Women in Business: Dr. Paige Lester - Healthy Smiles of Birmingham
Dr. Paige Lester says she always knew she wanted to be in health care. But she also knew a couple of other things: she wanted to use her artistic abilities, and she wanted to be a mom who was actively involved with her kids.
So it turned out that dentistry was the perfect fit for her. “It lets me combine artistry with patient care,” Dr. Lester said.
That’s why she loves doing what she does every day at Healthy Smiles of Birmingham.
“We have a small practice — I’m the sole owner,” she said. She works there alongside part-time associate Joe Garner, and her team “has a great time,” she said.
“It’s a good environment, and the patients can sense that,” Dr. Lester said. “I think what we’re best at is making our patients feel comfortable.”
At Healthy Smiles of Birmingham, they provide cosmetic and general dentistry, crown and bridgework, dental implants, dentures and partials. They also provide sleep apnea and snoring relief, and they do TMJ therapy.
“We do a lot of high-tech dentistry here, and we are big believers in preventive care,” Dr. Lester said.
Originally from Jasper, Dr. Lester earned her bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Alabama before attending dental school at the New York University College of Dentistry, where she studied in the Esthetics Honors Program. While she was there, she was awarded the Sigma Epsilon Delta Fraternity Award for outstanding ability in esthetics.
She’s also the first female member of the Birmingham Society of Advanced Dentistry and is one of the founding members of the Birmingham Chapter of the American Association of Women Dentists.
Dr. Lester says she enjoyed studying in New York, but she missed Alabama.
“I came back to be close to family, and Birmingham seemed like the right size city for me. I love it here,” she said.
She and her husband, Todd, have two kids — Caroline, 7, and Ryan, 3 — who are really active, Dr. Lester said. The whole family loves sports, loves getting outdoors and enjoys going to Smith Lake.
For Dr. Lester, dentistry is a love, too.
More than anything about her job, she says she loves the feeling of receiving a smile and a hug from an appreciative patient following their treatment.
She also enjoys helping patients with common dental questions, and she writes blogs on topics from whitening techniques to preparing your smile for your wedding to taking care of your teeth during Halloween candy season.
Dr. Lester said she would recommend paying Healthy Smiles of Birmingham a visit because they individualize the treatment to fit what patients need and want.
“We are not going to try to sell them a bunch of dentistry they don’t need,” Dr. Lester said. “The best dentistry is minimal dentistry. We want to do the least amount possible to get them to the place they need to be.”
► WHERE: 100 Heatherbrooke Park Drive, Suite A
► CALL: 991-9535
► WEBSITE: healthysmilesofbirmingham.com
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