Setting a New Bar in Dentistry

By
Steve
Gamel | Photos by
Lee Ann
Baker/LABphotography

Dr. Tonie Lewis never had a bad experience at
the dentist’s office growing up. That may seem hard to believe, especially
for people who shudder at the thought of sitting in a dentist’s chair. Not to
mention, it’s evident that Dr. Lewis is a tad biased since she grew up to
become one. But it’s true — and she wasn’t the easiest of cases,
either.

When she was eight years old, a horrible car
accident left her with a broken jaw. This injury required numerous surgeries
and routine visits to the dentist to help Tonie regain her beautiful
smile.

“It wasn’t an easy process. It takes about
six weeks, and during that time, your mouth is wired shut,” Dr. Lewis said.
“They put me back together, and my dentist always let me know what was going
on at each step. I was only eight, but they never made me feel like I
couldn’t ask questions. As a result, I never understood why people were
afraid because my experiences were always great. And through that, I
developed a love for dentistry.”

When it comes to your smile, quality options
are everywhere. Dentist offices are in practically every shopping center
throughout Allen and surrounding communities. And yet, we still live in a
world where getting some people to go to the dentist is like pulling teeth.
Perhaps they had a bad experience in the past or assume they will be scolded
or lectured for not coming in enough. Maybe they’re embarrassed by their
smile and genuinely believe their case is hopeless. In many situations, it’s
also a fear of the unknown. But ask any patient at Allen Smile Design, and
they’ll tell you that Dr. Lewis and her team are different.

In fact, Dr. Lewis will be the dentist you
can’t wait to see.

“That’s my goal — to take the fear out of
dentistry,” Dr. Lewis said. “I want people to feel comfortable with coming to
see us and then reward them by providing the best care
possible.”

Meet Your
New Favorite Dentist

Dr. Lewis opened Allen Smile Design five
years ago, but she’s been practicing overall for nearly 20 years. After
graduating as the valedictorian of her high school class, Dr. Lewis completed
her Bachelor of Science in biological sciences with a minor in chemistry from
the University of Southern Mississippi. She then attended the Howard
University College of Dentistry, where she received the Community Dentistry
Award and the Academy of Esthetic Dentistry Award. She is a proud member of
the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. She is also certified in
Invisalign and laser dentistry and is a proud member of the American Academy
of Esthetic Dentistry.

Dr. Lewis is also happy to be a part of
numerous organizations that give back to the community. Whether she’s helping
children smile through the ADA’s Give Kids a Smile program, fundraising money
for the Susan G. Komen Cancer Foundation and the National Kidney Foundation,
hosting local 5K runs, or working directly with Allen ISD, you’ll find that
she and her team love giving back in ways that truly make a
difference.

And her practice is a spot-on representation
of that cross-functional and giving background. She and her team handle
anything and everything regarding general dentistry for patients of all ages,
from your standard checkup and teeth cleanings to cavities, a broken tooth,
teeth whitening, crowns, dentures, implants, and Invisalign clear braces. The
bottom line is that Allen Smile Design has the expertise and technology to
ensure successful, comfortable, and transparent dental
services.

“My staff is awesome,” Dr. Lewis said. “And I
know it sounds cliche, but we do go out of our way to treat our patients like
family. We’ve created that environment, and we want to keep it that
way.”

Having the right services is important, but
providing enough time for them is non-negotiable. Whether you’re a new
patient, you’re coming for your routine checkup, or you need more complex
care, Allen Smile Design works hard to provide consistent treatment. Once you
get to know the team, you’ll wonder why you ever put off your visit in the
first place.

Setting a
New Bar in Dentistry

Dr. Lewis believes that by having a great
team around her, her patients can expect a family that puts them at ease and
provides knowledge that helps maintain positive oral health. She loves
providing oral healthcare that is gentle and conservative and integrates
advanced technology whenever possible to improve her patients’
experiences.

This includes digital impression systems,
advanced soft tissue lasers, detailed diagnostic tools for better treatment
outcomes, intraoral cameras that capture detailed, high-resolution images,
and Itero digital scanners. And last but not least — a lengthy list of
comfort services and tools to help patients feel more at
ease.

Making sure that patients are comfortable and
can guide their treatment rather than pushing services they might not need is
exactly what you can expect every time you visit Allen Smile
Design.

“I think a lot of their fears stem from a
lack of communication,” she said. “When patients don’t understand why options
are recommended, it makes it harder for them to make an informed decision.
The more you know about what’s going on, the more that fear goes away. We go
to great lengths to educate our patients and take photographs so that they
can see what we see.”