Dr. Stephen Chenin and Dr. David Chenin, Chenin Orthodontics
Father and son team Dr. Stephen Chenin and Dr. David Chenin can’t officially claim to be Invisalign specialists, simply because Invisalign is not an officially approved orthodontic specialty, but if it were, Dr. Steve and Dr. Dave would be the equivalent of chess grand masters. Chalk it up to having been behind the scenes during the teeth-straightening tech’s exciting early days.
“We have the most experience treating Invisalign patients, bar none,” says third-generation dentist Dr. Dave — and he means worldwide. As a student of the University of Pacific’s Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, where Invisalign was originally trialed, Dr. Dave served as liaison between the school and Align technologies. He then went on to become Align’s Senior Clinical Quality Manager before joining his father’s practice, Chenin Orthodontics, in 2000. Together, the father-son team has been treating Invisalign patients for 10 years — although they fit plenty of braces, too.
Initially, Dr. Steve (“They call me Dr. Dad,” he says) was skeptical of the new technology. The son of a longtime Las Vegas dentist and himself an orthodontist with decades of experience, Dr. Steve was committed to the methods that had served him for decades. But his son was persistent: “‘I’ve been in the future, Dad. Come on!’ he said,” says Dr. Steve.
A melding of the traditional and the cutting-edge permeates Chenin Orthodontics (10730 S. Eastern Ave. #100, 735-1010). For instance, displayed in a glass hutch in the waiting room is Dr. Steve’s impressive fossil collection (including the actual tooth of a woolly mammoth). It sits mere feet from the Guitar Hero games that Dr. Dave hooked up for younger patients (okay, and maybe a few older ones). He also installed an Internet café and a finger scan check-in system. “And my dad’s always done something like this,” he says, pointing to a classic wall of photos depicting patients newly in and newly out of braces.
On working together: “We love it,” says Dr. Dave. “We’re able to use a lot of his experience, and incorporate a lot of the newer technology, to greatly benefit our patients.”
“All the tried and true tricks, we’ve got those,” says Dr. Steve. “All the new stuff? We’ve got that, too. And there’s always a second opinion going on.” — Chantal Corcoran
Elizabeth A. Reiter, Harmony Dental
Dr. Elizabeth Reiter is admittedly the brainy type — after all, she graduated in the top 10 percent of her class from the University of Southern California’s Occidental College. But she also enjoys people, which is why the dentist only sees eight to 10 clients per day, and one at a time, in her Harmony Dental office — but often skips lunch to do so.
Getting to know people is important to Reiter. “I like listening to them,” she says of her patients, many of whom are 60 years of age or older. Other dentists, making more money, might think Reiter was wasting her time, but she’d rather be fulfilled than rich. “And I make enough.”
At Harmony Dental (1825 Village Center Circle #150, 562-2400), restorative dentistry is her specialty: fillings, bridges, crowns, dentures — the sort of work we tend to require as we age. Reiter is also known for her conservative treatment. Where another dentist might get aggressive with a crown, she prefers to perform a smaller restoration, when possible — saving a little more of her patient’s tooth and, often, the patient’s time.
Many dentists don’t have the technology to do a crown in a single visit, but Reiter —who believes in keeping up with technological advancements in the industry — owns a CEREC (ceramic reconstruction) machine. Once she’s prepared a tooth as usual, the machine allows her to make the crown to fit it, right there in her office. It takes Reiter about five minutes to design the piece by computer, adjusting for shape, size, fit and color, then another 10 minutes for her to stain, glaze, and customize it to match her patient’s mouth.
“There’s a lot to learn, and a lot of dentists won’t bother, but it’s the wave of the future,” says Reiter, who says she appreciates the CEREC technology as much for its capabilities as for the time it buys her for chit-chatting with patients. “Every day is a new day. They have new stories to tell.” — C.C.
Dr. Cree Hamilton, Hamilton Orthodontics
On T-shirt Tuesdays at the offices of Hamilton Orthodontics, Dr. Cree Hamilton’s team wears custom shirts with this phrase on the front: “What are you grateful for?” On the reverse is each team member’s personal response. Across Dr. Hamilton’s back: “Relationships.” His practice is all about relationships — both with his staff and his clients.
Since orthodontic treatment generally lasts for a couple of years, orthodontists have the opportunity to foster relationships with their patients, and Hamilton thrives on these — although he’s the first to admit they don’t come naturally to him. “Dentists are very analytical,” he explains. “I hire people who are relationship-oriented, and over the years, they’ve taught me how to be like that also.”
He’s a willing pupil in that sense: Hamilton says he’s always worked to surround himself with people better than he is. He even shifts the spotlight when it comes to the title of Top Dentist. He points to his staff of nine, saying, “I in no way take the accolades for that.” Just pinning him down for an interview is a challenge; he doesn’t like to promote himself. But his colleagues at Hamilton Orthodontics (401 N. Buffalo Drive #220, hamiltonortho.com) have no problem with it. “I’ve never met anyone with more integrity,” says Sherry Schurr, his longtime treatment coordinator.
Hamilton earned his doctorate from West Virginia University in 1984, after which he was recruited to Nellis Air Force Base to perform general dentistry for three years as a captain. In 1987, he went back to school to specialize in orthodontics, before he opened his own practice. He’s also served as the President of the Clark County Dental Society.
An admirable résumé, but again he shifts the spotlight: Because he receives so many compliments about his team members, he says he's convinced they're largely to credit for his success.
“My patients usually say, ‘The people here are great! Oh … and you’re okay, too, doctor.’”
He adds: “I’m just glad they let me work here.” — C.C.
Laurie S. Bloch, Exceptional Dentistry
Growing up in the small town of St. Helens, Ore., Dr. Laurie Bloch’s mother called her the calm one of her six siblings. So it’s little wonder that the cosmetic dentist is not into volume dentistry. Bloch tried it for the first seven years of her 25-year career. “We call it roller skating dentistry,” she says. “You know, you’re just going on roller skates from room to room.” But she didn’t like it. “You go home and you want to kick the dog, and yell at your kids, and scream at your husband, because you’re just so worn out.”
Bloch almost quit dentistry then, but instead she decided to overhaul her practice. Today, Exceptional Dentistry (9501 Hillwood Drive #A, 463-8600) exudes a spa-like atmosphere: A tall vase of fresh-cut lilies sits in the center of a waiting room accommodating only four chairs; warm cookies are served in the morning; white wine is poured in the afternoons; and blankets and headphones are offered to patients in dental chairs overlooking a peaceful aviary where 70 colorful little birds flutter about. “Just little creature comforts,” says Bloch as she gives a tour of her newly remodeled office.
Bloch only tends to one patient at a time, and she stays with each patient for the entire duration of the visit. Her small staff of three means the office is usually quiet when they perform their complete dental physicals, assessing everything from jaw joints and supporting jaw muscles, to facial aesthetics, plus gums and teeth. Then Bloch develops a lifetime dental plan for her patients, which she’s found tends to prevent many dental emergencies. Smile makeovers are among her favorite projects. “We almost do facelift-like procedures … putting the jaw in a different position where we’re opening vertical dimension, making someone look a lot younger.”
Dr. Bloch is currently accepting new patients, but her practice has grown primarily by referral, which works for her. “We find that really nice patients refer really nice people.” — C.C.