PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — A new owner has taken over the dental practice at 169 Academy St. and plans to expand services to the community.
Dr. David Levasseur has worked as a doctor of dental surgery at Pines Health Services in Caribou, a federally qualified health center, for the past six years.
Levasseur’s practice will bring the number of general dentistry offices to three in Presque Isle, with Academy Dental and White Smiles being the other two. Saint Apollonia serves children and young adults in Presque Isle ages 0 to 20.
“There are only a few dentists for many patients and if you call around to all the offices right now there is no one taking new patients unfortunately,” Levasseur said.
In the surrounding area, there are three dental clinics in Caribou, one in Madawaska, one in Eagle Lake, one in Fort Kent and two in Houlton, Levasseur said.
Levasseur bought the dental practice from retiring Dr. Olurotimi Odimayo. It will be renamed to Levasseur Dentistry. Levasseur will take over Odimayo’s patients and open his practice to new patients as well.
Odimayo had been working at his practice in Presque Isle for the past 20 years, open three days a week, but Levasseur will be open for four days.
“I was wanting to essentially have my own practice that is tailored a little bit toward myself and this was a really good opportunity,” Levasseur said.
Renovations for the inside of the building began on June 5 with a goal of opening in mid-August. Hygienists will offer services starting in September, Levasseur said.
Construction work includes expanding the operating rooms and adding one more; modernizing the reception and staff areas; and updating dentistry technology.
Levasseur got partial funding for his renovations through the Northern Maine Development Commission but declined to say the amount of the funding.
Once open, Levasseur’s practice will offer preventive dentistry like teeth cleanings and fluoride sealants, along with general dentistry like fillings, crowns and extractions to name a few.
“Typically, a dental hygienist will serve about a couple hundred patients a year,” Levasseur said. “So they are double what they’re typically expected, which also means the dentists are seeing more patients as well.”
Levasseur graduated in 2017 from Dalhousie University in Halifax located in Nova Scotia, and has been practicing dentistry since then. Once Levasseur Dentistry is open, patients can call 207-764-3040.
“It’s a pretty overwhelming amount [of patients] that are seeking treatment, but I’ll do my best to continue along and work as much as we can to make a bigger dent in the increasing need of care,” Levasseur said.
