Dr. Ed Williams has been a dentist in Selma for the past 38 years. He has seen his practice grow from a three-chair operation to a state-of-the-art facility now located on Medical Center Parkway.

He has seen technology in dentistry change drastically in his years in the field and enjoys the changes going on even today.

But, the change Williams is most excited about is the transition he will be going through the next three years as he moves out of the field and watches as a young couple — a couple with Selma ties — takes over the practice.

Drs. Logan and Abbie Tucker joined the practice in late July and will take over the practice as Williams retires.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for me and for them,” Williams said. “It was a hard decision. It really was. But, I am only 63 and it’s nice to be able to retire and do the things that I want to do.

“As long as this practice is covered, I feel comfortable in leaving.”

For Abbie, the transition is a homecoming for the Morgan Academy graduate.

“The most enjoyable part is seeing the patients I know; family, friends, people that I grew up with,” she said. “In Ashville, I didn’t know anyone there and they didn’t know me. It’s nice to come back home.”

The two Auburn and UAB graduates are moving back to Selma from Ashville, N.C., where Abbie worked in private practice, while Logan worked in a public health clinic.

Logan said he and Abbie had been looking for a chance to move back to Alabama and closer to home.

“You look around and see this place, meet the patients and meet the staff and you see how everything is rooted together in the community,” Logan, a Centre native, said. “It was an easy decision and a great opportunity. We’re glad we came back.”

Williams said he is excited about the opportunity the Tucker’s have in taking over the practice and feels good about seeing young professionals come back to Selma.

“So many doctors have just closed their practices, because there hasn’t been anyone to come back and take over the practice,” Williams said. “In 1973 there were 21 dentists in Selma, today there are just eight.”

For the Tuckers, the past few weeks have been spent getting settled in Selma and in the practice.

“Learning how to run a businesss, the day-to-day things up front has been the challenge,” Abbie said. “The dentistry, that’s the easy part. We went to school for that, but they didn’t teach us how to run a business.

“Having Dr. Williams here is fantastic, all the staff is still here and they have been doing it for the past 20 years,” she said. “So it’s a matter of us learning and trying to catch on and staying out of their way.”