Tag: Farina

Farina Orthodontic Specialists Combines The Latest Technology With Top Patient Care

The friendly professional staff at Farina Orthodontic Specialists is led by orthodontists (front row, l.-r.) Pedro Franco, D.M.D., Undine Davis, D.M.D. & Mark Farina, D.M.D. (Photos provided by Farina Orthodontic Specialists)

Dr. Mark Farina, D.M.D (Doctor of Dental Medicine), of Farina Orthodontic Specialists is something of an institution in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel areas.

Dr. Farina has been creating beautiful smiles in our communities for nearly 30 years and continues to be at the forefront of both the latest technology and the highest possible level of patient care.

After opening his first office on N. Habana Ave. in West Tampa in 1995, Dr. Farina opened his Tampa Palms office in the professional center next to what is now called the Shops at Amberly in 2000.

Since then, he estimates that he has worked on more than 25,000 smiles for children and a growing number of adults.

“They start as little people, and I see them grow up,” Dr. Farina says. “I have been invited to attend graduations, weddings and other functions. It’s great to see what a difference a great smile makes.”

Today, Farina Orthodontic Specialists has three offices — one in South Tampa, one in Tampa Palms and the newest location in the building dubbed “The Cube” on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in Wesley Chapel (between AdventHealth Wesley Chapel and the Shops at Wiregrass mall). And, two additional orthodontists who share Dr. Farina’s passion for creating beautiful smiles have joined him to serve even more patients — Undine Davis, D.M.D., and Pedro Franco, D.M.D.

The first floor of the three-story cube is now the headquarters of Farina Orthodontic Specialists and also is home to a number of other related dental and medical specialists, including dental services such as root canals (endodontics) and maxillofacial surgery (to correct issues with teeth, gums and even jaws), as well as the office’s high-tech call center, digital lab and corporate office — all on the second floor of the building. The third floor is home to Kids SPOT, which provides pediatric therapy services, including speech, physical, occupational and applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapies for children from birth to age 21 at every stage of development.

*Among the many technological advancements you’ll find at Farina Orthodontic Specialists are low-dose digital X-rays (above) and the 3D impressionless scanner (right).*

“When we were starting to build the new office, my son Stefano was 18 and became part of the process,” Dr. Farina says. “I think that may have encouraged him to get involved in building projects, which he is still doing today. He looked at the cube and said, ‘Dad, it is missing a clock. People always remember a building with a clock on it!’ That’s how the (traditional round) clock became part of the building.”

All three offices are busy places, with any number of happy patients visiting every day.

“In fact, one of Stefano’s close friends also was a patient,” Dr. Farina says. “My wife (Lissette) and I overheard this friend tell my son, ‘I have to thank your dad. I was like a three when I first went to him. But, I got my smile fixed and now I’m like an eight, so I am going to ask (girls name) to the prom.’ These are the types of things that make me smile. I don’t ever feel like I’m working. I love what I do and take pride in the happiness and confidence we bring to so many.”

Embracing Change

Although some patients still either opt to (or have to) choose traditional metal braces, Dr. Farina says the motto at the office is “Embrace Change.” He and his team are always looking for innovative ways to grow and one way to accomplish this goal is with new technologies, which means more than just embracing Invisalign® clear aligners — although Dr. Farina says he is the top Invisalign® provider in the area, and one of just a few orthodontists nationwide who have reached Elite Status with Invisalign®. In fact, he says, 60-70% of the practice’s current patients are using Invisalign®.

One such advancement in the orothodontic industry is the Dental Monitoring ScanBox Pro. This is a device and process that allows patients to take digital scans of their teeth (and entire mouths) every week with their phones. The images are sent to the office so the doctors can monitor the progress of these patients between scheduled appointments, especially if anything appears to not be progressing properly. At that point, they can be brought into the office as quickly as possible to correct any issues.

“Our office was the first in the country to have this technology and we have been using it for more than four years now with great success.”

Other technological advances include a 3D impressionless scanner that can create a digital 3D model of your teeth in minutes. An i-CAT 3D Machine takes a 3D image of not just the patient’s teeth, but also of the bones and airways in his or her head. Best of all, the process takes all of five seconds.

An iTero 3D impressionless scanner can create a digital 3D model of your teeth in three minutes — without the need for that traditional, dreaded goop. The 3-D printers can even produce tooth aligners and retainers on site.

Not Just For Kids Anymore

Another trend in the orthodontic industry, according to Dr. Farina, is that 40% of the orthodontic practice’s patients are now adults, including a growing number of adult men. Some, but not all, of these adult patients are the parents of younger patients who see how effective orthodontics can be.

*Dr. Farina shows a patient their X-rays*.

“Many of the adults do go with Invisalign® (clear aligners),” Dr. Farina says.

Dr. Farina says that while Farina Orthodontic Specialists may not be the least expensive option for patients, “We’re not the most expensive orthodontists, either.” He adds that the practice’s prices are competitive, and it accepts all types of insurance plans. He will also work with patients who may need a payment plan, which he says can cost as little as $149/month.

“Your smile is for a lifetime,” Dr. Farina says. “It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself. When you smile, you have the power to change the energy around you, as well as how you feel and how people around you feel.”

When Dr. Farina was young, he had a bad experience with a dentist and was determined to make his office and everything about the experience friendly and inviting. That’s why his offices don’t look or feel like a dentist’s office.

He also says that he is very proud of his staff. Every week, he and his team have “WOW Wednesday,” where the employees nominate one of their own to be the “Wower” of the week.

Meet The Team

*Dr. Farina poses with his three “Top Dentist” awards from Tampa Magazine.*

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 (NYU) in New York City, NY.

He also has received advanced training in the integrated diagnosis and treatment of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain, and has served on research teams at both NYU and Penn to help find new and better ways to solve orthodontic problems. Dr. Farina attends more than 80 hours of professional seminars each year and participates in giving seminars and webinars across the country.

Dr. Pedro Franco was born in Cleveland, OH, but grew up in the Dominican Republic. He graduated from the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City, Mexico, and earned his D.M.D. degree (Summa Cum Laude) from the University of Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine in San Juan. His Specialty Certificate in Orthodontics is from the Georgia School of Orthodontics, where he received the Doctor Nathaniel Glover Leadership & Professionalism Scholarship.

Dr. Undine Davis graduated from Stanford University in Stanford, CA, where she was an outstanding hurdler on the school’s track team. She earned her D.M.D. degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry. She also earned a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Dental Sciences and a Specialty Certification in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics from the University of Florida College of Dentistry in Gainesville.

All three doctors in the practice are Board-certified and Dr. Farina says that only about 25% of all dentists are Board-certified, so he is very proud of this accomplishment. He and his team also have been voted one of the Top Dentists in Tampa the last three years by Tampa Magazine. The entire practice is very active in the community and has provided mouth guards for local sports teams and sponsored numerous causes that support education, encourage leadership and save lives.

To schedule a free virtual consultation, with Farina Orthodontic Specialists, visit FarinaSmiles.com, where you also can find additional information about the practice. New patients can call (813) 652-0074 for more information. The Tampa Palms office is located at 15303 Amberly Dr., Suite E, and the Wesley Chapel office is located at 2370 Bruce B. Downs, Suite 100.

Farina Orthodontic Specialists Celebrates Five Years In Wesley Chapel!

I have known Mark Farina, D.M.D., pretty much since even before he opened his office in Tampa Palms a quarter of a century or so ago. At that time, his only office was on N. Habana Ave. in Tampa (Note-That office has now been moved to South Tampa).

Since then, not only has Dr. Farina opened his third Farina Orthodontic Specialists office on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. (just north of the Shops at Wiregrass), he just celebrated his fifth anniversary in that uniquely cube-shaped building with a packed Open House and anniversary party on Apr. 26.

To me, Dr. Farina is more than just an outstanding orthodontist. He’s a most likable guy who did the braces for both of my sons (who consistently receive compliments for their dazzling smiles) and he also has always stayed on the cutting edge of dental technology.

As one example, Farina Orthodontic Specialists may have been the first dental office in our area to offer in-office gaming systems so young patients wouldn’t mind having to wait a few minutes for their appointments.

And, although both of my sons (just two of Dr. Farina’s more than 10,000 patients), who are now in their 30s, had no choice but to have metal braces, Dr. Farina also was one of the first in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area to embrace Invisalign clear aligners, which have become an industry standard alternative to traditional metal braces. In fact, Dr. Farina is today one of the top Invisalign providers in the Tampa Bay area.

And, Introducing…

At the Open House event, which featured outstanding food and beverages and more than 100 people in attendance, Dr. Farina not only introduced his two new associates — Dr. Undine Davis and Dr. Pedro Franco — he also showed off his favorite new dental “toys,” Remote Dental Monitoring through the Smile Doctors Anywhere network of orthodontists and the full-mouth-scanning device known as the ScanBox (see photo, left, and info below).

“We are really excited about the addition of our two doctors, Dr. Davis and Dr. Franco,” Dr. Farina says. “Dr. Davis comes to us from Stanford University and is a University of Florida graduate in Orthodontics, and Dr. Franco comes from a family of dentists and graduated from the Georgia School of Orthodontics. We are happy to have three doctors here to take care of our patients’ needs.”

*If you become a patient of Dr. Farina’s, you could have access to the ScanBox digital imaging device and the remote ScanBox app*

In addition, Remote Dental Monitoring provides patients with a portal system that minimizes visits to the office, resulting in less time missed from school and work.

“This cutting-edge AI (artificial intelligence) technology connects the doctors and clinical team to the patients to help answer questions and resolve issues more quickly,” Dr. Farina says. “Patients have access to the portal 24/7 and can also manage things like payments and appointment scheduling through it.”

The ScanBox allows patients to continue their monitoring on the go, from anywhere in the world, and helps remove the “nagging parents” responsibility so kids can be involved in their own orthodontic progression. The system will even let them know if there are spots that need better brushing or flossing.

“We’re very excited about Smile Doctors Anywhere dental monitoring for our patients!,” Dr. Farina says. “It connects them to our office virtually so they’re able to ask questions and send photos, so they are always connected and can reach out to us. This also saves missed time for the parents from work and the kids from school. We are so thrilled to have this technology and to be one of the first to have it in the Tampa Bay area.”

Farina Orthodontic Specialists has three offices, including at 15303 Amberly Dr. in Tampa Palms and 2370 BBD Blvd., Suite 100, in Wesley Chapel. For more information, including how to get $1,000 off your traditional braces or Invisalign aligners, call (813) 972-2929 or visit FarinaSmiles.com.

SPOTLIGHT ON: The Original New Tampa Dentists!

Our editor has known almost everyone in this photo —(l.-r.) Dr. Tom Frankfurth, Dr. Rob Taglione, Dr. Mark Farina, Paul Gigante, Dr. Lou Cerillo & Dr. Greg Stepanski — for 25 years or more. (Photo by Charmaine George)

As I said in the story on this and the previous page about Farina Orthodontic Specialists, I have had the privilege of knowing Dr. Mark Farina for nearly 25 years.

On the other hand, I have known a few of the other gentlemen in the photo above even longer than I have known Dr. Farina. I asked my photographer, Charmaine George, to shoot this picture of the “original dentists of New Tampa” to illustrate not only how long I’ve been serving the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel areas, but also how many of these folks also have been serving our areas.

In the photo above, I have known Dr. Tom Frankfurth of Sage Dental, Dr. Lou Cerillo of Cerillo Family Dentistry (see ad on pg. 10) and Dr. Greg Stepanski of Children’s Dentistry, as well as local photographer/DJ Paul Gigante of Gigante Productions even longer than I have known Dr. Farina. The three dentists mentioned all began advertising in the Neighborhood News even before Dr. Farina did, and I remember when Gigante, Cerillo and Farina became the three founding members of the New Tampa Italian Club.

The only dentist in the photo that I haven’t known as long is oral and maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Roberto (Rob) Taglione, who also has been practicing in this area for more than 20 years.

Yes, they came out to enjoy Dr. Farina’s party, but to me, it was so meaningful that all of these gentlemen came to support their friend and colleague, just as I did.

Farina Farina Orthodontic Specialists Wesley Chapel

Farina Orthodontic Specialists Offers New Tech & Decades Of Experience

Over the course of the last 26 years, Mark Farina, D.M.D. (Doctor of Dental Medicine) has built a reputation as one of the finest and most respected orthodontists in Tampa Bay. And, while that has helped him make a great living, he now finds even more joy in the services he provides for free as part of his Smiles For The Soul foundation.

“We’re transitioning from our success to significance,” says Dr. Farina, the long-time New Tampa and Wesley Chapel orthodontist who estimates he has fixed more than 20,000 smiles.

But, what’s the point of a great smile if there’s nothing to smile about? To that end, Farina takes great pleasure in helping those with unfortunate circumstances, like wiping clean the bill of the mother whose son has just died, or bringing a former Navy Seal to tears with a free smile as a thank you for his service, or for many others who have been nominated to receive assistance from Smiles For The Soul.

“It’s just wonderful to give back,” Dr. Farina says. “These are the stories that make me the happiest. Seeing the reactions and seeing the different ways we help — that’s powerful stuff.”

Farina’s success has opened many doors, including those at his modern, cubist-style office on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. between the Shops at Wiregrass and AdventHealth Wesley Chapel.

Virtual appointments are popular at Farina Orthodontics.

The three-floor, 16,000-sq.-ft. building is a testament to his success and his vision for the future. Farina Orthodontic Specialists operates out of the building’s first floor, and half of the second floor has offices handling oral maxillofacial surgery, periodontics and implant dentistry (with Dr. Matthew Waite, Dr. Mary Elizabeth Joyce and Dr. James Wilson) as well as endodontics (root canals) with Dr. Christian Kamaris and Dr. Frank Delgado.

The other half of the second floor has recently been completed, housing the office’s communications and support center. It will serve as a training center for other doctors nationwide and locally and will host speakers and even conferences. There are two 85–foot screens for presentations, and easily movable furniture that allows the space to be reconfigured for various needs.

Dr. Farina says the office is right out of what you might see at a start-up in Silicon Valley, or even at Google.

The entire building is set up as a multi-interdisciplinary facility, where all of the specialties can come together to give a treatment plan and the best possible outcomes for patients.

Orthodontics, however, are still the engine that drives Farina Orthodontic Specialists.

Top-notch customer service, clear and concise consultations and a friendly waiting room offering a beverage bar and iPads are a precursor to the advanced services offered by Dr. Farina and his professional staff.

A 3D impressionless scanner at Farina Orthodontic Specialists can create a digital 3D model of your teeth in minutes. An i-CAT 3D Machine takes a 3D image of not just the patient’s teeth, but also the bones and airways in his or her head. Best of all, the process takes all of five seconds.

An iTero 3D impressionless scanner can create a digital 3D model of your teeth in three minutes — without the need for that traditional, dreadful goop.

The 3-D printers also can produce tooth aligners and retainers on site.

“We have always been at the forefront of new technology,” Farina says.

In addition to traditional braces, Farina Orthodontic Specialists uses the Invisalign® brand of clear aligners. Farina says that today, most of his patients (60-70 percent) are fitted with Invisalign®, and advances in that area have led to a rapid growth in the number of adults, particularly men, who now visit his practice.

In fact, Dr. Farina says he is the top Invisalign® provider in the area, and one of just a few orthodontists nationwide who has reached Elite Status with Invisalign®.

Dr. Farina also offers his own trademarked system, called ClearTech, which is designed for “touch ups” and more minor tooth movements and relapses.

Those are just a few of the hi-tech options available, with more to come. Farina says his practice will soon start using DentalMonitoring, where a patient is given a ScanBox Pro to use at home and their teeth can be monitored remotely.

“It will map the movements of your teeth,” Dr. Farina says. “It’s pretty awesome stuff.”

It’s a big part of the growth of virtual care, which Farina Orthodontic Specialists emphasizes. Not only does it offer a virtual smile assessment and consultation from the practice’s website (FarinaSmiles.com), it also uses Zoom calls to save some patients a trip to the office.

The new technologies have allowed Dr. Farina to double the number of patients he now sees, he says.

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.

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

His training has led to his successful career, and while he has always been charitable, that success has allowed him to focus more on making a difference with Smiles For The Soul.

And, that new charitable endeavor is what brings a smile to his face.

“It’s all very gratifying,” Dr. Farina says. “As this point for me, it’s not really work anymore, it’s just fun.”

For appointments and more information about the Tampa Palms (15303 Amberly Dr.), Wesley Chapel (2370 BBD Blvd., Suite A) or any of the three locations of Farina Orthodontic Specialists, call (813) 972-2929 or visit FarinaSmiles.com.

Farina

Farina Orthodontic Specialists Focused On The Future

Mark Farina, D.M.D. (Doctor of Dental Medicine) is one of the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area’s best-known, most respected orthodontists. In his 26 years of creating beautiful smiles locally, Farina Orthodontic Specialists has been responsible for fixing more than 20,000 smiles.

And, not only is he not done yet, Dr. Farina is taking his practice to new heights.

While he already has three offices, including one in Tampa Palms off Amberly Dr. and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. (that he moved into in 2000), it is his glimmering, modern, cubed building on BBD between the Shops at Wiregrass and AdventHealth Wesley Chapel, that has expanded his services and his vision.

The three-floor, 16,000-sq.-ft. building is certainly not your daddy’s dental office, inside or outside. It does, however, reflect the high-tech and futuristic nature of Farina’s practice.

“I wanted to create a building to reflect our thought process of moving into the next 10-20 years,” Dr. Farina says. “It’s modern, clean, and unobtrusive. And, the windows represent a radical transparency, which is something we pride ourselves on with our fees, consultations and allowing parents to come back with their children.”

Farina Orthodontic Specialists operates out of the new building’s first floor, and half of the second floor has offices handling oral maxillofacial surgery, periodontics and implant dentistry (with Dr. Matthew Waite, Dr. Mary Elizabeth Joyce and Dr. James Wilson) and endodontics (root canals) with Dr. Christian Kamaris and Dr. Frank Delgado.

The other half of the second floor will be home to a training facility and administration. The space will offer continuing education for those already working at Farina Orthodontic Specialists and even those at other offices. Dr. Farina says it will have a “Google-like” atmosphere, with an open lounge and classrooms, and should be completed by the fall.

The third floor will be the new home for Communication Corner & More, which is owned by Jill Vought, who specializes in speech and physical therapy.

“My concept was to have a multi-interdisciplinary facility where all the specialties can come together to give a treatment plan and the best possible care to our patients,” Dr. Farina says. “It’s almost like a Cleveland Clinic or Mayo Clinic of dentistry, where we have all the specialists under the same roof.”

As for the thing he is most known for, Dr. Farina continues to offer the best in orthodontic services with the most advanced technology.

He also has received advanced training in the integrated diagnosis and treatment of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain, 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.

In fact, he has never stopped looking for the better way.

“We are always trying to polish the diamond,” Dr. Farina says.

It begins with stellar patient service from the first phone call to the consultation and explaining what will be done, taking the patient through the process step by step. A friendly waiting room offers a beverage bar and iPads, which are used for entertainment and for signing in — there is no paperwork.

“It’s about treating everyone really like family,” Dr. Farina says. “We really work hard on our culture. The goal is not to just end up with patients with straight teeth. (We believe) the experience, from start to finish, is what separates us from others.”

*Who needs that dreadful goop when the 3D impressionless scanner (above) at Farina Orthodontic Specialists will create a digital 3D model of your teeth in minutes?*

Patients begin in the 3D Imaging Room, where an i-CAT 3D Machine takes a 3D image of not just the patient’s teeth, but also the bones and airways in their head. The process takes all of five seconds.

The 3D Imaging can help bring clarity to a number of problems, and can help identify red flags like temporomandibular disorder (TMD), which is an irregularity with the temporomandibular joint that causes clicking, popping or just pain and discomfort in the jaw area.

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.

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 overall oral health.

There’s even an iTero 3D impressionless scanner that will create a digital 3D model of your teeth.

“It avoids having that dreadful goop in your mouth,” Dr. Farina says. “In three minutes, we have a full 3D model that’s far more accurate than your typical mouth impression.”

If that’s not easy enough, the Farina Orthodontic Specialists website (FarinaSmiles.com) offers a Virtual Smile Assessment, where patients can upload a smile selfie and receive a virtual consultation from the comfort of their own homes.

In addition to traditional braces, Farina Orthodontic Specialists uses the Invisalign® brand of clear aligners and has been designated a “Diamond Plus,” or in the top one percent of orthodontic practices in North America with Invisalign patients.

Dr. Farina also offers his own trademarked system, called ClearTech.

“It’s for minor tooth movements and relapses, like maybe if someone didn’t wear their retainer,” he says. “It’s a less expensive option than (Invisalign) , and just as effective. And we control every step of the way.”

Farina Orthodontic Specialists also gives back to the community. Dr. Farina says they are close to launching a “Million Dollar Smiles” initiative, where $1-million worth of smiles will be donated by 2023-24. Those in need and with special circumstances would be nominated and receive free dental care. Dr. Farina already has picked up the bill for a patient who lost their father and a Vietnam vet whose dream it has always been to have a great smile.

“I’ve always been very involved in the community,” he says. “I coached locally, I lived locally and I’ve always had great support from parents. It’s in our core values to help.”

In fact, Dr. Farina speaks of his practice’s Five Core Values often. The practice’s Five Core Values are:

1.) Delivering “WOW,” through service and smiles

2.) Make it simple, get it done

3.) Be present, clear and humble

4.) Encourage and embrace change

5.) One team, one family, one vision

Those core values are a big part of the reason many of his patients keep coming back to Farina Orthodontic Specialists, like Stacey White, who has been going to see Dr. Farina for roughly 10 years.

Both of Stacy’s daughters, Kathryn (now 24) and Hanna (17), got their braces from Dr. Farina. And in fact, Stacy decided to get Invisalign as well, since her teeth had shifted since her childhood braces.

“We just love how great they are with their patients,” Stacy says. “They know their stuff, and they are truly very warm and friendly. ”

While Kathryn was a patient at Dr. Farina’s Tampa Palms office, Stacy and Hanna got to experience the new office in Wesley Chapel and loved it, especially the 3D imagining.

“They really do pride themselves on looking for the next best treatment, not just because it’s cool but because it makes the experience better, faster and easier. That’s really nice.”

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 or visit FarinaSmiles.com.

Farina orthondontics

Farina Orthodontic Specialists Opens New Building & Office In Wesley Chapel!

Orthodontists Dr. Rudy Wagner (left) and Dr. Mark Farina will keep your kids smiling at their new Farina Orthodontic Specialists office on BBD Blvd. in Wesley Chapel, just north of S.R. 56.

I try not to have to write too many of these business feature stories anymore because, after 24 years of owning and editing the Neighborhood News, I’ve written so many stories about (for the purpose of this story) doctors and dentists of all specialties that it’s hard for me (or anyone, really) to approach each story with a fresh perspective.

So, why I am I so deliriously happy to write this story about Farina Orthodontic Specialists, which recently opened an amazing new office on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., just north of S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel?

Because, quite honestly, I will always feel personally indebted to orthodontist Mark Farina, D.M.D. (Doctor of Dental Medicine) because not only did he truly transform the smiles of both of my sons, he showed my entire family his heart. He didn’t just ask the boys questions when they would visit during the years they wore braces, he genuinely cared about what they had to say and still can recite back information about both of them to me today, 15+ years later.

First, a little background about Dr. Farina’s schooling and training. He 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.

The new office has lots of great new technology, including a digital impressions machine that eliminates the need for goopy molds.

He also participates in Continuing Education to stay up-to-date on the latest breakthroughs and most effective innovations in the industry and attends more than 80 hours of professional seminars so that he may bring the most advanced diagnosis, treatment and technology to my patients.

Mark started advertising in my publications way back when he only had his original offices — on N. Habana Ave. in West Tampa and an office he shared in the Palm Lake at Tampa Palms office building with oral surgeon Dr. Ted Grellner. He continued to promote his business in these pages when he and general dentist Dr. Rodney Holcombe built a new office in the professional plaza adjacent to what is now called the Shoppes of Amberly in Tampa Palms in 2000.

He did eventually take something of a hiatus from advertising with me a few years after he had transformed Jared’s crossover canine teeth and Jake’s giant “Chicklets” into the gorgeous smiles both still have today. Why? Quite honestly, his Tampa Palms office was already so busy he really couldn’t handle more new patients.

Enter: Dr. Rudy Wagner

When you talk to Mark about his wife, Lissette (who handles the marketing for his practice, which now has three offices) and his own sons, Stefano and Sergio, you will believe he cares about you and your children the same way he cares about his own family. He doesn’t just appreciate your business. He feels it is his honor and privilege that you have entrusted something so precious to any parent as your child’s smile to him and he will always take the time to ensure they end up looking the way you expect when he finishes his work.

So, even though neither of his sons took an interest in becoming an orthodontist, Mark’s nephew, Dr. Rudy Wagner, who was born in the U.S. but raised in Puerto Rico, did decide to become a dentist. The always-smiling Dr. Rudy joined Mark 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.

The New Office

Due to the overcrowding at his New Tampa office — he says that he and Dr. Rudy have now helped improve 20,000 smiles the last 24 years — and wanting to expand into the booming Wesley Chapel market, Mark and Lissette purchased some property from the Porter family three years ago in the Wiregrass Ranch area, between Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC) and the also-new Florida Medical Clinic building.

New Tampa residents should have no trouble finding the new Farina Orthodontics office in Wesley Chapel, because of its unique cube shape and clock facing BBD.

And, a few weeks ago, the unique, cube-shaped building housing the new Wesley Chapel office of Farina Orthodontic Specialists opened on the 5,333-sq.-ft. first floor of the three-story, 16,000-sq.-ft. building. Mark says a periodontist and an endodontist are going to occupy the 2nd floor of the building, but he still has the 5,333-sq.-ft. third floor available. “It has amazing views and would be perfect for an injury rehab center or any professional use.”

He adds, “It’s crazy, but we’re already seeing 20-30 patients a day at the new office,” Mark says. “Of course, this office is twice the size of the one in Tampa Palms.”

New digs require new technology and there’s no doubt that Mark’s new office has the most incredible technology I’ve seen at a dentist’s office to date — and I’ve seen a few.

There is a digital X-ray machine that takes complete, 3D images of your mouth, jaw and all of your teeth in 4.8 seconds, with lower radiation than any traditional X-ray machine.

But, the most amazing thing to me at the new office was the new digital machine (above right) that can create custom-fitted molds of your mouth for braces or sleep apnea appliances without having to chomp down into trays covered with goop. I know I’ve choked on that goop before, so I wasn’t surprised when Mark told me that, “People throw up from the goop all the time. But, not only is the new machine easier for patients, the digitally-created molds we make are so much precise than the goop. And, with our new machine, it only takes a few minutes.”

Think You’ll Save Money With ‘Smile Direct?’ Think Again!

Mark and Dr. Rudy agree that orthodontists across the country currently are dealing with the public perception that it’s worth the initial lower investment to get invisible aligners from on-line companies like Candid and Smile Club Direct. But, they say people who choose that route for themselves or their children don’t understand how much having an experienced orthodontist not only create your appliances, but make sure that everything is going according to plan by actually meeting with the patient every few weeks, is worth.

“Mark and I literally spend one day per week working with patients who have had bad experiences with online aligners,” Dr. Rudy says. “Having to fix a problem is much harder and costs more than coming to us first.”

In other words, if you want to transform your smile or your child’s, you should at least visit the new Farina Orthodontic Specialists office in Wesley Chapel.

And, if you like the analog clock on the side of the new building, you can thank Stefano Farina. “People remember a building with a clock on it,” he told his dad. “It’ll set you apart.”

Farina Orthodontic Specialists’ Wesley Chapel office is located at 2370 BBD Blvd., Ste. 100. For info, call (813) 964-3081 or visit FarinaSmiles.com. For the Tampa Palms office (15303 Amberly Dr., Ste. E), call (813) 972-2929 and please tell them the Neighborhood News sent you!