Author: Andy Warrener

Dr. David Scamard Is Your Independent Optometrist Inside Costco!

Costco Wholesale is highly-regarded for its great deals and convenience. Where else can you shop for groceries, electronics and furniture, while getting your tires rotated and filling up your gas tank on the way out — all at great prices?

However, one of the local Costco store’s lesser known perks adds even more convenience.

Not only can you get your eyes examined at Costco, you can get the frames and lenses right there.

Excellence in Eye Care

Don’t let the convenience factor fool you. Independent Optometrist David Scamard, O.D., has been in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area for more than 17 years, delivering the highest level of service and an exceptional experience.

Dr. Scamard’s Excellence in Eye Care, LLC, is an A-Rated business, according to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), has a 5-Star rating on Google Reviews with more than 140 reviews, and even has a 5-Star rating on the practice’s Facebook page.

Dr. Scamard is a local product. He attended Hillsborough High School, did his undergraduate work at the University of South Florida and earned his Doctor of Optometry degree from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale.

He opened his first private practice in New Tampa in 2002. He sold that business in 2007 and moved into a new location off of S.R. 54 in Lutz, where he operated Eye Care Professionals of Tampa Bay until 2017.

In 2017, the Costco on S.R. 56 opened up, and Dr. Scamard brought his Excellence in Eye Care inside the store. The good news is that you do not have to be a Costco member to walk in to visit or make an appointment with Dr. Dave.

“Doctor Dave is very personable and still professional and caring,” says Michael Mendivil, who works at the adjacent hearing aid center, also inside Costco. “He does an unbelievable job. He is thorough with his eye exams and is just an awesome practitioner. I went through three optometrists before I found him, and I feel like he finally got my prescription right.”

Dr. Scamard’s experience spans almost two decades. Many of his patients from his early years have followed him to his location inside Costco.

“The health of your eyes is very important,” Dr. Scamard says. “You’ve heard the expression, ‘The eyes are the window to the soul?’ Well, your eyes are also a window to your health.”

He notes that diseases like glaucoma can go undetected for years and says the American Optometric Association recommends an eye exam for everyone once a year, but especially diabetics should have their eyes checked every year.

“Your eyes are such sensitive organs, they can manifest signs of systemic disease,” Dr. Scamard says.

Dr. Scamard uses some of the most cutting-edge technology in the industry. For eye exams, he uses an Optos retinal camera in his office. This high-tech tool is a retinal imager that gives the optometrist a view of the internal structures of your eyes.

The old-fashioned way to see into your pupils was to dilate them.

“People don’t always have time to get their pupils dilated,” Dr. Scamard says. “When your pupils are dilated, you are very sensitive to bright light and your near-sightedness is fuzzy — sometimes for up to five hours after dilation. It’s something that compels a lot of people to pass up their annual eye exams.”

Most peoples’ impression of an eye doctor appointment involves looking into that metal mask as the doctor manually flips through different lenses in front of your eyes to achieve the proper prescription. Dr. Dave says that is now officially “old-school.”

One of the other high-tech devices Dr. Scamard uses is a RT-5100 Refractor, a digital refractor with electric motors that change the lenses. Scamard operates the digital refractor from a console on his desk.

“The digital refractor is faster, more accurate and more efficient than the old-style analog devices,” he says. “Our patients appreciate that we have the latest technology available to them.”

Convenience

The entire process from eye exam to putting the glasses on your face or contacts in your eyes can be completed right there in Costco. However, while you do not need to be a Costco member to utilize Dr. Scamard’s services, you do need to be a member to get your glasses and contact lenses from the wholesale giant.

After your exam, the next step is, well, just steps away. Need a prescription filled from Dr. Scamard? It can be filled right there in Costco’s pharmacy. Want to browse glasses and contacts lenses? There is an entire showroom right outside Dr. Scamard’s office.

“Costco even carries some of the high-end lines of frames like Prada, Tiffany, Oakley and Mont Blanc,” he says. “A lot of their frames and lenses are priced at what my cost was when I operated out of my own office. Some of my patients say that they have had savings up to 50 percent. Additionally, Costco has been rated number one by consumer reports for the best value in glasses and contacts, for the last several years.”

Costco carries a sizable line of contact lenses, including newer designs that allow more oxygen into the eyes, helping to prevent dryness. If the store doesn’t have them in stock, they can usually be delivered to the store in a week or less. The customer can even order them online and have them delivered to their home.

Having trouble setting an appointment? Excellence in Eye Care makes that easy as well. Dr. Scamard says that some offices have up to two-week waiting lists, but he even accepts walk-ins.

Excellence in Eye Care does not accept optical insurance but does provide itemized receipts that patients can use for reimbursement from their providers. Insurance can be applied to the lenses and frames sold at Costco, however.

Eyeglass exams start at $79, and contact lens exams start at $99. In the month of October, Excellence in Eye Care is offering a free set of sunglasses with the cutout or mention of the coupon in the Neighborhood News on page 40.

Excellence in Eye Care is located in the Costco Wesley Chapel Warehouse at 2225 Grand Cypress Dr., on the south side of S.R. 56, in Lutz. The office is open Tuesday and Thursday, 1 p.m.-7 p.m.; Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, call (813) 279-7038 or visit ExcellenceInEyecare.net.

costco's scamard

Community Comes Together To Honor 9/11’s Heroes

(Above) Pasco commissioners Mike Moore (far left), Mike Wells and Jack Mariano (in back), retired FDNY EMT Stephen Spelman, Penelope Bastidas (with scissors), and U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis (far right) were among those who helped cut the ribbon on the new 9/11 Memorial (right) at the Tampa Premium Outlets on Sept. 7.

For most Americans, the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, will live on forever.

Where you were, what you were doing, who you were with and how the horrifying sight of the World Trade Center’s twin towers crumbling to earth left you feeling afterwards will likely never really go away.

The memories linger, and on Sept. 7, at the dedication of Pasco County’s first permanent 9-11 memorial inside the food court area of the Tampa Premium Outlets, hundreds gathered to share their recollections and honor those who died that day.

Retired New York City EMT Stephen Spelman knew many of them.

Spelman says he was standing at the foot of the north tower and being ordered by his lieutenant to search for some nearby vehicles.

“What he did in that moment was actually save my life,” Spelman told the gathered crowd.

As he was returning from that task, Spelman said the north tower collapsed. Because of where he was located, Spelman was able to take off running north on West St. to avoid the falling wreckage.

Many of Spelman’s co-workers, including the lieutenant who gave the order, ran east on Vesey St.

Their bodies were never recovered.

Like so many who were at Ground Zero that fateful day, Spelman hasn’t really recovered, either. He retired from the fire department in 2009, and moved to the Wesley Chapel area in 2010. Years went by as he tried to cope with the psychological burden of losing so many of his friends and co-workers, as well as the lingering health problems associated with what he and so many other surviving first responders endured that day.

In the Spring of 2017, Spelman says he got a call from the Motts Military Museum in Groveport, OH, which asked him to come tell his story.

The event was set for the 16th anniversary of 9/11, but fate and another disaster would prevent the former EMT trainer from attending.

WC Rotary president Chris Casella (left) and Simon Property Group operations director Dallas Stevens check out the memorial.

Hurricane Irma tore through central Florida on September 11, 2017, causing billions of dollars of damage and taking the lives of 129 people. Florida officials ordered 6.5 million residents to evacuate. Spelman never made that trip up to Ohio.

A few weeks later, however, he got a package in the mail from the Motts Museum — a piece of the ladder from the Ladder 18 Truck from Battalion 4 in lower Manhattan, the station also known as Fort Pitt.

“At first, I saw it (the piece of the ladder) as a burden, but it wound up being a real gift,” Spelman says.

The ladder awakened something in him, spurring him to try to find the right home for it, where it hopefully would do some good.

“I didn’t want it to be in my house,” he said. ‘’It’s an important piece of history.”

Spelman began approaching different places with the idea to create some kind of memorial around the piece. It became an ongoing endeavor. After being turned down on multiple occasions, Spelman finally found some interest at the mall.

“I finally got the ear of Tampa Premium Outlets and gave them a brief history about me and about the ladder,” Spelman said. “They said they’d see if they could help and gave me a list of things to do. I was looking for sponsors to create the display and it was frustrating. I didn’t think it was ever going to get done.”

Help From An Old Friend

Enter former NYPD officer and Spelman’s FDNY colleague Chris Casella. Casella was trained by and worked with Spelman and also came to Florida in 2002 after retiring from the NYPD. (Casella was already on limited duty due to injury before 9/11.)

As it turns out, Casella, the current president of the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Noon (which meets Wednesdays at noon at Omari’s Grill inside Lexington Oaks Golf Club; see ad on pg. 38), was already in talks with the outlet mall to launch a Sept. 11 Memorial Run/Walk on Sept. 7.

“From there, it didn’t take much,” Spelman said. “We started the ball rolling and at first we didn’t think people would take interest.” He and Casella would both end up being pleasantly surprised.

“I can’t tell you the amount of emails I got, and phone calls from people wanting to be involved in it,” Casella said. “People were coming out in droves wanting to get involved. It was really uplifting and I believe it helped the community in a big way.”

Hundreds of local residents rallied around the idea of honoring 9/11’s surviving heroes Saturday morning in the presence of dozens of first responders from both Hillsborough and Pasco Counties and beyond.

The kickoff event was the one-mile Fun Run/Walk, where nearly 300 runners and walkers took a lap around the main interior road around the mall.

Casella’s predecessor as Wesley Chapel Noon Rotary president, Eric Johnson, served as master of ceremonies, and Boy Scouts from Troop 149, together with Cub Scouts from Pack 149, were on hand to support the race and to hand out miniature American flags.

“The Wesley Chapel Noon Rotary sponsors both our Cub Scout pack and Boy Scout troop and asked us to come out,” Troop 149 Scoutmaster Kevin Wiatrowski said. “We are delighted to be out here for this special occasion. Mr. Spelman and his son Mathew have been part of our pack for years.”

Jeremiah Loo of Wesley Chapel was the first to cross the finish line as runners and walkers trickled in behind him. Bananas and bottled water were offered up by high schoolers from Cypress Creek Middle/High School, as walkers, runners and spectators from all over the area brought their families out for the event.

Johnson drew the crowd into the food court of the outlet mall where, at exactly 8:46 a.m., the Rotary Club’s bell was rung to commemorate the first plane striking the north tower.

The Main Event

A moment of silence and a flyover by a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office helicopter preceded the bell ringing, which concluded the morning’s outdoor events. Spectators then crowded into the food court for the ribbon cutting of the new memorial.

Pasco County commissioners Mike Moore, Ron Oakley and Jack Mariano all spoke at the podium, as did U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, before giving way to Spelman to tell his story about 9/11 and the heroes who did not live to tell about it.

Spelman mentioned Lieutenant Mario Bastidas, who perished that day. Bastidas’ widow Penelope flew in from New York and gave a brief, but emotional address to the audience before cutting the ceremonial ribbon.

From there, the hallway leading out of the food court to the soda machines and bathrooms was opened and spectators began filing past the new memorial, which incorporated Spelman’s small section of Ladder 18.

“When Chris told me they were going to give me a wall by the bathroom, at first, I didn’t really think that was a great thing,” Spelman said. “But it wound up being that with these soda and gum ball machines down there, these kids (at the mall) are going to ask mom and dad, ‘What is that?,’ and it’s our responsibility to educate them.”

Throngs of local residents dressed in their commemorative red 9/11 shirts lined up to take in the memorial. The Italian Angels Brotherhood of Pasco County showed up in force to commemorate the event.

“Steve (Spelman) is a good friend, I knew him when we both lived in Brooklyn,” Italian Angels of Pasco president Frank Losurdo said.

Retired FDNY Lieutenant Mike Besignano, who now lives in New Tampa, was on hand to take in the memorial and the community support.

“Every year it’s difficult,” Besignano said. “I’m happy to see this (memorial), I’m sad but it makes me happy at the same time and people should never forget the sacrifices that were made and are continuing to be made.”

911 memorial

‘CATS TOPPLE PLANT

The Wharton volleyball team ended a long stretch of frustration against arch-nemesis Plant High.

Every Wharton volleyball season since 2014 has been just about exactly the same.

Post a great regular season record. Make the District final…lose to Plant. Two weeks later in the Regional playoffs, lose to Plant again. Season over.

However, the Wildcats may be poised to write a different ending this year. In their first meeting with the Panthers on Aug, 28, Wharton thrilled a boisterous home crowd with a nerve-wracking 3-2 victory, snapping a 10-match losing streak against their Class 7A, District 7 rivals.

The 25-21, 25-16, 16-25, 18-25, 15-12 win was the first against Plant since the Wildcats posted a regular season win on Sept. 16, 2015.

In other words, it was the first win over Plant for Wharton’s four seniors, and they all played key roles in the win.

Middle blocker Jamie Koopman (#14, above) led the team with 12 kills and six blocks, while outside hitter Jeanette Henderson added 10, including a miraculous play in the third set, where she went running off the court to save an errant hit, only to get back in time to take the set and smash a kill. Henderson and Koopman have played since their freshman year, and were 0-8 against Plant.

Senior middle blocker Alexis Morse, who joined the varsity as a sophomore, added three kills, while Deborah Rodriguez, in her second season, had 11 kills and 13 digs.

Kills by Morse and Rodriguez in the first set helped seal it after Plant had pulled within 22-20.

Rodriguez set the tone in the second set with a thunderous cross-court shot that put the ‘Cats ahead 15-12 as they cruised to a 25-16 win and a 2-0 lead.

Plant, however, did not go down easy, no surprise considering they are 10-time State volleyball champions.

The 25-16 and 25-18 wins by the Panthers in the middle sets were decisive and seemed to shift the momentum.

“We had to try and get back to basics,” said Wharton head coach Eric Barber. “Games one and two, we were playing our game plan. I think we were too amped for games three and four and we had to get back to doing the little things.”

The Wharton Blue Crew student section got back into the match for the fifth and deciding set, exchanging chants with the Plant faithful.

Koopman (#14, pictured right) and Rodriguez stuffed the very first Panther kill shots at the net to start the decisive set. Koopman made another block at the net that put the Wildcats up 5-3.

Wharton looked well on the way to the win when the ‘Cats took a 10-6 lead, but the Panthers very quickly knotted it 10-all.

Koopman put the Wildcats on her shoulders, presenting a ferocious obstacle at the middle of the net, both blocking and swatting down short sets. It would be a touch shot from Koopman, snuck just beneath a Panther block attempt, and then an angled shot that found the floor that clinched a 15-12 win in the set and 3-2 win of the match, setting off a wild, bench-clearing celebration.

While the seniors were the stars, contributions from the underclassmen may prove to be the key to keeping the old script flipped on Plant come playoff time.

Junior setter Payton Kenny had 21 assists, and sophomore Gabrielle Frye added 17 for Wharton, while junior libero Jacquelyne Kelly had a team-high 25 digs and sophomore hitter Isabella Bonatakis added four kills and three blocks.

The Wildcats are now 8-1 on the season.

volleyball Wharton

American Wood Flooring Outfits Your Home With The Hottest Trends

American Wood Flooring has been operating as a family business for more than 25 years. It began as a small storefront in New Port Richey, selling wood flooring exclusively. The showroom in the Super Target-anchored Northwood Plaza in Wesley Chapel opened 12 years ago.

CEO Andy Dunning has always kept on top of the latest trends and products in the flooring business. While American Wood Flooring has stayed true to its roots, still offering traditional carpet, wood, tile and laminate options, Dunning says the product dominating the floor covering market these days is Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) flooring.

“In July, we did 33 installs just out of our New Tampa store, and 25 of them were LVP,” Dunning says. “Vinyl plank could make laminate products obsolete.”

Dunning says that LVP flooring has only been available for about a year-and-a-half, but the product is dominating the market, and for good reason.

Why LVP?

Dunning says the number one reason is durability, which breaks down into three aspects: LVP is waterproof, dent-proof and scratch-resistant.

And, LVP floors are 100-percent waterproof. This is huge for Floridians, who often have swimming pools or pets and endure sometimes torrential rainfall in the late summer and fall months. LVP’s high-density material is nearly impossible to dent and its uniform consistency makes it extremely scratch-resistant.

“LVP is different than most flooring in that there are no wood particles, and no glue,” Dunning says. “It’s a lock-and-fold system. There is some subfloor prep but it’s minimal.”

Even big old Bentley — one of Andy and Sara Dunning’s two Great Danes — can’t damage the LVP floor in the Dunnings’ home.

A high-quality and waterproof floor covering? What’s not to like? LVP floors are waterproof for a couple of reasons.

One, they are not made from wood. LVP floor panels are made from a PVC-type material. There’s never any swelling or cracking.

Second, even if moisture somehow gets past the tight lock-and-fold system, the attached padding is made from an anti-microbial melamine material. The melamine material comes attached to the LVP panels and leaves no air pocket between the panels and the sub floor, as laminate flooring does.

Waterproofing aside, LVP floors are some of the most durable on the market. There are currently only three mills in the world that have patent rights to produce LVP’s Rigid Core material.

“The material in the Rigid Core is much more dense than the material used in the cores five to 10 years ago,” Dunning says. “I have two great Danes and I can tell you that my LVP floor is close to being indestructible.”

Animals large and small will find it nearly impossible to scratch the LVP floor. “We have two pugs that go up and down the stairs a lot and we have not seen any marks anywhere,” American Wood Flooring customer and Land O’ Lakes resident Kurt Kraemer says.

Competitive Pricing

Thanks in large part to the ease of installation, LVP floors can be installed at very competitive prices, when compared with other flooring.

And, through the months of August and September, American Wood Flooring is offering complete installation of LVP flooring for as little as $4.99 per square foot. Hardwood floors can cost as much as $17-$18 per square foot and don’t offer anywhere near the durability that LVP does.

Dunning currently has four different styles/colors to choose from: Windsor, Blarney, Conway and Edinburgh. Samples can be viewed either in Dunning’s showroom or on the web at FlooringForFlorida.com.

LVP is popular and trendy, but American Wood Flooring carries many different types of flooring to fit every need and desire.

Top-To-Bottom Service

American Wood Flooring doesn’t just throw the floor down and leave. The company is there for every step of the process. Dunning offers a free in-home consultation where he brings samples to your home, takes measurements and is able to give a very accurate quote.

“I had my whole house done — bedrooms, bathrooms, closets — and it all looks really nice and the whole process was really smooth,” Kraemer says. “We even had the stairs done and it finishes off the place very nicely. We were very happy with the work; they even put all the furniture back in place where it was.”

Kraemer also was pleased with how the work design allowed him to still utilize his home during a complete floor replacement.

“They did the important areas first,” Kraemer said. “They did the bedrooms first, so I wasn’t inconvenienced much. I was so grateful for this, coming home from work and being able to use my house.”

Even if you’re just trying to sell your home, a new LVP floor might be the clincher in helping make that sale.

“We had the LVP product installed in a home we were revamping to sell,” local Realtor Cherry Norris says. “Andy came over and was very professional. We checked other pricing and his quote was better for LVP flooring, plus some carpet. We were all happy with the price and the quality of material. It totally changed the look of the house and the house sold to the first buyer that saw it. The buyers really liked the way it looked and felt. It’s a tight installation with no gaps. The clients loved the color and said it looked like real wood planks.”

American Wood Flooring stays on top of the emerging technologies in the industry and offers first-rate service at premium pricing, while still offering a list of traditional flooring options. The company even offers Bloomin’ Brands gift cards (good at Outback, Bonefish and Carrabas) to clients who refer friends and family.

American Wood Flooring’s Wesley Chapel showroom is located at 1285 BBD Blvd. and is open Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-6 p.m., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sat., and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sun. For more info, visit FlooringforFlorida.com, call (813) 991-7999 or see the ad on page 42.

American Wood Flooring LVP

Farina Orthodontic Specialists — Combining Technology & Caring

If you were to wear a GoPro camera during your dental appointment at any of the three offices of Farina Orthodontic Specialists, take the footage home and show your friends and family, they might think you’d had an appointment years in the future.

The whole experience at the newest office of Farina Orthodontic Specialists (on Bruce B. Downs {BBD} Blvd. in Wesley Chapel) begins from the time you pull into the parking lot of the new, modern cube-shaped building.

As you walk into the atrium, through the waiting area, 3D imaging center, consultation rooms and treatment rooms, the entire building has the feel of a futuristic utopia.

Popular music is triggered by the front door opening, scented air is pushed through the air-conditioning system and you’ll be greeted by what Mark Farina, D.M.D. (Doctor of Dental Medicine) calls his, “Directors of First Impressions” — his amazing staff.

“It’s a fun, family atmosphere here,” Dr. Farina says. “We’ve got staff that’s been with us for 20 years. This is the place to come if you’re looking for a family-centric practice with state-of-the-art technology and award-winning results.”

Dr. Farina earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Biology from Boston College in Boston, MA. He earned his D.M.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in Philadelphia and did his post-graduate orthodontic training at New York University in New York City, NY.

He also has received advanced training in the integrated diagnosis and treatment of temporomandibular joint pain, or TMJ, and has served on research teams at both New York University and the University of Pennsylvania to help find new and better ways to solve orthodontic problems.

But, Farina Orthodontic Specialists is indeed a family affair. Dr. Mark Farina and his nephew, Dr. Rudy Wagner, bring nearly a quarter-century of combined 24 experience to the practice, with three locations in the Tampa Bay area — one in South Tampa, one in Tampa Palms (off Amberly Dr. and BBD) and the shiny, new eye-catching facility in Wesley Chapel, between the Shops at Wiregrass and AdventHealth Wesley Chapel.

Dr. Wagner, who was born in the U.S. but raised in Puerto Rico joined his uncle in 2015, after graduating with his D.M.D. degree from the University of Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine in San Juan, where he also earned both his Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Biology and his Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Dental Sciences.

Dr. Rudy also did post-graduate work at Lehigh Valley Hospital, in Allentown, PA, where he had a general practice residency, and his post-graduate orthodontic training at the University of Puerto Rico.

Radical Transparency?

The office in Wesley Chapel that Farina Orthodontic Specialists built and moved into in March of 2018 puts Dr. Farina’s mantra of “Radical Transparency” to the ultimate and literal test. Just about every door in the office is glass. Most treatment rooms aren’t even enclosed. Dr. Farina’s idea of transparency allows for an openness that applies to every aspect of the experience, even down to the fee schedules.

“From treatments to fees to procedures, we are transparent in everything we do,” he says.

The transparency overlaps with the theme of treating patients like family.

Melissa’s daughter had her braces done at Farina Orthodontic Specialists and she has been able to be involved every step of the way.

“From the moment we entered the office, everyone was friendly and helpful,” writes parent Melissa C. on FarinaSmiles.com. “Each visit after, we have been greeted with warm smiling faces and our kids are excited to go to the lobby waiting area and dive into the fun things waiting for them.”

“As a parent, I am happy to have a seat near my daughter when her braces and teeth are worked on,” she wrote. “I can ask questions of the technician and orthodontist during the appointment.”

If a patient or patient’s family member has to wait, they can use one of the four iPads available in the tech center. The lounge is complete with a beverage bar, offering an assortment of drinks, both hot and cold. Of course, parents who want to be right next to their child during a procedure can utilize that option as well. It’s all part of that radical transparency. and it’s also why Farina Orthodontic Specialists often treats families across two or even three generations.

Dr. Wagner remembers shadowing Dr. Farina in the summer of 2000 when he was fresh out of high school in Puerto Rico.

“I loved his ability to connect with people,” Dr. Wagner says. “I enjoyed sitting, watching him talk with patients and developing relationships. It gave me the confidence to pursue this field.”

Dr. Wagner splits time between the three offices, while Dr. Farina is the mainstay at the Wesley Chapel location.

Let’s Get Technical

The Farina Orthodontic Specialists experience in Wesley Chapel is unique, as it combines cutting-edge technology and advanced treatment options.

Once a new patient signs in (there are no papers to fill out — everything is digital), the next stop is the 3D Imaging Room, where an i-CAT 3D Machine takes a three-dimensional image of not just the patient’s teeth, but also their bones and airways. The process takes 4.8 seconds.

There’s no probing, no prying, no irritation. The 3D Imaging can help bring clarity to a number of problems. With orthodontics, it’s not always just teeth being out of alignment. The patient could have a temporomandibular disorder (TMD), which is an irregularity with the temporomandibular joint, also known as TMJ. This can cause clicking, popping or just pain and discomfort in the jaw area. The 3D imaging helps the orthodontist diagnose the issue better than a traditional X-ray. The issue might not even be TMD; it could be the patient’s airway.

Farina Orthodontic Specialists also treats sleep apnea and snoring, both of which can be the result of an obstructed airway. The imaging also can detect airway development problems in children.

Sitting in the consultation room, a patient can look over their three-dimensional image of not just bone but of tissue. The process combines digital impressions created with the 3D imaging machine and intra- and extra-oral photographs, offering a more complete picture of the patient’s oral health.

“Going over the results in our casual conference rooms, three questions emerge,” Dr. Farina says. “How do we solve the problem, how long is it going to take and how much is it going to cost?”

And, Coming Soon…

Starting this fall, the Farina Orthodontic Specialists website (FarinaSmiles.com) will offer a Virtual Smile option, where patients will be able to upload a photo of themselves and get a virtual consultation from the comfort of their own home.

To get a real feel for the new and innovative treatment options, however, office visits are tough to beat.

“Parents probably remember the days when we used stainless steel in braces and everything hurt,” Dr. Wagner says. “The new wires are a nickel-titanium alloy, they’re more flexible, the brackets are smaller now and the wires are more flexible and comfortable.”

Farina Orthodontic Specialists uses the Invisalign® brand of clear aligners. Dr. Farina calls Invisalign a “pioneer” in the technology and Invisalign has designated Farina Orthodontic Specialists a “Diamond Plus,” or in the top one percent of North America orthodontic practices with Invisalign patients.

Clear aligners can be 3D-printed right there in the office or can be sent off to Invisalign. Dr. Wagner says he remembers using Invisalign to correct a gap in his own front teeth while he was in college.

“I was very self-conscious about it,” he says. “But, the experience turned out to be fine. It was easy, comfortable and I was still able to enjoy my life and lifestyle and not have any issues.”

Utilizing another piece of cutting-edge technology, Farina Orthodontic Specialists uses an iTero Element that allows a doctor or technician to visualize the treatment’s outcome. Adjustments can be made on the touch screen and sent to the 3D printing lab. From there, a model is rendered, and not just for an aligner — it also can be used to make retainers, sports mouth guards, breathing/sleep apnea appliances and TMJ appliances. Dr. Farina call it his “in-house laboratory.”

Combining a fun atmosphere with advanced technologies and treatment options is what Farina Orthodontics is all about and all three locations continue to reach new levels of both innovation and transparency.

For appointments and more information about the Wesley Chapel office ((2370 BBD Blvd., Suite A), or any of the three locations of Farina Orthodontic Specialists, call (813) 972-2929, visit FarinaSmiles.com or see or see the ad on pg. 11. The office accepts most dental insurance plans.

orthondontics