About Your Team

Adri , Hygienist

Adri is a highly skilled dental hygienist with over six years of experience in the field. She is dedicated to providing her patients with the highest level of care, is committed to helping them maintain optimal oral health, and is always willing to go the extra mile to ensure that her patients are comfortable and informed. When Adri is not in the office, she can be found spending time with her fiancé, Scott, and their five year old Rottweiler, Munich.

Alejandra , Hygienist

Alejandra was born and raised in Merida, Venezuela. She attended the University of the Andes and became a dentist in 2015. She moved to Florida in 2017 and obtained her certified dental hygienist license. She enjoys spending time doing personal research to stay up to date with the latest dental practices. Ale is quick to make patients feel at ease by building confidence, trust, and friendship with each patient. Her smile and understanding nature make it easy for patients to feel comfortable. In her spare time, Alejandra enjoys spending time in the outdoors with her daughter, husband, and puppy, Frodo.

Anja , Dental Assistant

Anja was born and raised in Germany (that’s where her cute accent comes from). She received her dental assisting degree there before attending Bible College in the United States. Her family moved to Bradenton in 2021. She has worked as a dental assistant for over 25 years both overseas and in the US. She brings dedication to the dental profession, love for the patients, an eye for detail, and a positive attitude to the team. In her free time, Anja loves to cook, bake, travel, entertain, and enjoys the Florida outdoors with her husband, two adult sons, and dog, Stella.

Beth , Business Assistant

Beth was born and raised in Chicago before moving down to sunny Florida in 2019. Before joining our practice, she worked at Walgreens as a store manager for 30 years. Her and her husband of 21 years have a son who attends the University of Tampa where he is studying sports management. Beth loves all things Disney, golfing, and spending time in the sun at the beach. She has a mini goldendoodle named Whisky who keeps her busy.

Crystal , Dental Assistant

Crystal was born and raised in Palmetto, Florida. She has been a dental assistant for two years, graduating from the DATS program in 2021 right before giving birth to her daughter, Catherina. She is Salvadorian-American. On her days off, she enjoys being outdoors and spending all of her time with family. Her favorite part about being a dental assistant is seeing patients walk out of the office with a more confident smile.

Daniel , Dental Assistant

Daniel was born in New Jersey and grew up in Florida. He has been a dental assistant for four years. He loves all thinks blue and basketball. “If it’s not blue, it’s not true” he often says. His favorite part of dentistry is that it is more than fixing a problem on one tooth. Daniel enjoys helping bring back the confidence that patients have lost over the years one tooth at a time.

Elsa , Dental Assistant

Elsa is originally from Cuba. She attended the Meridian College Dental Assistant program in Lakewood Ranch, Florida. She has been with our practice since the beginning of 2022. Elsa truly enjoys helping people achieve the smile of their dreams. In her free time, Elsa loves going to the beach, taking walks, taking new educational courses to gain more knowledge in the field of dentistry, and spending time with family and loved ones.

Gisella , Dental Assistant

Gisella was born in Bradenton, Florida and has stayed local ever since. She became certified with the dental assisting national board in 2017 and absolutely loves what she does. Her favorite hobbies are spending time with her dogs or fishing at the beach.

Jordan , Business Assistant

Jordan has lived in Florida since 2011 and became an expanded functions dental assistant from Manatee Technical College. Jordan has been with the practice since 2020 and is now focusing on Esteem Dental Implants and providing life changing dentistry to those in need. She has two boys with her husband, RJ, a LWR High School alumni who volunteers with the Mustang Marching Band. When outside of the office, she enjoys being a Disney annual passholder and visiting the parks with family and friends.

Jordan , Hygienist

Jordan is originally from Chesapeake, Virginia. She attended Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia and graduated with a Bachelors  Degree in Dental Hygiene. Jordan has five years of experience as a dental hygienist and has been with the practice since she moved to Florida in 2018. She enjoys building relationships with all her patients and providing education on their oral health. Jordan has one child, a daughter, with her husband. They have been married for almost five years and counting. She also is the proud owner of a cairn terrier that she has had since he was born. When outside of the office, she enjoys arts and crafts and spending time with her friends and family.

Julissa , Business Assistant

Julissa was born and raised here in Bradenton, Florida. She graduated from Palmetto High School in 2020. Julissa has been with our practice since 2022 and has enjoyed learning a lot about dentistry and enjoys educating our patients. She is currently studying criminal justice at the State College of Florida. In her free time, she enjoys reading books, spending time with her family, and has a love for animals.

Karyl , Business Assistant

Karyl is from Bradenton, Florida, but has a special place in her heart for north Georgia. Before entering the dental field, she worked with dogs previously as a groomer and was a pharmacy tech. Dentistry challenges Karyl and provides her with something new to learn everyday. She loves helping patients merge their oral health are needs with their financial needs. In her free time, she loves to travel, camp/hike, and explore small towns with her fiancé, Morgan, and her dachshund/cocker spaniel rescue pup, Sarah.

Lili , Dental Assistant

Liliana was born and raised in Colombia and moved to Florida when she was 18. Her passion for the dental industry began at a very young age wanting to become a dentist in Colombia. She became an expanded functions dental assistant in 2014 and joined the Smiles at Lakewood Ranch family in 2017 where she is grateful to be part of a talented dental team. Lili enjoys helping patients and changing lives by giving them a new smile. In her free time, Lili loves to travel and spend time with her husband and dogs.

Melissa , Hygienist

Melissa was born in Haiti port-au-prince. Her family migrated to America when she was five months old. She has been in the Bradenton area for 26 years. She graduated high school in 2014 at Lakewood Ranch High School. School was something she always wanted to be good at; her parents brought her and her family to the US to get an education and to have the best life they could possibly give us. She has been passionate about oral care since her first visit to a dental office as an adolescent. Most of her college years were spent focusing on becoming a dentist. After becoming more knowledgeable about careers in the dental field, she decided that dental hygiene was what she was truly passionate about. Her main goal is to ensure patients return for follow ups through her kindness and helping patients set up goals so they look forward to future visits at the dental office.

Nancy , Dental Assistant

Nancy has been a certified dental assistant since 2018. She graduated from the DATS program and is cross trained as an orthodontic assistant. She is Salvadorian-American. The patient experience is her priority, and she works hard to ensure they feel comfortable in our office. On her days off, she enjoys spending time with her puppy, Loki.

Niketa , Hygienist

Niketa is a registered dental hygienist. She graduated from South Florida State College with her A.A.S. in 2007. She has experience in the dental field for over 25 years. Niketa is a Florida native from Manatee county. She loves taking care of patients and helping maintain healthy smiles. During her free time, she enjoys all things crafting.

Olivia , Hygienist

Olivia is an Indiana native. She was born in Terre Haute, IN, and lived there until she graduated from Indiana State University with a B.S. in business. After moving to Florida, she pursued her passion in dentistry and attended State College of Florida earning her dental hygienist degree in 2018. Olivia strives to provide excellent service to patients by providing education, comfortable cleanings, and listening to all patients’ needs or fears. She has attended several free dental events and loves giving back to her community. Outside of work, Olivia enjoys traveling, trying new restaurants, and spending time with her family, friends, and pets.

Sam , Dental Assistant

Sam is a Florida native, born and raised in Sarasota. Sam has seven years of experience as a dental assistant and is now Esteem Dental Implant focused. Sam helped open Smiles at Lakewood Ranch in November of 2016 and loves our growing and caring practice. She truly has a passion for helping patients transform their smile to bring back their confidence and quality of life. She is a wonderful wife and mother of three. Outside of work she loves traveling, shopping, trying new restaurants, walks on the beach and spending quality time with her husband and children. She is extremely proud of all of her children and loves investing in them to raise amazing future adults. Her oldest son Logan is in a PGA Junior League and loves going to his golf tournaments.

Ter , Business Assistant

Ter was born and raised in Akron, Ohio, and lived in Knoxville for 18 years before moving to Florida in 2017. She and her husband, Norm, enjoy travel, boating, and friends. Their two college aged children keep them both “young” and busy with their adventures. Ter brings 30 years of valuable experience in the dental field to our team at Smiles and she loves making a difference in people’s lives, one smile at a time.