Gloria Galvez had tired of riding the dentist carousel and its effects that sent her emotions into a dizzying spin.
In each case, the Doylestown resident recalled her experience with the practitioner as being primarily antiseptic, cold and clinical. The personal touch for which she yearned remained on a high shelf where the dentist never seemed to go. She found it to be little more than a business transaction in which the term “cold” was not restricted to hard cash.
Two years ago Galvez found exactly what she was looking for when she walked into the welcoming offices of Ardent Smile in Doylestown, where she met Dr. Inna Vinnikov.
“Dr. Vinnikov cares about me as a person, not just as a patient,” says Galvez, 52, whose two children also are patients of Dr. Vinnikov. “She’s very personable. She remembers your kids’ names and your entire family. When you go to her, you feel like you’re visiting not only a great dentist, but a friend too.
“You never feel like she’s pushing out to get you to agree to treatment that you really don’t need. She takes into consideration the financial situation of the clients. … She cares.”
While the personal touch is as common in Dr. Vinnikov’s office as dental probes and gauze pads, make no mistake: A visit to Ardent Smile is one in which the patient will find the most up-to-date procedures, tools and staff to address all their dental needs.
Ardent Smile is a multispecialty practice with a professional staff that includes Dr. Vinnikov, Dr. Jessica Lynch (orthodontist) and Dr. George Bandelac (periodontist and prosthodontist).
Whether a patient requires a basic cleaning and examination, crowns, dentures, implants, root canal, teeth whitening, veneers, or is in need of attention to address issues of the gums, Ardent Smile can handle each with the highest standards of efficiency, care and concern.
“Everyone on our staff strives to do what is best for the patient,” says Dr. Vinnikov, a graduate of the Kornberg School of Dentistry at Temple University. “I do everything honestly and from the heart. I’m very down to earth with my patients because I know that’s how I want to be treated if I was sitting in the chair.
“I realize that while this is a business, it’s not only a business. We’re here to help people who need it, to help make them feel better about themselves.”
Nothing but the Best
Ardent Smile opened its doors in July 2009 in a 1,700-square-foot facility that includes four examination rooms where patients are treated. Each room is outfitted with the latest equipment that ensures the highest level of patient care, including intra-oral cameras, digital X-rays, ultrasonic scaling devices and VELscope.
Intra-oral cameras are used to detect problems by projecting color images of a patient’s teeth and mouth on a flat-screen monitor. Digital X-rays reduce radiation exposure to the patient by about 95 percent. Ultrasonic scaling, which removes dental plaque with a high-pressure stream of water, can be used instead of or in concert with traditional hand-scaling, depending on the patient’s need.
VELscope is the dental industry’s leading oral cancer-screening device, enabling dentists to identify abnormal changes in a patient’s mouth. The quick and painless examination also assists in the early detection of other mucosal abnormalities, such as pre-malignant dysplasia, or abnormal growth or development of cells, which may not be apparent to the naked eye.
Each examining suite at Ardent Smile is outfitted with a large plasma television on which patients can watch a TV program, review educational material on dental care, or view photos of their teeth and gums that a dentist has taken to get a better understanding of what problems and/or procedures are being addressed.
Ardent Smile also offers nitrous sedation for patients who are nervous about seeing a dentist, allowing the patient to remain calm while a member of the staff is at work.
“We will do our best to make the patient’s visit to us as comfortable as possible,” Dr. Vinnikov says. “Many times a patient will be nervous coming to the dentist. Our staff will take the time to make the patient feel more at ease by explaining to them what they will be doing and why.”
The practice offers financing, a 15-percent discount to senior citizens and a 50-percent discount on ZOOM! teeth whitening for all patients.
And as Gloria Galvez, an extremely satisfied patient, learned from the first moment she visited Ardent Smile, the staff offers their genuine concern as well as their unmatched service.
Ardent Smile
4259 W. Swamp Road, Suite 104
Doylestown, PA 18902
Phone: 215-230-4550
Hours: Open Monday through Saturday; call for an appointment.
Website: www.ardentsmile.com
Phil Gianficaro is an award-winning writer based in Doylestown.
Kim Billingsley is a freelance photographer based in Doylestown.
