San Antonio Dental Care has been keeping patients in the Wesley Chapel/San Antonio area smiling with incredible care and skilled dentists for the past 15 years. Currently located on Curley St., off C.R. 52, just north of Wesley Chapel, the practice was started by local general dentist Louis Cerillo, D.D.S., who has had a practice in the Tampa Palms community of New Tampa for more than 30 years.
A year ago, Kim Tran-Nguyen, D.M.D., joined the team and, together with their team, the dentists take care of patients’ various dental needs, including corrective, restorative and emergency dental care. San Antonio Dental Care can help whether you need a regular check-up, teeth whitening, a crown, Invisalign® aligners, dentures, oral surgery or cosmetic dental services.
As the first dental practice located in San Antonio, Dr. Cerillo says that opening his second office in that community was actually due to a patient’s persistence and determination.
“We had our original practice in Tampa Palms, and we had patients and team members that lived in [San Antonio],” explains Dr. Cerillo. “We started having patients come to us from this area and one patient told me that I needed to set up a practice there.” He says that even though it all started as something of a joke, since the patient was just hoping she wouldn’t have to drive as far to see him.
However, when Dr. Cerillo told her he’d do it if she could find a place where that office could be located, the patient took him up on that offer. and got back to him a few months later to let him know she had found an office for him. Less less than six months after that, the San Antonio office was up and running.
“We opened in 2009,” Dr. Cerillo says. “There was no dentist up here, other than in Dade City,. We were originally in a small office up the road, it was a home that a veterinarian had converted to their vet practice. But then, [the vet practice] outgrew the building and built a new office. We moved in and put a dental office in there.”
Dr. Cerillo’s practice was located in that small, three-bedroom house until 2018, when it also had outgrown that original space. The current location, which previously was a Wells Fargo Bank, provided the room needed for Dr. Cerillo’s growing clientele.
Dr. Tran-Nguyen was excited to join San Antonio Dental Care a year ago, in large part due to the reputation of Dr. Cerillo, along with seeing the positive environment he had built at the practice.
“He has been working here for a long time,” Dr. Tran-Nguyen shares. “And, when I first came here, I felt like the team had nothing but good things to say about what he has done for the community. He has built the practice. It was important for me to work with someone who has the same amount of care that I want to give to people.”
And, it’s not just the dentists that are involved in helping patients, it is a team effort — from the dental assistants and hygienists, to all the people who work in the front office.
“It is something that has to be built and takes time,” she says. Dr. Cerillo adds that her experience, training, conscientiousness, meticulousness and focus have made her a great addition to the practice.
Originally from Miami, Dr. Tran-Nguyen knew she wanted to explore other cities after graduating from high school. She attended the University of Florida in Gainesville for her undergraduate and graduate studies. After receiving her Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Biology, she completed her Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.) degree from the school’s College of Dentistry. She then completed a General Practice Residency at NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull, located in Brooklyn, NY, and has been practicing dentistry for almost eight years.
Cosmetic dentistry and surgical dental implants are two of Dr. Tran-Nguyen’s specialties and she says she enjoys how dentistry utilizes her varied skills. “I get to use my creative side, because I get to do cosmetics,” she explains. “I’m making people healthier, but I am also helping them have a prettier smile. I feel like it is a good balance of both science and art.”
Dr. Tran-Nguyen’s love of the work, desire to go above and beyond and her obvious passion for lifelong learning were additional factors that made it clear to Dr. Cerillo that she would be a good fit for the practice. For example, she completed more than 100 hours of continuing education, which was more than three times the State of Florida’s requirement. “I’m always learning,” she says. “I take a lot of continuing education, more than what is required by the state. I’m always trying to better myself so that I can provide better quality care for the patients.”
Dr. Tran-Nguyen also says that her initial decision to pursue the field of dentistry was inspired by both her older sister being a dentist as well as her positive experiences with her family dentist.
“I had a really good relationship with my dentist when I was younger,” she shares. “He always knew the ins and outs with me and my family, and was very personable. I felt like there was actually a solid connection and I found that to be really important to me. I want to be able to connect with people and I would like to break down the barriers for people who are afraid to come to the dentist.”
That sense of connection, and service to the community, comes across in the approach of both dentists in their work, as well as their interactions with clients and the neighborhood. And, the practice’s patients are appreciative of the excellent service they provide.
“This has by far been the best dental office I have ever visited,” says patient Julie Crocker. “The staff is warm and friendly and genuinely cares for their patients. Even though they are professional, they also are so very personable. Walking in the door feels like visiting family. I actually cried when I saw my new smile.”
Patient Kathy Marino also shares her recommendations for San Antonio Dental Care: “They are the greatest team. They always make me feel very comfortable and confident.”
For all the staff at San Antonio Dental Care, maintaining rapport and positive relationships with clients and the community is a priority.
“As you look at the growth of the [local] community, we’ve grown at the same rate,” says Dr. Cerillo. “So, it’s been really good to be here, and I’m proud we were the first dental office here.”
San Antonio Dental Care is located at 11938 Curley St., and is open Mon. & Wed., 7a.m.- 3 p.m.; 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on Tues. and Thur.; and 8 a.m.-1 p.m. on Fri. For more info, visit SanAntonioDentalCareFL.com or call (352) 668- 4819. Dr. Cerillo’s Somerset Dental Care is located at 15277 Amberly Dr. For more info, visit SomersetDentalCareFL.com, or call (813) 971-1688.
