Business Focus
Academy Dental:
Continuing the fine tradition of dentistry
Academy Dental traces its origins to 1979 when Dr. Garth Duff returned to his hometown to practice dentistry. Dr. Duff purchased a private practice at 179 Academy St. and, over the years, became a Presque Isle institution.
The early practice had the great fortune of hiring a tremendous original team of loyal, hardworking and bright employees. Of these, Mary Delong, Anne Dicker and Sue Sager still practice their craft at 179 Academy St. today.
In 1995, Dr. Duff merged his practice with that of Dr. Norma Desjardins. Together, they founded Academy General Dentistry (AGD). A native of Van Buren, Dr. Desjardins brought with her a tremendous addition to AGD — her St. John Valley patients. She also brought ambitious plans for the new partnership. Together, Dr. Duff and Dr. Desjardins were fortunate to have a bevy of dental professionals join their team. The new hires included Cheryl Bossie, Patty Ericson, Karen Edgecomb, Margaret McPherson and Sandi Bouchard.
As the practice demonstrated growth, Dr. Desjardins and her husband, Paul, purchased the practice real estate and built the current clinical section. In 2002, the “new and enlarged” building was opened to patients. A more accessible and patient friendly workspace, AGD now housed nine operatories and, yes, more employees. Stacey Smith, Lisa McPherson and Shelley Clark joined the dental practice next.
In 2007, Dr. Mark Melendez-Christensen came to Academy Dental by way of Kentucky. He subsequently purchased Dr. Duff’s interest in AGD to coincide with Dr. Duff’s semi-retirement and his move to the Topsham area. In 2009, Dr. M-C and Dr. Desjardins changed the name of their practice to Academy Dental. Around this same time, Kristen Hoglund joined our hygiene team.
Dr. Desjardins and Dr. Melendez-Christensen, their manager-spouses Paul and Charlotte (Char), and all the members of the team are committed to continuing the fine tradition of providing quality and comprehensive dentistry in a patient centered environment on Academy Street.
