Dentaltown October 2021 - 59

What do you like the most
about dentistry?
Dentistry is so broad that you will
always fi nd something that you like. I love
getting people out of pain-mostly with
root canals. When you help someone out of
pain, it always brightens their day and they
will be your best spokesperson for referrals.
I also love doing cosmetic cases. If a
patient's mouth is in really bad repair and
they've never had a smile they're proud of,
it brings me great joy to show them the
artistry of dentistry and what a brand-new
smile can do for them. They'll be patients
for life.
Good dentistry is life-changing for a
person and I love the service that I provide
for my patients, whether it's getting them
out of pain or giving them their smiles
back. That's why I practice and it's what
brings joy to my life.
Tell us about some of your
mentors. Who inspires you?
I'm eternally grateful that Dr. Joel
Eichen gave me a job straight out of dental
school and mentored me in the early years
of my career. He allowed me to make my
own mistakes, and helped me fi x them,
when I was a new dentist. Young dentists
should know that it's called the practice of
dentistry for a reason: Even when we try
our best, our work will inevitably fail. It's
just a matter of when. You shouldn't beat
yourself up when your work ultimately fails.
Learn from your mistakes and move on.
I'm blessed to have worked under
Drs. Silvana Cumani (drcumani.com)
and Dan David (padentalwellness.com).
They saw something in me that I didn't
see. Dr. Cumani gave me the opportunity
to work side by side with her for four years.
She would always help me with extractions
or root canals if I got stuck. She gave me the
best advice when I was having my midlife
crisis: " You can only be yourself, so know
yourself and be you. " I didn't understand that
at fi rst, and it took me a year of soul-searching
and traveling to realize what she meant. She
is the most successful dentist I know, with
two well-managed group practices, and a
loving wife and mother.
I call Dr. David sometimes just to
discuss dentistry. Being in solo practice can
be lonely, so you always need someone to
talk to who can relate to you. He's like my
Dentaltown message board, but in real life!
I'm current ly being coached by
Dr. Edwin McDonald (lineofsightcoaching.
com). He's brought more clarity into my life
by asking the right questions. The answers
are within each of us; no coach can give us
the right answers to our problems. However,
the right coach can ask the right questions
for us to fi nd the solution. I believe all
dentists could benefi t from a coach.
What's life like outside
of your practice? What
do you do for fun?
I have a 2-year-old son and a 6-monthold
daughter who I love spending time
with. I love taking my son out to soccer
camp and enjoy playing with him on the
playground. I love seeing my kids grow up
and pick up new skills every day. I dropped
my son off at camp the other day, and I
asked for a hug and a kiss before he left.
It warmed my heart when he hugged and
kissed me.
I love cooking for my family and will
cook for us three times out of the week.
My husband and son really enjoy my meals.
With COVID-19, I've learned to appreciate
the simple things in life more. It brings
me happiness to see my husband enjoy my
meals and to see my kids grow up.
I'm currently studying at New York
University to complete my certifi cate in
executive coaching. I'm really excited to
start this new journey. I've had great success
with my life coach and Dr. McDonald
has inspired me to try it. I'm constantly
trying to be the best version of myself and
a multifaceted person: a mom, a wife and
a dentist. ■
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dentaltown.com \\ OCTOBER 2021 59
http://www.drcumani.com http://www.padentalwellness.com http://www.dentaltown.com
Dentaltown October 2021

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