By Anu Varna Panchal
During his long commute from his home in Dade City doing his undergraduate studies at the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa, Vijay Patel, D.D.S (Doctor of Dental Surgery), says that he used to drive right through the beginnings of what was shaping up to be New Tampa and that he could tell it was going to be something special. And, sure enough, by the time he had become a practicing dentist and was ready to start his own practice, Dr. Patel knew exactly where he wanted to settle.
Pebble Creek Family Dentistry (PCFD) has stood at the corner of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and Regents Park Dr. (next to Chase Bank) since Dr. Patel opened its doors in November of 2010. Since then, he has become the go-to dentist for many families looking for everything from a routine dental exam to lengthy cosmetic and surgical procedures.
“Everybody’s nice here,” says the soft-spoken Dr. Patel. “These are good, family-oriented people.”
That’s why he not only set up his practice here, but he also lives in Arbor Greene (off Cross Creek Blvd.), and both of his children attend Richard F. Pride Elementary, located off Kinnan St. in the nearby K-Bar Ranch community.
Dr. Patel earned his Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Biology from USF in 2002, and his D.D.S. degree from Howard University in Washington, D.C., in 2006. The lure of family drew him back to Florida, where he worked for another practice before opening his own.
PCFD’s office boasts a spacious waiting room with comfortable leather chairs and soothing water fountains. Inside, the six examination rooms are equipped with massage chairs and flat screen TVs angled just right for a little distraction during a cleaning.
General dentistry procedures offered at PCFD include cleanings, exams and X-rays, composite fillings, root canal therapy and tooth extractions. Additionally, patients can opt for one of the many cosmetic procedures offered, including porcelain crowns, teeth whitening, dental bridges, veneers, bonding, inlays and onlays and more.
PCFD accepts the majority of PPO insurance policies, and presently, new patients can take advantage of a special offer of $39 for a dental exam and X-rays.
When patients do sign up for care at PCFD, Patel says that he is pretty sure they’ll stay for a long time, mostly because of the compassionate care he and his staff provide to their patients.
It certainly worked for Al and Dee Grosser, 20-year Wesley Chapel residents who have been with Dr. Patel since before he opened his own practice and have had many treatments from him — from routine exams to more complex procedures. Since then, the Grossers say they have referred several friends and family members to the practice.
“What I like about (Dr. Patel) is that, first of all, he is very caring,” says Dee. “He takes his time with you. He’s very patient. He explains what he thinks should be done. If we aren’t happy with something, he takes care of it until we are happy. If you call him after hours, you don’t just get an answering service. He always calls you back.”
That kind of personal touch with patients is the most important quality Dr. Patel says he seeks when looking to hire staff for his practice. He notes that the two dental hygienists at PCFD — Rose Turner and Leah Crist — as well as the front office staff, all have the sort of personality and skills that endear them to his patients, a fact borne out by the nearly 200 reviews on his website (PebbleCreek FamilyDentistry.com), many of which extol the virtues of the staff. In addition to Turner and Crist, Dr. Patel has two dental assistants, a hygiene coordinator, an insurance coordinator and office manager Lynn Curry, who has worked in dental offices for 44 years.
“Dr. Patel lets me make sure all my ‘i’s are dotted and ‘t’s crossed,” says Curry, who actually helped open the practice with Dr. Patel. She says she likes his gentleness with nervous patients. “I’ve worked with dentists before who (can be) short and abrupt with them,” Curry says. “[Dr. Patel] is patient.”
She says she also appreciates the doctor’s insistence that Curry and the rest of his staff check out each patient’s insurance and give them fair estimates. “Everybody has a budget nowadays,” Curry says. “We give [our patients] fair warning so they know what they’re dealing with. And, he knows his dentistry.”
Dr. Patel sees patients Monday – Thursday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., and spends Fridays catching up on paperwork and making personal phone calls to patients who have recently undergone procedures.
Dr. Patel will see anyone age 8 and above. Although many of his patients are from New Tampa — and he often runs into them while shopping or running errands when he’s free — he has loyal patients who come from as far away as New Port Richey, Spring Hill and St. Petersburg. Dr. Patel says that a Miami couple happened to be traveling through New Tampa and needed to see a dentist, and liked what they saw so much in Dr. Patel’s practice that they still make the trip to see him regularly. Recently, he says, a family of five — mother, father and three children — came to PCFD for their dental examinations while visiting family in New Tampa from the U.S. Virgin Islands. He also treats three generations of another local family.
“It’s all word of mouth,” Dr. Patel says. His patients like the time he spends with them, and that’s why he says he’s not really looking to expand too much — although he is still taking on new patients. “I still believe in taking care of patients. I’m happy with what I have, but I’m always accepting good patients.”
He also spends much of his free time volunteering for BAPS (Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha) Charities, a non-profit organization that has raised funds through Walkathons to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The last one was held in May and raised more than $2,000 for the organization.
As to why dentistry? Dr. Patel shrugs and says, “Because you get to make people smile!”
Pebble Creek Family Dentistry is located at 19007 BBD. For more information or to make an appointment, visit PebbleCreekFamilyDentistry.com, call 406-4947, or see the ad on page 39 of this issue.
No comment yet, add your voice below!