Today we’d like to introduce you to Valerie Martins.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I have always been fascinated by people and enjoyed learning about their lives, digging deeper and lending a helping hand when possible. Since I was a child, adaptability and listening became fundamental to my growth and development.
My parents and I immigrated to the United States from Kiev, Ukraine, when I was just eight years old. Watching my parents rebuild their lives and focus their energy on my education motivated me to excel in my studies. The summer before college, I worked at a family friend’s dental practice, observing treatments and getting a sense of the practice’s flow. During those two months, I was struck by the team atmosphere and camaraderie in the office—everyone genuinely enjoyed working together to help people. Plus, I couldn’t help but notice my friend and boss—the general dentist who owned the practice—loved everything about his career, from his ability to positively change lives to his work/life balance. That summer experience made it clear: dentistry was the perfect fit.
I completed my undergraduate studies at Brandeis University, majoring in psychology while following the pre-dental track, and went on to attend dental school at Tuft University. Staying in the Boston area just felt right—especially since my then-boyfriend, now husband and business partner, lived there as well.
While at Tufts Dental School, I grew fascinated with dental surgery, and the way implants and regenerative procedures can help restore patients’ health and function. I am still fascinated by the ongoing technological advancements and clinical research that makes it possible to rebuild someone’s mouth and improve their quality of life. After graduating dental school, I stayed on at Tufts, completing a three-year residency in Periodontology. I’ve been working in private practice as a Board-Certified Periodontist since 2010.
For years, my husband Derrick and I talked about opening a practice together. His career in business intelligence and analytics sparked his passion for advancing dentistry by understanding what people want most when going to the dentist. With our combined knowledge we knew we could build a practice that offered a remarkable patient experience with convenient, comfortable and clinically excellent treatment. Finally, on June 1, 2016, Martins Dental Partners opened its doors in Beverly, Massachusetts. Collaborating with Derrick—and the rest of our team—to launch this practice has been so incredible.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I’ve been so fortunate to have family support during my education and dental training. My husband Derrick has been my rock, my motivator and my biggest fan.
I’ll admit, once my daughter was born, like so many moms I found balancing work and family a challenge. It’s hard to be a perfectionist! I wanted to grow and advance my career, and also excel at being a mom, but realized that I couldn’t do both things at the same time and still feel like I’m doing my best. So for three years, I focused on my family, taking time to be a mother and care for my daughter and then my newborn son, while also working in several specialty group practices on a part-time basis. For me, it was the perfect compromise—I was still able to practice my craft and help people but I was also able to spend time with my kids.
Once my children gained more independence I found that I had more time and energy to devote to dentistry. That’s when Derrick’s and my longtime dream of opening a practice came true, and Martins Dental Partners was born!
Please tell us about Martins Dental Partners.
The focus of Martins Dental Partners is to provide every single patient who visits our practice with an amazing experience. For us, that means that every step of the way—from visiting our website and social media to the design and feel of the practice to the members of our team—we’ve prioritized the patient experience.
Martins Dental Partners is a group practice specializing in comprehensive treatment. We have two General Dentist Associates who excel in all aspects of general and cosmetic dentistry. As a Periodontist, my focus is on dental surgery. Our collective goal is to provide convenient, caring, all-inclusive treatment to every patient. Our office is warm and friendly, and patients are welcome to listen to music or watch Netflix using noise canceling headphones during treatment. We also offer a range of sedation options to make the experience more comfortable for anyone with previous dental anxiety. And we always schedule visits so that our patients are able to have their treatment completed in the most efficient way possible, saving time in travel and recovery, and eliminating the stress of going to another location or having to find a specialist for complicated procedures.
Derrick and I both have deep roots in Massachusetts: We grew up in the state, he on the South Shore and myself on the North Shore, we studied here, and we are huge Boston sports fans. We chose to open the practice in Beverly because of the proximity to the coast and the up-and-coming trend of the downtown. So along with providing a remarkable experience, one of the big priorities for Martins Dental Partners is being involved in Beverly’s vibrant community. In collaboration with SJ Art Consulting, a local art installation business, we hosted our first “Art is Medicine” gallery night, featuring Morgan Dyer, a local artist known for her abstract pieces. We’ve also worked with Beverly’s Montserrat College of Art students to host a puppet show for the local preschool, using puppets to teach kids about nutrition and oral hygiene. Our mission is to keep things local: from the coffee we brew to the art we display, everything is connected to Beverly and the North Shore community.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I believe everything happens for a reason and the path I’ve followed to get to where I am ultimately brought me to this point, where I am a mother, a business owner and a contributing member of my community.
Contact Info:
- Address: 130 Cabot Street
Beverly, MA 01915 - Website: www.martinsdentalpartners.com
- Phone: 978-279-2400
- Email: office@martinsdentalpartners.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/martinsdentalpartners
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/martins-dental-partners-beverly
- Other: https://www.zocdoc.com/dentist/valerie-martins-dmd-171297
Image Credit:
Dan and Kendra St. John from Lightshed Photography Studio
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