Asheboro Magazine, February 2011 Cover Story, Dr. Henry L. Vruwink

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February 2011 • Vol. 1 • Iss. 7

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sk most boys what they want to be when they grow up and you will get answers from fireman to policeman, from professional athlete to doctor, but it is doubtful that you will get many, if any, that willingly admit to wanting to grow up to be a dentist.

Dr. Henry Vruwink was one of those rare exceptions. He knew he wanted to become a dentist from the time he was in middle school, and not because he wanted to follow in the steps of his father or grandfather.

Henry Vruwink grew up in Oklahoma.

He was the son of an Episcopalian

considered this very carefully before approaching his father regarding breaking the family tradition and studying the dental arts. His father was very approachable and understanding, and released him from his heritage without any guilt. He himself had attended Princeton University, and was an All American in football before joining the priesthood.

He explained to Henry, “You don’t have to be a priest to be a good Disciple.”

Henry finished high school and entered dental school, at the University of Tennessee. Upon graduation, he joined the navy in order to complete a two year internship. While in the navy, he

“Why quit what you like doing, to do something else?” priest, whose father and grandfather had also been Episcopalian priests. Growing up, he was fascinated by science. He was fortunate that his family dentist, who was an active member of his father’s church, discovered his interest and suggested that he consider a career in dentistry. Because young Henry admired and respected this man, he

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met Steven Walsh, who was stationed at the same base. They became good friends and discovered they shared a lot of the same philosophies. When their tour in the navy was up, they looked into opening a practice together and began looking for an area in the United States that would suit. They searched for a location with a growing population, but not too large, and one that didn’t already have a tremendous amount of dentists.

They narrowed their search down to central North Carolina. Their first choice was Cary, but they just didn’t feel there was enough growth potential there.

In high school, Steve had played football against the teams from Asheboro, and remembered the players and their fans as the nicest group of people. Seeing the growth potential of the area with a new Zoo being constructed that aspired to be one of the largest in the United States, they felt the opportunities were high in Asheboro, and they set up their practice in 1972. When asked if he regretted the decision to settle in Asheboro over Cary, Dr. Vruwink stated he wouldn’t change a thing, and if presented with the same choice again, knowing what he knows now, he would still choose Asheboro.

Drs. Walsh & Vruwink practiced together for 12 years in that initial office, steadily growing their staff from one front desk person and one shared dental assistant to several staff members. In fact, they outgrew the space they were in and

were constantly bumping into each other. Henry chose to relocate and established a brand new practice. Twenty-five years ago he opened his office on Scarboro Street, which is where he still practices today.

One of the things he likes most about dentistry is the relationship he has created with his patients. Over the years, they have become friends and neighbors, and he spends almost as much time catching up on what their families are doing as he does caring for their teeth.

He is now taking care of the second generation of patients. The parents who grew up in his dental chair have now brought their children to see him. It’s very rewarding to watch them grow into adults, some of whom went to school and are friends with his own children.

After Henry went to college, his parents relocated to Washington state. His nephew attended the University of Washington and entered their exchange program, choosing to travel to Ecuador.

The host family he stayed with in Quito was very welcoming and he enjoyed his time there. The daughter of the family in Quito became interested in relocating to the United States with her young daughter. Henry’s Mom hosted her for a year in Washington, and that is when Henry met Jacqueline, on one of trips to visit his parents. It was love at first sight. They have now been married volume1 issue 7 asheboromagazine.com 11

for 10 years and Jacqueline loves that she has such a close relationship with her Mother-in-Law. Henry’s mother was a wonderful influence on Jacqueline’s daughter, Estefany, and was the one to introduce her to the arts. Estefany is now attending the School of Design at North Carolina State University, and is an accomplished photographer, shoe designer, and very talented artist.

The Vruwinks love to travel, and make several trips to Ecuador each year, and their family from Ecuador visits the United States as well. Jacqueline’s sister actually moved here, and works in the dental office here in Asheboro. Jacqueline manages the office, and with her background in accounting, she keeps things running smoothly.

With the dental office open Monday through Thursday, they get to indulge their love of gardening on the weekends.

Henry spends his time tending the vegetable garden on their property; while Jacqueline maintains the beautiful flower beds around their home. “Yard work is fun, and relaxing.” He loves to cook, so is able to use fresh produce grown in his own garden to create wonderful meals for family and friends.

Henry is also very conscious of health and is a member of the YMCA, where he swims as often as he can. The YMCA is a great way to keep in shape throughout the colder weather months.

The practice has kept up with new technologies, and among their more recent upgrades is digital radiology, which makes going to the dentist less fearsome, for some. Some of the “coolest” new technology they have installed is their handheld laser. It allows them to prepare a patient’s teeth that have small cavities to be filled, with no drilling! They are able to do many things they were never able to do before, usually the same day. Digital x-rays have made it easier to zoom into one spot so they can see what’s going on with a tooth, versus trying to read a small standard x-ray from years ago and perhaps not getting the full “picture”. Henry feels that his most value asset to his practice is his staff.

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Henry is always looking for ways to make his patients more comfortable. He worked with his daughter, Megan, who is a pharmacist at Prevo Drug here in Asheboro, to create a topical anesthetic to numb the area where Novocain would be injected before a filling or other dental work commences. She was able to blend several items together into a compound that works very quickly and effectively.

Also at Henry’s request, she made another compound that relieves mouth ulcers. In fact, they usually disappear completely within one day.

Henry’s staff has been with him for many years, and they work well as a professional team.

Several staff members have been with him for over 20 years. He values honesty, integrity and empathy for his patients in his employees, and that is how he runs his practice.

Dr. Vruwink has enjoyed a successful career as a dentist here in Asheboro. He loves the diversity the profession offers and the many patients that have grown into friends over the years.

He looks forward to Monday mornings so he can get back to what he loves to do. How many people do you really know who can say the same. It’s a good thing that Henry considered becoming a dentist as a young boy, because it has been his passion throughout his life and very rewarding. Henry has no plans to retire from his practice any time soon. In his own words, “Why quit what you like doing, to do something else?” 