Philadelphia dentist is a former Freedom Rider who once treated Muhammad Ali. Meet Dr. Edward Williams.
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Dr. Edward Williams runs a small dental office in Chestnut Hill where his staff have become family — and so have his patients.
Walking through Williams' dental office, you can see why patients feel at ease. Each room is unique, with sports as a recurring theme.
His journey to practicing dentistry speaks to his own strength. In college, he was a Freedom Rider with the civil rights activist group at Central State University in Ohio. He fought segregation.
"They would turn on the water hoses so when they shot the tear gas, the water would hold the tear gas to your clothes," Williams said.
Williams said those days were exciting and progressive. It was that momentum that gave him the fuel and determination he needed to apply to and succeed at Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry in the late '60s.
"I was the only Black student in the whole school. It was rough," Williams said.
Mentors like Dr. Bob Ellison, a prominent dentist and professor, challenged the university's treatment of him.
Williams graduated in 1972 with honors.
A specialist in oral surgery, Williams' research led him to discover solutions for preventing and treating concussions.
"Everybody says 'What happens when we hit the top of the head? 'No one ever says, 'What happens when the lower jaw hits the bottom of the skull?'" Williams said.
His back office serves as the Jaw Joint Institute. Realizing that many concussions occur because of impacts involving the jaw, he designed a custom mouthguard and jaw joint protector, which is distributed through WIPSS, Inc. to help prevent concussions.
Part of Williams' treatment consists of undergoing stimulation to circulate the blood flow.
When it comes to the people in his chair, Williams has treated his fair share of famous patients, including the late Muhammad Ali.
Aside from all his professional accomplishments, Williams' greatest pride is his enduring legacy.
"My son is a dentist. My daughter is a dentist. My son-in-law is a dentist. My grandson graduated last year from dental school. My granddaughter graduated [from Kornberg] this year," Williams said.
For Williams, his practice speaks to the love of family, and passing down the torch.
