Thankfully, suburbanites have no shortage of options when looking for a gifted professional who has committed his or her life to perfecting each patient’s smile. And in the following pages, you’ll meet some of them: who they are, why they chose their respective paths, where they went to school, whether they prefer writing novels over skiing on glaciers in their free time, etc.—and maybe even how many cavities they have.
In a months-long reader poll, Suburban Life asked you, dear reader, which dentistry professionals lead the field in matters of keeping mouths healthy in the Philadelphia suburbs. From the leading pediatric dentists and seasoned periodontists to the top orthodontists and most gifted oral surgeons, following are intimate portraits of some of the best of the best locally when it comes time for patients to open up and say … “ahh.”
Profile: Dr. Sara Cooley-Bentz
One of the area’s best-known pediatric dentists, Dr. Bresler won his undergraduate degree from Temple University’s Ambler campus in 1975, then went on to study at Temple’s Kornberg School of Dentistry. He earned his certificate in pediatric dentistry from St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in 1981 and opened his first office for children one year later. His Cavity Busters practice—which has grown to include his two sons and, soon, his daughter—now spans six offices throughout the greater Philadelphia area.
Why did you decide to get into dentistry? My father was a very successful physician who steered me away from medicine because of rumors of health maintenance organizations (HMOs) coming down the road, which would lead to doctors losing control of their own destiny. He felt that dentistry would be spared the brunt of these coming changes. He said, “You’re bright, great with people, terrific with your hands and should want to be your own boss. … How about dentistry?” That was the beginning of my thoughts about this wonderful profession.
Did you have a “backup plan”—in other words, when you were growing up, what else did you want to do for your career and why? I wanted to be an auto mechanic when I was younger but decided on dentistry at age 16. All through college, I was strictly focused on becoming a dentist. Today, because of my love for cars, we have incorporated a real car museum into our Northeast Philly location that the kids can watch while they’re getting their teeth checked.
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned in your years of practice? My dad once told me that if you put your patients’ needs first, the rewards will come afterwards. We do just that, and treat every child as if he or she is one of our own kids.
Finish this sentence: My perfect day at work is ______. Transforming a scared and frightened child into looking forward to coming back to see me because he had such a good visit.
What are you most proud of in your practice? Without a doubt, the fact that all three of my kids are following in my footsteps is the greatest tribute anyone could ever hope for. My kids all saw me enjoying going to the office every day, talking about the kids I worked on each evening and the rewarding feeling we all had when I spoke to them about my patients.
Finish this sentence: I’m happiest when ______. I see kids and their parents walking into our offices and saying, “Wow, this is awesome!” when they see our facilities for the first time.
Dr. Cooley-Bentz began her career in medicine as a nurse before switching gears to follow in the footsteps of her father, a renowned area dentist by the name of Dr. Thomas J. Cooley. She studied dentistry at Temple’s Kornberg School of Dentistry before opening her now-thriving practice, Cooley-Bentz Dental Associates P.C., which is based in East Norriton. She and her husband, Dr. Robert M. Bentz, a prosthedontist, have four children to keep them busy when they’re not with patients.
Why did you decide to get into dentistry? My father always said dentistry was great fun, so when I realized I needed to change careers, a desire for positive patient information, the excitement of a progressive and dynamic profession, artistry and flexibility all seemed like a perfect reason to choose dentistry.
What was your backup plan? This is my backup plan. The weekends, holidays and nights required as a registered nurse didn’t fit my vision of the flexible schedule I felt was necessary to raise the four children I desired to have.
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned in your years of practice? Never get stale. Half the fun of dentistry is always learning what’s new, and the other half is being able to offer it to your patients.
Finish this sentence: My perfect day at work is ______. Starting and ending the day with strong coffee in my travel mug and all cylinders firing. My second job—a.k.a. Mom—requires it.
How old were you when you got your first cavity? I don’t remember how old I was, but I know that my father convinced me that he carved a fabulous picture of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” on the top of it. It’s a great memory so I always do the same for my younger patients.
What is your best piece of advice for patients and prospective patients? Brush only the teeth you want to keep!
Finish this sentence: I’m happiest when ______. I’m sitting on my porch, with my four kids, watching a rainstorm.
Any interesting hobbies you pursue in your free time? “Free time”—for me, that’s a play on words. I simply do my best to grab the moments and take it all in.
Dr. Woehling grew up in Waverly, Pa., which is north of Scranton. He started his education at Phillips Exeter Academy and attended Bucknell University with a major in biology. He gained his dentistry degree from Temple’s Kornberg School of Dentistry and then got his post-doctoral education in periodontics at Columbia University. He started his periodontal specialty practice, Bryn Mawr Periodontal Associates, in 1979 and also became a partner in a multispecialty group practice in Allentown, known as Suburban Dental Associates.
Why did you decide to get into dentistry? I love the art of dentistry and I love people. The privilege of being a part of another’s life is unparalleled. If I look at my career over the years, I treasure most my relationships not only with my patients and referring doctors, but also with my wonderful partners in my periodontal practices, both in my Bryn Mawr location and at my Allentown facility.
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned in your years of practice? The “Golden Rule” always applies: treat others as you would want to be treated yourself. Fine ethics, integrity and honesty delivered on a consistent basis over the years are the key to anyone’s success. Financial wealth is not that important. Take away your money and you have lost nothing; lose your health and you have lost something; lose your character and integrity and you have lost everything.
What is your best piece of advice for patients and prospective patients? Be consistent and diligent with your daily dental maintenance via brushing, flossing and interdental cleansing; keep up with your professional cleanings and checkups with your family dentist at least twice a year as you can afford the time and pecuniary responsibility. … And be kind to others.
Finish this sentence: I’m happiest when I’m ______. This is not a fair dental/professional question to a middle-aged guy who has a golf obsession.
Any interesting hobbies or interests you pursue in your free time? I work hard and play hard. I have traveled all over the world, golfed on several continents, fished from Alaska to South America … and I am an avid skier. (Editor’s note: He has skied at 13,000 feet, having to leap from the bay of a helicopter, as well as on glaciers and other treacherous terrain.)
My bottom-line favorite activity, as well helping my patients, is being with my family. I have three wonderful daughters, and my wife JoAnne, the famous pediatrician from CHOP, keeps me on the straight and narrow.
Originally a native of Pittsburgh, Dr. Makrauer he has been perfecting his craft for nearly three decades. He graduated from University of Pittsburgh in 1979 and then moved to the Philadelphia area to study dentistry at Temple’s Kornberg School of Dentistry, where he received his doctorate of dental medicine. His Huntingdon Valley-based practice provides patients with general and preventative dentistry, as well as cosmetic porcelain veneers, dental implants and reconstructive/restorative dentistry.
Why did you decide to get into dentistry? When I was a kid, I took my toys apart because I wanted to see how they worked. When I grew older and went to college I knew I wanted to be in health care but not dealing with matters of life and death. I decided I wanted to be a dentist.
What was your backup plan? I had no fall-back plan. I was very motivated to become a dentist, and I was so focused. At the time it was my whole life.
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned in your years of practice? Listen to your patients; get all of their concerns.
Finish this sentence: My perfect day at work is ______. My perfect day is when everyone arrives on time, my staff wears matching uniforms and we actually get to eat lunch together.
How old were you when you got your first cavity? I got my first cavity filled when I was six years old. I never had local anesthesia as a child.
What is your best piece of advice for patients and prospective patients? My best piece of advice for patients and future patients is that if you keep your teeth and gums healthy it will have a huge positive impact on your general health. In order to do that you should have regular checkups, never drink soda or other sugary drinks, and be impeccable with your home care. It goes a long way.
What are you most proud of in your practice? I really enjoy all aspects of my work, so I feel blessed and grateful. But the thing that stands out in my mind as my greatest accomplishment is receiving the Mastership Award of the Academy of General Dentistry. This requires multiple commitments and 1,100 hours of courses, 400 of which are hands on. Only 1 percent of all dentists nationwide achieve this degree of education.
Finish this sentence: I’m happiest when I’m ______. Skiing in fresh powder.
Originally from Trenton, N.J., Dr. Pakman has been in practice in Hatboro since 1978. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pittsburgh and went on to study dentistry at Howard University College of Dentistry. He also served as a dental resident in the U.S. Air Force, stationed in Belleville, Ill. Aside from dentistry, Dr. Pakman has something of an artistic sensibility—from sketching in his younger years to now writing fiction.
Why did you decide to get into dentistry? When I was in college, I knew I wanted to go into some sort of medical field; I was a psychology major for a long time, but I was always very good with my hands: doing things with small objects, building models, and I was an artist for a time. I’m happy I got into dentistry because it combines all the aspects of medicine that I like.
What was your backup plan? Several years ago I wrote an alternate history novel called “Domestic Tranquility.” It took a couple years to write, but I found a literary agent, worked with an editor on a revision of the book, and now I’m just waiting to hear. That would be a good backup plan going forward.
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned in your years of practice? I think the main thing I’ve learned, with any kind of dental or medical practice, is that it’s good to know the limitations of what you can or cannot do. The mouth is an ever-changing environment, and sometimes despite our best intentions and our best efforts we fail because we’re dealing with the human body. In the same breath sometimes we succeed where we think we would not.
How old were you when you got your first cavity? I think I was around eight or nine years old. I’m very fortunate in that I’ve had very few restorations in my mouth. I was also very fortunate because I had fluoridated water in Trenton when I was probably four years old.
Finish this sentence: I’m happiest when I’m ______. When I’m with my kids and my grandkids. I have two daughters, and each of them has a son.
Any interesting hobbies or interests you pursue in your free time? I’m an avid reader and moviegoer, and one of my hobbies is writing. I’m also a firearms collector and gun enthusiast.
What is your best piece of advice for patients and prospective patients? I think the most important thing I’ve found is that you can’t overstress good home care. If patients are diligent about flossing and brushing, they will minimize the problems they can have. Much of dental disease is controllable by the patient themselves.
After having been associated with other dental practices for several years, Dr. Vinnikov branched out on her own two years ago and started her own practice—Ardent Smile in Doylestown. The practice specializes in general dentistry, but also handles pediatric dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, periodontal services and orthodontics. She received her undergrad degree from Temple University in 1996 and then went on to receive her doctorate from Temple’s Kornberg School of Dentistry in 2005.
Why did you decide to get into dentistry? I always knew I wanted to do it, ever since I was a little girl. I love everything about it, from the personal interaction to building relationships with patients, to the artistic aspect that it has to offer. I like to give patients healthy smiles, change their appearance and their life. I also like the science aspect of it; working with my hands; the independence that it offers for women, especially due to family and children management; being your own boss; having a practice; constant learning and improving; striving for the better.
What was your backup plan? There was no backup plan, dentistry was it for me. I would have tried and tried to get accepted to dental school if I was denied.
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned in your years of practice? Do what’s right! Listen to your patients’ needs and really treat them.
Finish this sentence: My perfect day at work is ______. To fulfill patients’ needs and concerns, and make them happy.
How old were you when you got your first cavity? I was young, probably eight. I was born and raised in Russia, so the dental care there was not the best.
What is your best piece of advice for patients and prospective patients? Follow preventative dental care and you will avoid many potential dental concerns in the future. Be consistent in your hygiene checkups.
What are you most proud of in your practice? Many things: the way my staff and I treat patients; the time I take to educate them and treat them; the latest technology that we use.
Finish this sentence: I’m happiest when I’m ______. With my family, and when my children are happy.
