A man who brought smiles to a lot of Lake Orion residents passed away last week.
Dentist and Director of Lake Orion Family Dentistry, Dr. Keith Raymond Allain, of Oakland Township, passed away July 8 after a short illness. He was 50.
Allain had been practicing dentistry for 20 years, and constantly continued to get trained on the latest dental and orthodontic practices, as well as a variety of other oral procedures, such as implants and cosmetic reconstruction.
‘When you work in the dental field, there’s no end to your education,? Allain is quoted on his website, www.lkorionfamdent.com, as saying. ‘Discoveries are being made every day. To make sure I am offering my patients the best care available, I am constantly evaluating new techniques and treatments.?
According to his staff, who said he was at the ‘pinnacle of his profession? and well loved by his patients, it wasn’t just Allain who got additional training.
‘He always made such an effort to send us for more training,? said dental assistant Shannon Garvin, who worked for Allain for over eight years. ‘He invested in making us, in our different professions, the best we could be.?
‘He always said when he became perfect at his job, that’s when he’d retire,? she added with a smile.
According to his ‘team? at Lake Orion Family Dentistry, a term he used to refer to the staff and himself, Allain was also constantly giving back to his community.
In 2006, he was contacted by Scripps Middle School, which had raised $1,500 to help an eighth grade Scripps student who was homeless and wanted to get her teeth cleaned.
After he met with the student, Allain realized a simple cleaning wouldn’t be enough, and volunteered to do some more extensive dental work.
Five hours and some $14,000 later, the student had a lot to smile about. So did Allain, who really took pleasure in helping out others.
‘He was one of the nicest guys you’d ever meet,? said Donna Heyniger, director of Orion Area Chamber of Commerce, an organization that Allain and his practice were involved with. ‘He was really caring, and not just about his own. He was a family guy and he really cared about his community.?
In addition to his volunteer work with the Chamber and things like the Scripps student, Allain frequently donated things from his office, such as toothbrushes, and sent his team to talk to various preschools and community events, such as Family Fun Fest and the Community Expo.
‘It was very important to him to give back to the community,? said administrative assistant Lori Harms. ‘He was very generous.?
According to Harms, Allain went out of his way to keep in contact with his patients, and would even send them cards for things such as their birthday, a new job, new baby or even a perfect bowling score.
For his staff, which he sometimes jokingly referred to as his ‘daytime wives,? losing Allain has come as quite a shock.
‘He was a boss, but he was also more like a friend,? said Garvin. ‘I worked next to him all day long, and he was like a second father. He would always make sure we were happy and healthy.?
His staff added he would always make sure they were taking their vitamins and taking care of themselves, and really treated everyone like they were part of his family.
And, in fact, in his mind, they were.
‘He told me, ‘I’m not hiring you for a job, I’m letting you into my family,?? said dental assistant Tiffany Dewey, who joined the team about 11 months ago.
For nearly two months, Allain’s colleagues and his brother have been filling in at the practice while Allain has been out on medical leave. They plan on continuing to do this for the future while looking for a permanent addition that fits ‘into the family? that Allain has built, the staff said.
?(Dr. Allain) worked all of his life for this,? Harms said. ‘We’re not going anywhere. We are going to keep his dream alive.?
Dr. Allain is survived by his loving wife, Lisa; children, Alec and Bryce; parents, Raymond and Joyclyn; siblings, Randy DDS, Jeff (Laura) Allain and Jennifer (Dan) Gates.
He is the son-in-law of Joseph and Nancy Gelle, brother-in-law of Michelle (Patrick) Sawyers, and is also survived by many aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.
Allain loved spending time with his family and friends and was a car and motorcycle enthusiast.
He had degrees from Wayne State (BA), U of M (D.D.S.), Madonna University (MSBA), along with two advanced dental fellowships.
A Funeral service was held July 12 at the Modetz Funeral Home, 100 E. Silverbell. Interment Guardian Angel Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, Allain’s wishes were to set up an education fund for Alec and Bryce. Memorials may be made in care of Lisa for an Education Fund.
Guestbook available online at www.modetzfuneralhomes.com.