Dr. William Dragan, founder of the Connecticut-based dental manufacturer Centrix Dental, died on January 11, 2025.
Dr. William Dragan, founder of Centrix Dental. Image courtesy of Centrix.
Dragan was born on March 15, 1934, to Vasily and Mary Dragan in Bridgeport, CT, and graduated from the Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry in 1958. After practicing dentistry in the U.S. Air Force, he entered private practice.
With a passion for engineering, the husband and father sought ways to make dentistry easier, leading him to patent a composite resin syringe delivery system. Since opening Centrix in 1970, Dragan invented or collaborated on approximately 95 patents and innovations.
In 2024, Centrix introduced DragenBerry, a new flavor of fluoride varnish to celebrate Dragan's 90th birthday, his more than 70 years in dentistry, and more than 50 years at Centrix. The flavor was a tribute to his roots in Poland, where he recalled enjoying berry treats.
To help keep his passion for dentistry alive, donations may be made to the Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry William B. Dragan Endowed Scholarship Fund by visiting the university giving webpage.
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