HEALTHY SMILES WITH DR. GRILLO
By Pamela Albertus
Photography by Gaciel Santana
Dr. Miguel Grillo has offered the most innovative services in dental care around Palm Beach County since his establishment in Wellington in 2005. Messy impressions and long wait times are now a thing of the past as this new technology allows for precise in-house digital oral scans that can be sent directly to the lab. Restorations just “drop right in” and the accuracy is so reliable, many cases don’t even require a model. In emergency cases, crowns can be replaced the same day if started in the early morning. These precisely fitting restorations eliminate the need for retakes, remakes and adjustments which means: Faster seating times and fewer return visits associated with remakes, Lower material and labor costs, Improved patient convenience, satisfaction and loyalty.
How old were you when you decide to become a dentist? Why dentistry? Well, my father was a dentist, so was my grandfather. My great-grandfather was also in the medical field. So, I grew into it. As a child I would help my father and I became passionate it about it. I knew what I wanted to do. You studied in The Dominican Republic, and then you did the foreign training in New York. When did you move to Florida? Why Florida? I had a practice in New York, but twelve years ago I had bought some property here in Florida. When I came with my family to take it over, we all fell in love with it. At the time my sons were STA ranked tennis players and they knew that they could play here all year round. I also realized that I could spend more time with my family. So moving here was an easy and welcome choice.
Tell me about “Healthy Smiles”; when did you establish the practice? What drove you to doing that? What is the main goal of your practice?
Together with my wife of 33 years, I had a practice in New York. It was clear when we came here that we wanted to do something to serve the community. I have always been one to look for ways to help and serve my community; opening “Healthy Smiles” was a natural choice. Our practice is based on care and love: on giving the best possible oral-health care at an affordable price. I’m really scared of going to the dentist; many people are. What do you do to make your patients comfortable? I want my patients to feel at home; like they are visiting a favorite uncle. We try to make them feel welcome and to create an atmosphere of trust and comfort. I have often seen people’s oral care neglected because of this fear. We try to adapt the process to take away this fear. For example, if a patient needs a little longer for the numbness to kick in or if they need more pain medication, we make sure they have what they need to make the experience as comfortable as possible.
What do you enjoy most about your work? What do you enjoy the least? What I enjoy the most is the interaction with my patients. We talk about the weather and our families; there’s a lot of small talk, and always a personal touch. Over time, many patients have become friends; people with whom I have lunch and share my time. I actually enjoy everything about my work. I look forward to going in everyday and so does my staff. Our practice is a fun place to be; to work. I have very high expectations of my staff. I want them to give 100% to our patients, and if they aren’t there yet, they are trained to do so. We give them the time and space to grow and learn so that they serve to the best of their abilities. When we enjoy what we do, it becomes contagious; everybody wants to become a part of it, so we all give 100%. Where do you see yourself and “Healthy Smiles” in five or ten years? For me the key word here is continuity. We want to continue providing our service to the community. Now, continuity is not always direct descendants, as my children are none of them in dental care. My sons are a cardiologist and an attorney. The others are in medical school and in high school. However, my niece is in dental school and she has the same passion and dedication to the profession as I have. I see the practice continuing through her.
How do you spend your free time? What do you enjoy doing when you aren’t being a dentist/orthodontist? I love sports. I often go biking. My real passion, though, is flying. I love being able to go from one place to another in a short time. I mostly fly over Florida, but I have also flown to the Caribbean islands. What advice do you have for patients? Besides the usual “keep up your oral hygiene, brush your teeth before going to bed”, my advice is to enjoy life and love one another. We each have our own cross to bear, but we should move them away from hate and anxiety and towards love and compassion. I don’t look at my practice as just a business. I look at it as a way of giving a service to my community; doing this with love to promote peace and confidence in my patients to let me. Dr. Grillo has an unabating passion for offering the most current innovations in dental technology and making it affordable to his community. He knows all of his patients by name and their comfort and satisfaction is his highest priority. His calming demeanor eases even the most dental-phobic patients making Dr. Grillo stand out as a favorite dentist in the area. Patients recommend him to friends and family for his quality work in general dentistry to teeth whitening, veneers and implants, and dental restoration.
Dr. Grillo and Healthy Smiles Dental Group is located at 9136 Forest Hill Blvd. in Wellington. To make an appointment call (561) 784-4670 or for information visit www.healthysmilesdg.com.