Children’s Dentistry of Dublin officially opened its doors on Monday, beginning what owners Nilfa and John Collins hope will be a lengthy partnership with the region to provide care for its youngest members.
The pair owned a practice in Pelham for 15 years before selling it a year ago. It was a bigger practice and the ability to retain good dentists became harder and harder, forcing Nilfa to work longer hours to meet the needs of her patients. The long days got to be too much and she was left feeling burned out.
“This is a breath of fresh air,” Nilfa said.
“When we sold, she wasn’t ready to retire,” John said. “She probably wants to go another 10 to 12 years.”
But after a decade and a half working for herself, there was no desire to join an existing office. They had previously bought a house in Hancock with the goal of one day retiring to the area, and after selling the Pelham practice, were spending more time in the region. They saw a need for more pediatric dental care in the area and when they saw the sign for rental space in the office space at 1283 Main St. (on Route 101) in Dublin, it seemed like the perfect location for the new office.
“(Route) 101 is obviously a well traveled road,” John said.
The process began in the summer and after a lengthy construction project to convert the ground floor space, Children’s Dentistry of Dublin is open and offers a wide array of services.
“Some walls had to come down and we were able to carve out our own little niche,” John said.
John, who serves as the office manager, said the practice will focus on routine dental exams, cleanings, a full range of restorative treatments for kids like fillings and stainless steel crowns for baby teeth, as well as preventative measures like sealants and education. The practice will offer digital x-rays, including cone-beam computed tomography to generate 3D images of patients’ dental structures, soft tissue, nerve paths and bone, all in a single scan. They will also incorporate the latest in laser technology to allow Nilfa to treat decay without the need to get her patients numb, as well as perform tongue and lip tie procedures in the office.
The plan is to only have one dentist – Nilfa – along with a dental assistant. There is currently one hygienist on staff with the goal to expand to two, as well as the front office staff to check in patients, schedule appointments and handle with billing. The office will accept most major insurance providers including NH Medicaid, MassHealth, and numerous private insurance providers.
“We’ll take whatever’s presented to us,” John said. “We won’t get rich off Medicaid, but it helps the kids.”
John said since announcing the opening, the practice has about 100 patients in the system and expects that number to grow.
“We’d like to be able to stay relatively busy, but I don’t know how many patients that will be,” John said. “But we can work at a slower pace and still fill a need.”
Children’s Dentistry of Dublin will serve patients from their first visit, which is recommended by age 1, all the way up through high school. While most patients will fall within the scope of the treatments offered, John said for more major procedures like crowns, root canals and bridges, patients will be referred to a general dental office.
Nilfa said she prefers to work with children, something she realized after graduating from dental school in 1997. After working for a number of practices in Massachusetts, she opened the Pelham location in the early 2000s.
“I always had that dream of owning my own practice, but when you first get out of school, you want to get some experience first,” Nilfa said. “And dental school doesn’t prepare you to own a business. It teaches you to be a dentist.”
She enjoys the fun aspects that come with getting kids to understand the importance of proper dental care.
“I personally find it more rewarding to work with the little ones,” Nilfa said. “Our job is to help them get excited, help the parents and make it easier when it comes to brushing teeth. The earlier you start, the easier it will be.”
Working with young children who have reservations about going to the dentist has its challenges.
“Every child is different, so you’ve got to be creative, be positive,” Nilfa said. “It’s all about how you present it to them.”
The office will be open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday by appointment.
For more information, visit www.dublinkidsdentistry.com or call (603) 563-9969.