Category: Business

The USF Federal Credit Union Celebrates 60 Years Of Helping!

The year 2019 already has been a year of celebration for the USF Federal Credit Union (USF FCU). It’s the organization’s 60th anniversary, marking six decades since it was founded in 1959 and its continued growth and service to its members ever since.

The credit union’s growth is evidenced by the brand-new branch that now serves New Tampa and Wesley Chapel, located at the northwest corner of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and Imperial Oak Blvd., in the Trout Creek area in front of Winn-Dixie, just south of County Line Rd.

The New Tampa branch opened last fall, celebrating its Grand Opening on November 15. When it opened, it was the USF FCU’s first stand-alone, off-campus branch. In the next 18 months or so, the credit union will open two more branches modeled after the one in New Tampa – one on E. Fletcher Ave. in Tampa and one in Sarasota.

The credit union’s growth also is evidenced by its ever-expanding membership.

When it was founded in 1959, the USF FCU started with 16 members — all of whom were members of the academic faculty or staff at the University of South Florida — and had total assets of $505.

“Now, we have more than 60,000 members and $680 million in assets,” says Bill Steiger, brand and promotions manager for USF FCU.

While USF FCU originally served only faculty and staff, current USF students and alumni are eligible to be members, along with employees of certain companies that have business partnerships with USF, such as Tampa General Hospital, Moffitt Cancer Center, and even Darden Restaurants, due to a merger with that company’s credit union back in 2015.

A complete list of 42 affiliated companies is available at usffcu.com/eligibility#affiliates.

“If you graduate from USF,” says Steiger, “you can bank with us your whole life.”

Many people do. In fact, Steiger says that about 2,500 members live in and around New Tampa and Wesley Chapel. To find out if you’re eligible to bank at USF FCU, visit usffcu.com/eligibility.

Typical? Hardly!

The USF FCU offers typical personal banking services — from checking and savings accounts, to money market accounts and CDs (certificates of deposit), auto loans, home loans, personal loans and more.

But, Steiger says, those services are not offered in a typical way.

“We are member-focused,” he explains. “Our members are our number one priority, and providing service to them is job one.”

Myresha Daniel is one of those members who says she appreciates the difference. Myresha says she opened her first account at USF FCU when she was a college student more than 20 years ago. She says she uses the credit union for all of her banking needs, including checking and savings accounts, CDs, a car loan, credit card, and previously had a personal loan that she paid off.

“You hear about astronomical fees from the big banks,” she says, like her friends who have to keep a minimum balance of $500 and get charged a fee if they fall below that. “My account minimum is $5.”

She says other perks include having a free consultation with a financial advisor who helped her better understand her 401(k), and a personalized car-buying program where she not only got the lowest rate out there, but also an assigned representative to meet her at the dealership and walk her through all the paperwork.

“They even send you a card on your birthday,” she says. “The representatives at the call center are great. I like the fact that they know my nickname, they recognize my voice, and we have built a relationship over time.”

In addition to calling the credit union, the USF FCU offers robust online and mobile banking services that allow their members to bank digitally from anywhere at any time. Plus, anyone in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel can easily access the local branch for face-to-face services.

“The branch in New Tampa is state-of-the-art,” says Steiger. “We offer all of our services there. You can walk in and talk with someone about getting a mortgage or auto loan, or anything else you need.”

Steiger says the credit union provides many auto loans for its members. Personal loans also are popular.

“When people want to consolidate their bills,” he says, “they come to us to get a low rate and achieve some savings.”

He says the rates for USF FCU loans are extremely competitive, which lowers the amount of money members pay in the long run. “I would encourage any readers who want to refinance or buy a new home, talk with us first,” he says. “We are currently offering great rates and special programs, including some loan programs that have no closing costs to close on the loan.”

Diane Dwornik is an Arbor Greene (in New Tampa) resident who became a member of the credit union when her husband Julian began working at USF in 1970.

“Our experience over the years has been phenomenal,” she says. “I’ve never had loans anywhere else.”

Although Julian has since passed away, he was a founding member of the USF medical school and went on to become dean of admissions for the school.

“When you’re a member, you’re a family member,” says Dwornik, explaining that she’s never felt like she’s just a customer of a bank.

“You get personal treatment,” she says, “I’ve always been treated so well and anyone I’ve recommended to the credit union has thanked me over and over again.”

While USF FCU offers the latest in digital banking technology, that personal touch means someone like her — who has no interest in online or mobile banking — can call and ask for help with all of her banking needs.

“At the end of the month,” Diane says, “I call them and they help me pay my mortgage and other bills.”

“We’re all treated just like family,” she adds. “That is so rare today.”

The New Tampa branch of the USF Federal Credit Union is located at 20610 BBD Blvd. The lobby is open Monday, Tuesday & Thursday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., 10 a.m.–5 p.m. on Wednesday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m.–1 p.m on Saturday. The drive-through opens at 8 a.m. weekdays. For additional information, visit USFFCU.org or call (813) 569-2000.

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Excel Music Helps Musicians Young & Old Hit All The Right Notes

Since 2006, Excel Music in the Cory Lake Isles Professional Center on Cross Creek Blvd. has been teaching students of all ages to sing and play a wide variety of instruments with some of the area’s top teachers. If you’re looking for something for the kids to do this summer, it may be the perfect time to bring them to Excel Music to try new musical endeavors. You may end up becoming a student yourself, too.

John and Sheri Thrasher are the husband-and-wife team who own Excel Music. “We’ve helped thousands of students of all ages reach their musical goals while enjoying the journey,” says John. “We like to say Excel is both the place you start and the place you stay.”

Excel Music has 20 teachers on staff and all are either university trained (many with Master of Music degrees) or they have at least 10 years of study and performing experience. The faculty teaches voice and nearly every traditional musical instrument, including piano, guitar, drums, violin and so many more.

“There’s a lot of excellent science out there that shows the benefit of a broad education that includes arts and music,” John says, adding that Excel provides a variety of opportunities for people of all ages — not just kids — to experience and connect with music.

Beyond Just Lessons

Excel Music offers the New Tampa Choir, a singing group for kids ages 7-12, and no experience is necessary to participate. It’s currently on hiatus for the summer, but will start back in September.

“It’s a learning experience, and it’s fun,” John says. “We want to give students a venue to sing songs they know, and some they don’t. In addition to traditional choir music, we do Broadway songs, Disney songs and more. We are always looking for more opportunities for this group to perform.”

Excel’s choir is for everyone – whether or not they have any prior singing experience. It provides small group instruction and even the opportunity for students to have solo parts, if they choose.

“This is not a huge choir where no one even knows each other’s name,” John says, adding that the choir will provide a way for New Tampa kids to meet new people and get involved in the music school.

The school also will start up its Excel Rock Band again this fall, but students can apply to participate at any time.

“We’ve done a rock band a couple of times over the years, and its success depends upon the right mix of students,” John says. “We make sure to group students by age, skill level and instrumentation.”

Excel Music offers a preschool music class for ages 18 months to four years, which is enjoyed by both kids and parents. The class lasts 45 minutes, once a week, for 10-12 weeks. The next semester will start in August.

“It’s a great way to engage with both the parent and the child,” John explains. “The smiles on the faces of the parents are often as big as the ones on the faces of their children.”

John adds that the classes help parents learn ways to engage musically with their preschoolers at home. “This is a participatory class in which we teach parents how to bring music into their kids’ lives,” he says, “especially if they’re not musicians.”

The school’s students have the opportunity to take part in recitals twice a year, but John says these performances are always optional and low-pressure. “Recitals are part of what we do,” John says. “But, we aren’t a performance-driven studio.”

Adult Training, Too

While many of Excel Music’s students are kids, the opportunity to learn to sing or play an instrument is certainly not limited by your age.

“A lot of adults come in for lessons, too,” says John. “We get retired people who say they’ve wanted to play their whole lives, and now they’re finally going to do it.” He says one of his favorite stories was about teaching an 86-year-old man how to play the trumpet.

Pete Laches is quite a bit younger than that, but he also is one of the school’s adult students. Pete says he has been taking guitar lessons at Excel since his daughters were in middle school. One is now in college and one just graduated from college.

“They started taking lessons right after we moved here, so they were in third or fourth grade,” he explains. “Rachel played the cello and piano, and Elizabeth played viola and guitar.”

He says that while his daughters no longer play their instruments, the investment he made in their lessons was well worth it.

“It’s a well-run place,” Pete says. “The instructors are good, and it seems to be a pretty stable staff. I like that they can teach every instrument, so your kid never feels stuck if they try something and hate it.”

Pete adds that, as an Arbor Greene resident, the location can’t be beat. It’s “right around the corner” — a huge convenience when his girls were taking lessons, and now for him. “I’m trapped in an office 40 hours a week, so playing guitar is an outlet for me,” Pete says. “It was a bucket list item and it’s a mental challenge, using a part of my brain that I usually don’t.”

About The Owners

John explains that he and Sheri originally opened Excel Music with the dream of providing the opportunity for young people to be trained for the kinds of careers and lives they once experienced themselves.

“We both had long careers in music, and were professional musicians who were able to make a living performing,” John says, adding that he was the drummer for country singer Mickey Gilley for many years, giving him the opportunity to perform on TV, at the White House and for people all over the world.

In the 1990s, John and Sheri had success together with a band of their own in Japan called Tz, where he says they sold tens of thousands of CDs. They also found themselves immersed in a culture that revered teachers, which led them to start thinking about passing on the knowledge and experience they had gained to the next generation.

“We met tremendous people, saw great places, and made a living,” John says. “We started thinking, ‘What if some of the kids who come through our school can experience what we’ve experienced?’”

They landed in New Tampa, where they had relatives, and have been building their school ever since. With 13 years now under their belts, some of John and Sheri’s long-term students are now growing up and moving on. “We’re seeing many students who have come through our school go on to college, and some are majoring in music,” John says. “This dream we had is starting to come true.”

John explains, however, that he and Sheri recognize that the vast majority of their students will not go on to have professional music careers. “Our teachers are good enough for that type of student, but most of our students will go on to have another career such as a doctor or lawyer or something else,” he says. “We hope that when they go to a concert or experience music, they will appreciate it on a different level, because they truly understand the challenge of playing music, and the dedication and skill of the performers presenting the music to them.”

For the past five years, Excel Music has been a business partner at Hunter’s Green, Clark and Pride elementary schools — and recently added Liberty Middle School to its list of partners. Students who attend those schools can enroll at Excel Music with no registration fee, which is a value of up to $45.

Excel Music (10353 Cross Creek Blvd., Suite I) is open Monday- Thursday, 2 p.m.-9 p.m., 2 p.m.-7 p.m. on Friday, and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday. Visit ExcelMusic.org, or call (813) 991-1177 for more info or to schedule lessons.

Excel music lessons

Kinnan /Mansfield May Be Connected, But Only For Emergencies

The decades-old debate over connecting Kinnan St. in New Tampa to Mansfield Blvd. in Wesley Chapel appears to have, pardon the pun, reached the end of the road.

After years of meetings and studies and community activism, the Pasco Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) sided with the Meadow Pointe residents who claim that connecting the roads would put their children’s safety at risk.

On June 11, the Pasco MPO voted unanimously to forward their recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners that Wesley Chapel be connected to New Tampa’s growing K-Bar Ranch community via two roads further to the east of Kinnan-Mansfield (neither has been completed) — Meadow Pointe Blvd. and Wyndfields Blvd., both of which would eventually connect to K-Bar Ranch Blvd. (at different locations).

But, Mansfield Blvd. and Kinnan St. will not be connected for area commuters.

“Everybody that came today spoke against opening up Kinnan and Mansfield,” said Pasco District 2 Commissioner Mike Moore, who represents the Meadow Pointe area, at the June 11 Pasco MPO meeting. “There was one person who was in favor of it, and he lives in New Tampa.”

Hunter’s Green resident Dr. Jim Davison was the person who spoke in favor of connecting Kinnan-Mansfield.

The final vote to settle the roadways question was expected to be held In August, in Dade City.

Considering that all five members on the Pasco BOC also are on the MPO Board that voted unanimously in favor of making only two of the three connections that were considered, it is almost certain to pass.

Hillsborough County District 2 commissioner Ken Hagan and District 7 Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera, both of whom have fought for the connection for years, expressed disappointment and frustration over the Pasco MPO’s decision.

Hagan called it “extremely parochial and irrational.”

However, both New Tampa representatives took some solace in the fact that the famed 40-foot patch of dirt, weeds and trees (and often, garbage and abandoned furniture) separating the roads may be paved over, connecting the roads for use by emergency service vehicles — with a mechanical traffic arm keeping local traffic out — as well as providing a path for bikers and pedestrians.

Public safety was one of the primary reasons both Hagan and Viera had fought for the connection.

“I’m pleased that Pasco County is finally recognizing the significant public safety concerns with Kinnan-Mansfield remaining closed,” Hagan said. “I think this is a necessary first step, and we will live to fight another day.”

Davison was less pleased with the concession for emergency vehicle access. A longtime traffic activist and emergency room physician, Davison said that most people come to the hospital emergency room by private vehicle, not an ambulance, and those people will still face a longer trip to get care.

“Connecting Kinnan and Mansfield is in the public good,” Dr. Davison said.

After years of political arguments and one costly study, Pasco’s MPO turned to its residents to help render a decision.

The MPO was presented with the results from its recent online Pasco Resident Survey, which asked which of four options for connecting Meadow Pointe to New Tampa were preferred.

Meghan McKinney of the consulting firm AECOM, which conducted the initial Wesley Chapel Roadway Connections study which produced the choices for the online survey, said the total number of eligible respondents was 1,180.

The option most favored by those polled online was Option 2, which asked if respondents favored connecting only Meadow Pointe Blvd. to K-Bar Ranch Pkwy.

Nearly 68 percent responded yes, with 32 percent saying no.

The MPO, however, voted unanimously to forward the second-most popular option, Option 3 — connecting both the Meadow Pointe Blvd. Extension and Wyndfields Blvd. to K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. — which 66 percent favored.

Connecting only Kinnan-Mansfield was never an option — nor was it an option that was studied in the year-long Roadways Connections Study commissioned by the county — but the controversial connection was included with the other roads in both Option 1 and Option 4. Option 1, which asked if residents would be in favor of connecting Kinnan to Mansfield as well as the Meadow Pointe Blvd. Extension to K-Bar Ranch Pkwy., received a “yes” vote by 54 percent of respondents.

The least popular option from the survey results was No. 4, which would have connected Mansfield Blvd., the Meadow Pointe Blvd. Extension and Wyndfields Blvd. — in other words, all three potential connections to the New Tampa area. Even so, a majority of those responding, 52 percent, still voted in favor of that option as well.

Dr. Valerie Mainguy, a Meadow Pointe resident who works at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church on Cross Creek Blvd., suggested that those numbers were tainted. She told the board she was privy to a “huge initiative” by New Tampa residents to use Pasco addresses and names to skew the results to get Kinnan-Mansfield connected

She said the “fraud” that happened is well known and public knowledge, although she offered no proof of it.

A majority of those saying no to any connections involving Mansfield Blvd. came from those who live along the road. They were signified by red dots on a map showing where the respondents resided.

“The ones that would utilize that connection don’t want that connection,” Moore said.

Those who showed up to the MPO meeting spoke against adding any more traffic to Mansfield Blvd.

“I’m a red dot because I’m the father of two boys that ride their bikes up and down (Mansfield) every day to go to school,” said Meadow Pointe II resident Brad Jorgensen.

Like many of those opposed to connecting Kinnan St. to Mansfield Blvd., Jorgensen cited the safety of children in the neighborhoods along the road.

“This is about not turning our neighborhood into alternate Bruce B. Downs,” Jorgensen said.

Kinnan-Mansfield

Fresh Kitchen Coming To Hunter’s Lake!

While it may be a lot to ask for the new Village at Hunter’s Lake project to single-handedly save the sleepy restaurant scene in New Tampa, it sure seems like the developers are trying.

Fresh Kitchen, a south Tampa favorite with locations on S. Howard Ave. and W. Kennedy Blvd., is the latest restaurant to be announced as coming to the new development on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., right across New Tampa’s main thoroughfare from the entrance to Hunter’s Green.

Regency Centers senior leasing agent Marc Elias broke the news to a collection of local business leaders last month at the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce (NTBC)’s Economic Development Briefing at Hunter’s Green Country Club on June.

Fresh Kitchen is owned by the Ciccio Restaurant Group, which also owns such notable restaurants as Taco Dirty, Green Lemon, betterBYRD and Ciccio Cali, which has a popular location in Tampa Palms.

Like Ciccio Cali, Fresh Kitchen focuses on healthy bowls, where patrons choose their base, protein, vegetable and any extras. Elias’ announcement drew a round of positive chatter during the NTBC briefing.

Elias also said that Regency Centers has a BBQ concept coming, as well as a sub-and-wrap concept, although he didn’t name those restaurants.

Regency Centers senior leasing agent Marc Elias.

Along with the previously announced Via Italia Wood Fired Pizza, Poke Island Plus and Grain & Berry, that would mean six new restaurants (plus Starbucks) could be open by April of 2020 in New Tampa.

The Village at Hunter’s Lake also is likely to provide a boost to the social scene in New Tampa.

“We certainly hope so,” said Elias. “We feel like we are responding to the needs of the area, which is really convenience. Hopefully, we’re able to attract the foot traffic over there, and they can hang out with their dogs at the dog parks, go to Starbucks, take a yoga class. That’s the goal, getting them to hang out at the center.”

While Sprouts, the first green grocer to enter the New Tampa market, is the anchor of the retail strip, other occupants previously reported by the Neighborhood News are Banfield Pet Hospital, The Coder School, Hair Cuttery, Heartland Dental, Nationwide Vision Center, Pink & White Nails, Pure Beauty Salon and T-Mobile.

Elias added that a running store and a “yoga concept” also have signed leases.

Elias says the shell buildings should be completed by November, barring a persistent rainy season. Tenants can open whenever they are ready, though Elias suspects that most will open sometime around April 2020, when Sprouts is expected to be completed.

The Village at Hunter’s Lake will have a total of 71,397 sq. ft. of commercial space. The project also will include a 30,000-sq.-ft. New Tampa Cultural Center — which is expected to break ground next year and open sometime in 2021 — two dog parks and a four-story, 241-unit multi-family complex to be called The Haven at Hunter’s Lake

ciccio cali Fresh kitchen hunter's lake llc

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.

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