each and every patient feels cared for from the warm welcome from the front desk to attentive treatment in the dental chair.

“Our number one goal is for each patient to have a great experience,” Lee said. “We certainly realize that going to the dentist can evoke emotions like fear, anxiety or nervousness. Every day, we go above and beyond to make you comfortable here with us.”

True to their word, the team at Lee Dentistry also posts on social media to show happy, smiling patients as well as instructional videos such as one titled “Child’s First Visit to the Dentist” that shows parents and children step-by-step on what they can expect on their first dental visits.

Upon visiting Lee Family & Cosmetic Dentistry on Facebook, one can see the team sincerely cares for their patients as evidenced by scrolling through months of pictures and videos of smiling, laughing patients. One patient surprises them with pizza. Another patient beams as the team applauds around him. And so the happiness goes on.

To learn more about Lee Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, visit them at www.leedentistryoxford.com.

Callie Daniels Bryant is the senior managing editor for HottyToddy.com. She can be reached at callie.daniels@hottytoddy.com.

Follow HottyToddy.com on Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat @hottytoddynews. Like its Facebook page: If You Love Oxford and Ole Miss…