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(Peter) Dr. Pelaez, what makes this practice so special?
(Dr. Pelaez) The people and our patients. We use the philosophy of minimally invasive Dentistry combined with a conservative approach. Dr. Oliver explains it really well.
(Dr. Oliver) I like to tell my patients that dentists often behave like Firemen. The alarm goes off, they put on their protective gear, jump on the truck and arrive at the scene of the fire. They're not thinking about why the fire started. They're  more interested in putting it out. But if they're called upon to put out a fire at the same location over and over, they need to look for the cause of fire. We certainly put the fire out but we also identify what is causing the fires. Our practice is built upon the premise that we must be “proactive” instead of “reactive” whenever possible. If you don't identify and address the cause of the fire, and they can be different in every patient, the patient will never get out of the chair. By identifying and addressing the causes, we can prevent a cycle of reoccurrence and diagnose problems at an earlier stage potentially avoiding more involved treatment.
(Peter) In reading your website, I was amazed at the amount of services you offer. Since my Father was a DDS for 45 years in California, I am somewhat knowledgeable about your
profession. I feel like it’s going to be easier to ask what you DON’T do than what you do. So tell me what you don’t do in your practice?
(Dr. Oliver) Generally we do most everything up to a limit. If for example your gum disease in minimal, we can treat you. If it has become extensive, we will refer you to a specialist. Dr. Pelaez works with Orthodontics but not the traditional way.
(Dr. Pelaez) Rather than a mouth full of metal, I work with Invisalign. This is a series of removable, clear, teeth aligners that are used as an alternative to traditional metal braces. We’ve had great results.
(Peter) Do you have an age of patient that you won’t work on?
Dr. Pelaez) We prefer that they be at least 4 years or older and we have patients now that are well into their 90’s so the answer would be that we do not restrict our practice to one age group.
(Peter) How do you handle emergencies? I mean I had a Dentist once that had moved all the way to  Deep Creek but I still went there. When I had a tooth that needed removal and was in a lot of pain, they wouldn’t even bump a cleaning for my emergency. Needless to say he lost a patient. What is your approach to emergencies?
(Dr. Oliver) I do not believe that between us we could not handle a dental emergency in a timely manner. Our patients certainly would understand the need to either reschedule or have them wait while we attended to the emergency itself. Our patients know that if it were them, they would look for the same compassion.
(Peter) Last question -- Dr. Oliver, who designed the interior of your offices. It’s beautiful.
(Dr. Oliver with Dr. Pelaez pointing at him) We all had a hand in the design. We believe that earth tones and an open feeling expresses comfort and confidence in our patients. We are proud of the look and the feel of our office and we’ve had many compliments from patients and visiting vendors.
 More of the interview with the Doctors will come next month. Several of my business and personal friends are patients of Dr. Oliver and Dr. Pelaez and give them their highest recommendations. Jim Bohrer of the UPS store at the Harris Teeter Marketplace Center introduced Village News to the practice. He is a patient of Dr. Oliver and says, “If you’re looking for a great Doctor who really knows his business, you will love Dr. Oliver and his staff”. Thanks Jim.
For more information about the services that they provide and their location, please visit their website at www.startsmiling.org.
Dr. Tracy Oliver & Dr. Jorge Pelaez are located at 2484 N. Landing Road (Next door to Anchor Inn) in Virginia Beach. Their telephone number is 471-5480.
Please tell them you read their article in Village News Magazine.
Click “HERE” for Directions and Beautiful pictures of our office
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heir practice and services offered so I made an appointment to visit and to interview the Office Manager, Kat Kadlec, Dr. Tracy Oliver and Dr. Jorge Pelaez.
