The twists that led to Long Island Dental Wellness
The first time, it was by choice.
Dr. David Broughton and Michelle Broughton were both working at other dental offices, and their dream of owning a practice followed what seemed like the sensible order: Buy an existing practice first. Build one from scratch only as a last resort.
So while most engaged couples spend the year before their wedding touring venues, the Broughtons spent it touring dental practices for sale across Long Island.
They found outdated equipment. Tired decor. And nothing that cleared the one bar that mattered most: finding a practice where they would be proud to treat their own friends and family.
Eventually, they moved to Plan B, the one most couples wouldn’t attempt with a wedding on the calendar. They would build one from scratch.
The plan was set. The search was over.
Then, in Deer Park, everything changed.
Who do you leave it with?
Michelle had met Dr. Kevin Henner while temping.
Dr. Henner had spent his entire career at 163 Half Hollow Road in Deer Park, treating many of the same families his father had before him. The practice had belonged to his father before it became his.
And within dentistry, Dr. Henner had built a reputation that extended well beyond Deer Park.
He served as president of the New York State Dental Association and chaired ethics bodies at the county, state and national levels, including the American Dental Association’s Council on Ethics, Bylaws and Judicial Affairs. He also taught ethics and risk management at Stony Brook University’s dental school and lectured on the subjects across New York and nationally.
For decades, when dentists faced a question of right and wrong, Dr. Henner was one of the people they asked.
Then an injury led to surgery and, ultimately, news no dentist wants to hear: Dr. Henner would not be returning to the chair.
Retirement was no longer his choice. But another decision was.
After more than 35 years in dentistry, he had to decide who would take over his practice and care for the patients and families who had trusted him for decades.
That brings us to the second time this practice almost didn’t happen.
When the practice went on the market, Dr. Henner received multiple offers, including offers above asking price, according to the Broughtons.
He spent months vetting potential successors before choosing them.
“He told me straight out, ‘These are my patients. They are my friends and family. Some of them I’ve watched grow up. Some of them watched me grow up. If I pick the wrong person, they’ll know, and they’ll definitely let me know,'” Dr. Broughton recalled.
“When I later asked him why he chose us,” Broughton said, “he told me he could sleep easy at night knowing his patients were going to be well taken care of.”
Dr. Henner echoed that sentiment when contacted for this story.
“The technological advancements in dentistry are an incredible benefit for the patient, and Dr. Broughton is using all of them, but the most important thing is the way they care,” Dr. Henner said. “It’s the way I was taught to care, and they’ve taken that care to the highest level dentistry has to offer today.”
Then he added: “By the way, I sleep fine.”
What they’ve built since
Greater Long Island readers first met the Broughtons last fall, shortly after they took over the practice.
Since then, their focus has turned to something harder to acquire than equipment or technology: the trust Dr. Henner had built over decades.
That kind of trust doesn’t transfer with a signature.
“I’ll be brutally honest: We lost patients during the transition, and every loss hurt, because this practice is a reflection of us,” Dr. Broughton said. “But I noticed a pattern: It was almost always after telling a patient something was wrong.”
He understood why.
“Put yourself in their shoes,” he said. “A new dentist you just met says there’s a crack in your tooth requiring treatment you didn’t expect. I wouldn’t have taken my word for it either.”
So the Broughtons developed a system designed so patients don’t have to take anyone’s word for it.
They call it the Proof Protocol, a system developed by Broughton that the practice has filed to trademark. It combines seven diagnostic systems designed to document conditions including cavities, cracked teeth and gum disease through images and measurements, replacing opinions with evidence patients can see.
“We set out to solve the biggest problem in dentistry: trust,” Broughton said. “Our job is simple: Provide state-of-the-art care and do right by the person in the chair.”
For Broughton, the goal is to show patients what he sees rather than simply asking them to accept his diagnosis.
“There’s no more telling, there’s only showing,” he said. “You see the proof for yourself, and we make the decision together.”
They’re not done building yet
There has been another addition since Greater Long Island’s first story on the Broughtons.
The couple recently welcomed a daughter, Eliana Marie.
“That’s part of why this matters so much right now,” Michelle said. “We’re building a practice her friends and family will come to, and one she’ll be proud of. A legacy, the way Dr. Henner’s father passed this practice to him.”
Dr. Henner wanted a successor who would let him sleep easy at night. Sleep is in shorter supply at the Broughton house these days, and Eliana Marie sees to that. But the practice she will grow up in is the one he hoped he was leaving behind.
What new patients should know
The Broughtons say their approach is geared toward patients who want a detailed picture of their dental health.
Their Wellness Exam and Cleaning takes longer than a typical dental visit, and the practice intentionally limits the number of new-patient appointments it accepts.
And for people who have avoided the dentist for years, Michelle has a standing message.
“No lecture is waiting for you here,” she said. “Most of our favorite patients started with the words, ‘It’s been a while.'”
To request an appointment, call 631-489-8640 and ask for Donna or Jennifer. Tell them you’re interested in the Wellness Exam and Cleaning.
The practice says patients are told what their insurance covers before an appointment is booked.
For patients without insurance, Long Island Dental Wellness currently offers a first visit including the exam, X-rays and cleaning for $297, paid at the time of the visit.
More information is available at longislanddentalwellness.com.
Long Island Dental Wellness is located at 163 Half Hollow Road, Suite 1, in Deer Park. Call 631-489-8640 for more information.
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