I didn’t know what I wanted to do in undergrad, but I have a great family friend in Columbia. That’s where I’m from. And she told me, “Come and shadow.” And I spent three summers there working with her, and I just fell in love with it. Just being able to change a person in one appointment, two appointments, sometimes it takes longer, but being able to change physically and their confidence level. I saw she was a purely cosmetic dentist, so I saw it a lot with her patients. But I thought that was just the biggest gift, and the biggest impact I could make. And it just drove me to pursue dentistry.
The best part is the patients that come in, apprehensive, combative, I know I hate the dentist, I hate coming here. And I’ve had several cases now where I’ve just completely turned that around. I’m not doing anything crazy other than listening to them, being myself, putting them at ease, and getting them through what they need done. And it does take several appointments, and I’ve had just 180 patients that absolutely changed their mindset of not only coming to the dentist, but not taking care of their teeth. They like taking care of their teeth, or they like that because of how they were taken care of, they see their oral health now as important. So, that change has been the best aspect for me.
This Dentist Is Continually Improving Her Skills
Born in Medellin, Colombia, Dr. Daniela Alvarez spent parts of her childhood there and later in South Florida. She attended dental school at Nova Southeastern University. During that time, she made multiple mission trips to Haiti and Jamaica, providing dental care to over 300 patients while honing her procedural and technical skills.
Once she graduated, Dr. Alvarez practiced in Chicago, Illinois before moving to Atlanta. She mainly focused on restorative work, anterior and premolar root canals, crown and bridge design, and many other procedures. Dr. Alvarez continues to work on her skills by attending multiple conferences throughout the year. She is also an active member of the American Dental Association and Florida Dental Association.
Outside of work, Dr. Alvarez enjoys trying new foods, going to the beach, reading a good book, and spending time with her dog, Lucy.