Tampa Palms resident Kellie Lightbourne says she’s a very particular person, especially when it comes to her family and their teeth.
You’d expect that from a former Mrs. USA and veteran television personality.
So, when it was time for Kellie to choose an orthodontist for her 12-year-old twins, she went to several offices for consultations.
She says it was when she met Sam Jureyda, D.M.D. (Doctor of Medical Dentistry), of Radiance Orthodontics, located in the Tampa Palms Professional Center, that she knew she had found exactly what she was seeking for her family.
“Dr. J is amazing,” she says. “He sat with my kids, talked with them, interacted with them and made them feel welcome.”
That’s a big deal for Kellie’s son, Niko, who has special needs. Kellie feared he wouldn’t cooperate with an orthodontist working inside his mouth.
“Once Niko decides he’s not doing something, there’s no way he’s going to do it,” Kellie says. “I thought orthodontic treatment would be a nightmare, but now he’ll do it for Dr. J because he likes him so much. Now, I have no fear.”
Niko’s twin sister, Landyn, immediately liked him, too. “Dr. J was so different than all the other orthodontists because he actually talked to us,” Landyn says. “It wasn’t boring. He actually made it sort of fun and interactive. He made us feel very comfortable and he’s very funny.”
Dr. Jureyda has spent more than 25 years practicing orthodontics. Before moving into private practice in 2006 — and subsequently opening Radiance Orthodontics in 2016 — he taught graduate-level students at the University of Buffalo, NY.
As a former educator, he believes his own practice is improved by education, as he strives to give his patients access to modern options that lead to the best possible outcomes. He knows each patient has a unique set of needs and is sure to treat each individual with a personalized and completely customized treatment plan.
His goal is not just to treat the patient, but also to involve the patient in the process — even the youngest among them — so they are invested in their care and have a positive experience at Radiance Orthodontics.
“We believe in building a relationship with each patient,” Dr. Jureyda explains, “educating, supporting and encouraging them. We look forward to your visits as time spent with a friend, and we genuinely hope you will feel the same.”
Radiance Orthodontics offers traditional metal braces, along with clear braces, and also offers treatment with InvisalignTM, which uses invisible, removable, comfortable aligners to straighten teeth. The method is constantly improving and is now so effective, it often works more quickly than traditional braces.
Adapting To Keep You Safe
Like all orthodontic practices, Radiance Orthodontics was required to shut down for several weeks during the Covid-19 pandemic.
During that time, Dr. Jureyda and his staff continued to answer phone calls, text messages and emails to help their patients.
When the office reopened, the same stringent cleaning protocols that have always been practiced were followed, and enhanced procedures have been added, such as temperature checks and health screening questions.
“We have temporarily closed our waiting room and now ask our patients to wait in their cars,” says Dr. Jureyda. “Simply call or text us when you arrive, and we’ll let you know to come in as soon as your room is ready. We’re being extremely cautious at this time, to protect all of our patients and staff.”
‘Consultations Are Free?’
Justine (who asked that we only use her first name) is a University of South Florida medical student who recently began treatment at Radiance Orthodontics.
In January of 2019, Justine signed up with a company that promised to close a gap between her front teeth by sending her aligners in the mail. While her first choice would have been to go to an orthodontist in person, she didn’t think she could afford it.
“I don’t have dental insurance and I thought braces would cost $6,000 to $8,000,” she said. “I didn’t know consultations are free.”
Justine says the next 12 months with the mail-order company couldn’t have been further from her expectations. The aligners did not move her teeth, which caused them to not fit properly as she tried to continue her treatment. When she had questions — such as if the painful sores she was developing were normal — she had no medical professional to ask. She says the company’s customer service department replied in form letters that were sometimes not even relevant to her question.
When the aligners didn’t fit anymore, the company offered to send her modified aligners. She did her own impressions at home, and sent them in. She didn’t receive the new aligners for eight weeks. At that time, they no longer fit her teeth and she had to start over. After the third modification, with still no progress happening to fix the gap between her front teeth, she gave up. She decided she needed to see an orthodontist in person, and scheduled an appointment with Radiance Orthodontics.
She says she wishes she would have done it much sooner.
As she discovered, consultations at Radiance Orthodontics are completely free and are always no-obligation.
“The cost is much less than I thought it would be,” Justine says. “And it’s worth it. I’m a young adult without a lot of experience. I didn’t know there were discounts for paying in full, or that the pricing would be built around monthly payments and a payment plan.”
She says the experience is already vastly different than with the “do-it-yourself” aligners, including attachments being placed on her teeth to hold the InvisalignTM aligners in place.
“Dr. J was listening,” Justine says. “It was such a stark difference than when I had no one to turn to.”
Serving The Community, Too!
One hallmark of Radiance Orthodontics is that Dr. Jureyda remains committed to being a partner at almost all of New Tampa’s public schools. As a business partner at our two high schools, three middle schools, and seven elementary schools, Dr. Jureyda actively supports the PTAs and students in our community.
“We truly miss being able to be out in the community and attending events at our local schools,” he says. “We consider it a privilege to support our local students and educators.”
To ensure that Radiance Orthodontics is accessible to everyone, especially during these uncertain times, Dr. Jureyda makes accommodations in both scheduling and payment plans. Some evening and Saturday appointments are available, and Radiance Orthodontics also works with patients to determine orthodontic benefits through dental insurance and provide affordable payment options.
“My reputation relies solely on how I treat each and every patient,” says Dr. Jureyda. “I take that very seriously.”
To read reviews about the practice, Google “Radiance Orthodontics,” where you’ll see that every review is a five-star rating. In addition to more than 100 ratings on Google, the reviews for Radiance Orthodontics on Facebook, Yelp! and Healthgrades are also exclusively five stars.
Radiance Orthodontics is located at 17427 Bridge Hill Ct., Suite A, in the Tampa Palms Professional Center. For more information, please visit MyRadianceBraces.com, search “Radiance Orthodontics” on Facebook, or see the ad on page 21. To schedule your free consultation, call or text Radiance Orthodontics at (813)-972-1100.
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