For many couples, working together every day might sound impossible. For Dr. William P. “Trey” Dickey III and Leigh Dickey, it became the foundation of both a successful marriage and a thriving dental practice.
The husband-and-wife team behind Big River Dental has spent nearly three decades building a life together — personally and professionally. Trey serves as the dentist and clinical leader, while Leigh directs operations, patient experience, and the day-to-day rhythm of the practice. Together, they have created more than a dental office; they have built a family-centered culture rooted in trust, loyalty, and service. Their journey began long before the doors of Big River Dental ever opened.
It All Started with a Dream
Like many young couples chasing a dream, Trey and Leigh learned early that success rarely comes without sacrifice. During Trey’s years in dental school, the two navigated long hours, financial pressures, uncertainty, and the balancing act of building a marriage while preparing for a future career.
Dental school is demanding, not only for students, but also for spouses and families. The late nights studying, clinical schedules, and emotional stress require a strong partnership behind the scenes. Leigh became an anchor during those years, helping carry responsibilities and encouraging Trey through the difficult seasons that come with professional training. Those early experiences shaped the partnership they still rely on today: mutual respect, resilience, and the understanding that neither succeeds alone.
In 2000, Trey graduated from dental school. They moved to Natchez, Leigh’s hometown, and took a leap of faith opening their first dental practice. 2001 was a big year as they welcomed their first child, a daughter, and began navigating not only the business of dentistry and their marriage, but adding in the role of parent. In 2004, they completed their family with the birth of their son. In 2006, they opened a satellite clinic in Dr. Dickey’s hometown of Meadville. In 2016, they moved to Madison, MS, and in 2018, they founded Big River Dental in Brandon, MS.
Building a Practice Together
Starting a practice from the ground up is equal parts excitement and risk. They were not just investing financially — they were investing emotionally, professionally, and personally into a vision they hoped would serve families in their communities for years to come. There were many hours of blood, sweat, and tears accompanying the opening of each clinic.
Their children often took naps in the file room while Trey and Leigh worked. Over time, each child has worked in different capacities in each clinic, from cleaning floors, answering phones, scheduling appointments, and assisting their dad chairside. The Dickey children are as invested in Big River Dental as their parents.
Big River Dental: Making the Dream a Reality
Over time, Trey’s initial vision has become a reality. Patients who first walked through the doors in 2000 now bring their own children and grandchildren to the practice. Staff members have become an extended family. Relationships built over decades have turned the office into a place where dentistry feels personal rather than transactional.
While Trey focuses on patient care and clinical excellence, Leigh develops the systems, culture, and operational structure that allow the continued growth of the practice. Their roles complement one another naturally: one places attention chairside, the other concentrates on the experience surrounding every patient interaction.
Shared Purpose, Shared Rewards
Couples who work together often say one of the greatest advantages is shared purpose, and that has certainly been true for the Dickeys. Because Trey and Leigh are building the same dream, they understand the pressures and rewards of the business in a way few others can. Decisions are made together. Victories are celebrated together. Challenges are carried together.
Working side by side has also allowed them to develop deep trust professionally. Communication is often faster and more intuitive because they know each other so well. They can anticipate needs, divide responsibilities efficiently, and support each other during stressful seasons. Their partnership also creates consistency for the team. Employees, patients, and their children see that leadership is unified, invested, and present. Perhaps most importantly, working together has provided them the opportunity to spend much of their lives alongside one another — something many couples never get the chance to do.
Of course, blending marriage, family, and business is not without challenges.
Overcoming the Challenges of Working Together as a Couple
One of the hardest parts of working together is learning how to separate work life from home life. When both spouses are deeply invested in the same business, it can become difficult to “turn work off.” Conversations about schedules, staffing, finances, or patient concerns can easily follow them home. This was one of the pitfalls that Trey and Leigh fell into early in their working relationship. As they have grown over time, they have learned to leave the dental talk for the clinic.
There is also the challenge of balancing their very different personalities and leadership styles. In any business partnership and especially a marriage, disagreements are inevitable. Learning when to compromise, when to listen, and when to step back becomes essential. Leigh likes to joke that she has been fired 5 times and has quit 7 times. It has definitely taken time to build into the relationship that they currently share, where home life doesn’t bleed into work, and work doesn’t bleed into home.
Over the years, Trey and Leigh have learned the importance of boundaries, communication, and giving one another grace. They understand that success is not about avoiding conflict entirely, but about working through it with respect and shared commitment. Both have come to realize that they are better navigating the problem together rather than fighting against each other.
Trey and Leigh Dickey: Partnership, Family, and a Shared Life
After nearly 3 decades of marriage and 27 years of working together in the field of dentistry, Trey and Leigh Dickey’s story is about far more than teeth and business. It is a story about perseverance through demanding seasons, the courage to build something together, and the commitment required to grow a marriage, a family, and a business side by side.
In an era when many people separate work from personal life completely, the Dickeys have shown that partnership — when built on trust and shared purpose — can become one of the greatest strengths a business has.
For Trey and Leigh, Big River Dental is not simply where they work. It is the life they built together.
