The Best of Both Worlds
Drs. Irina Frolov and Alex Tyurin, the mother-and-son team of clinicians at Miracle Dental Center, empower patients to prioritize all aspects of their oral health.
Irina Frolov, D.D.S., has always asserted that dentistry requires more than just specialized knowledge and technical skill. “To be a dentist requires artistry,” she says.
Her son, Alex Tyurin, D.D.S., agrees: “The smile is a personal expression. Many procedures are about an artistic touch.”
For Drs. Frolov and Tyurin, a mother-and-son clinical tandem at Miracle Dental Center in Feasterville-Trevose, dentistry is much more than a vocation. Rather, it’s a family affair that goes back generations. Dr. Frolov was introduced to dentistry by her grandmother, a dental surgeon for the Soviet military during World War II. Originally trained in the Ukraine, Dr. Frolov’s medical career now spans more than 25 years. Her passion rubbed off on her son.
“I’ve been talking to Alex about dentistry since he was born,” says Dr. Frolov. “I explained everything—the upsides, the downsides, how you can help people and be happy in your life. And dentistry is not just dentistry. It can be teaching, it can be business, and it can even be military service. There are so many options when someone goes into dentistry.”
Her son demonstrated a genuine interest in her work. Besides his curiosity, Dr. Frolov also noticed that her son had advanced dexterity as a child, key to the delicate operations necessary in some dental procedures.
“He was always shadowing me, always asking, ‘Mom, what did you do today?’” she says. “He was even timing me on my procedures,” she adds with a laugh.
Naturally, when it came time to choose a career, Dr. Tyurin followed his mother and great-grandmother into the dental field. Having recently graduated from New York University College of Dentistry, he joined the clinical team at Miracle Dental Center earlier this year. Through their partnership, the mother-son team combines the wisdom of experience with the most modern teachings and technologies.
“It’s a collaboration between the old school and the new school,” says Dr. Tyurin. “It lets us provide the best of both worlds.”
Dr. Tyurin’s addition enables the practice to expand the services offered to its patients. Miracle Dental Center had already provided the full gamut of general dentistry, including cleanings, extractions, crowns, bonding, veneers, and root canals, and Dr. Tyurin’s surgical specialty opens up the door for more reconstructive procedures, including dental implants. Combine this with Dr. Frolov’s training in facial aesthetics, including Botox injections and dermal fillers, and Miracle Dental Center truly aims to become what Dr. Tyurin describes as “an all-in-one solution for all patient needs.”
More importantly, Drs. Frolov and Tyurin find that the warmth of the family atmosphere makes the patients at Miracle Dental Center feel comfortable. They are particularly focused on serving those who have anxiety about sitting in the dentist’s chair or a full-blown dental phobia.
“In my experience, dental anxiety is caused by two things,” says Dr. Tyurin. “The first is past traumatic experience, and the second is fear of the unknown.”
Both doctors spend considerable time understanding their patients’ fears and limiting their physical discomfort, and also strive to offer painless injections. Also, Miracle Dental Center provides a soothing environment that includes a variety of chairs and pillows, as well as headphones tuned to a patient’s preferred music. In all situations, Dr. Tyurin encourages his patients to provide real-time feedback throughout any procedure; he tells each patient not to be “a warrior,” reminding them that there is no reason they should feel any discomfort.
“In a lot of environments, dentists will just tell a patient what they need, and not explain why,” Dr. Tyurin adds. “I believe patient education is the key to addressing patients’ concerns. That’s why I always pull the X-ray up on the big screen, showing them what the cavity looks like, explaining why we need to do this or that procedure. The more educated a patient becomes, the more comfortable and empowered they are.”
In all cases, mother and son aim to provide the most appropriate dental care in a personalized and friendly setting. While some dental offices are designed to accommodate high volume, Dr. Frolov says Miracle Dental Center is “not a factory.” The doctors would prefer to see fewer patients so they can spend more time with patients and explain every aspect of treatment.
This freedom to provide individualized care is one of the reasons Dr. Frolov started the practice. In a family-owned and operated practice such as this, not only are they able to work as a team to provide the best outcomes, but they can also prioritize patient care over financial gain. Says Dr. Frolov, “With your own practice, you’re the boss.”
The dentists at Miracle Dental Center are driven by much more than the success of the family business. Like Dr. Tyurin’s great-grandmother, both doctors believe in the life-changing nature of dentistry.
“There are so many people in this world who are afraid to smile,” says Dr. Tyurin. “Sometimes people with oral health conditions are afraid to be seen. That shouldn’t be the case.”
Dr. Frolov concurs: “The most rewarding part of what we do is our patients’ happiness. When a patient comes to us with a significant oral health issue, they say, ‘I am depressed. I cannot socialize or get married or find a good job.’ Once the smile is repaired, the patient’s outlook on life tends to change. We tell them they have the whole world to smile at now.”
When asked what her grandmother would think about Dr. Tyurin becoming the next generation to join the family profession, Dr. Frolov lets out a delighted laugh.
“Before Alex graduated, one of his professors told me ‘You have to see your son in action,’” says Dr. Frolov. “If my grandmother could see her great-grandson in action and all that he’s accomplished, I think she would be amazed.”
Miracle Dental Center
4911 Street Road, Unit B
Feasterville-Trevose, PA 19053
(267) 990-8668
https://miracle.dental
4911 Street Road, Unit B
Feasterville-Trevose, PA 19053
(267) 990-8668
https://miracle.dental
Photo by Alison Dunlap
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life magazine, March 2023.
