10/09/2026
Sometimes a dental appointment is about so much more than teeth. ❤️
We received this incredibly thoughtful note from Mike after bringing his 95-year-old mother, Marylyn, to our Livonia office for her first visit. His words about Peri and our entire Livonia team meant so much to us.
We’re incredibly proud of the compassion, patience and kindness our team shows every day, especially when a patient needs a little extra care and understanding.
Thank you, Mike, for taking the time to share this with us. We’re so grateful you trusted Laurich Dentistry with your mom’s care. ❤️
Shared with his permission, here’s his full note:
Hello -
My name is Mike T. and yesterday I brought my mother Marylyn in for the first time to Laurich Dentistry for a complete check-up. I was so impressed with your staff that I wanted to send a note to express my gratitude for everyone at your Livonia Location.
My mother is 95 years old and unfortunately is in the advanced stages of dementia. She also has issues with her balance which requires use of a walker. While we were out in front of your office getting ready to come in, I looked up and saw one of your workers (unfortunately I did not get her name) who was holding the office door opened and asked if she could assist us. I was very appreciative of that kind gesture when I realized she saw us from inside and came out to help. Once in your office EVERY person in the reception area turned, smiled and said good morning to my mother. Again, a very nice gesture from all of them especially for her first visit.
Having a family member with dementia presents quite a few challenges, one of which is going to new or unfamiliar places. It can be quite stressful and unsettling for her not knowing where she is or why she is there. Our dental hygienist was a young woman named Peri and she is the most kind, caring and patient person I have met in a long time. I was so impressed on how she handled all the challenges of getting mom in and out of the chair, chatting with her to make her instantly more comfortable, taking multiple attempts to explain how she would be cleaning her teeth and taking x-rays and then actually performing all the dental duties all while chatting and keeping my mother calm and happy. Because of how frail my mother is, there are constantly times where she needs a break to figure out things such as what is going on, how did she get there, and what type of “doctor” Peri is. I’m assuming what would normally take an hour or so to perform for a first-time patient took over two hours because of all the stopping and interruptions my mother caused to deal with her anxiety and confusion and kind of level set on what was going on. Peri was incredibly professional AND compassionate with mom throughout the entire appointment. It made me grateful enough to realize we still have loving and caring people in our world.
Also, at the time I thought it would be more calming and less of a distraction for my mother if I stepped out of the exam room and sat in the waiting room to let Peri do her work with mom. While waiting, I got the chance to listen and observe your office staff at work and it was incredible. Every worker in that office - and I DO mean EVERY SINGLE ONE - was happy, upbeat, professional and helpful to every single patient coming in and leaving, as well as being happy, upbeat, professional and helpful with their coworkers. It was amazing to watch. You should be commended as a company for the type of people you hire and how your office operates as an organization.
I realize it is not common or comfortable for businesses to work with or deal with all the of challenges of elderly people with dementia. We are thankful as a family that we were able to find Laurich Dentistry but more appreciative than words can express on the staff we encountered there. I am hoping you can forward this email to a manager or senior staff member of your Livonia office to make them aware of what an amazing business you have. Your staff is incredible.
Thank you for EVERYTHING!
Regards,
Mike T.
