Business Spotlight on Lifetime Dental Health by Michelle Libby

Finding a dental practice to trust is a big deal. At Lifetime Dental Health they have the dental team to make any smile camera ready. From regular cleanings to extensive teeth-in-a-day services, Lifetime Dental can help keep mouths healthy and smiles bright. 

Dr. Kevin Guze, DMD, DMSc owns the Windham practice and the parent company, Workwell, which has six offices around Maine and Massachusetts. As a graduate of Harvard in oral biology, he also completed a post-doctoral fellowship in periodontology, which is the treatment of diseases of the gums and other periodontal tissues. He performs gum related surgeries and treatments.   

Dr. Guze has been in Maine for 3 years and still teaches and does research at Harvard.

“My specialty is teeth-in-a-day services, placing implants and providing immediate teeth replacement in one day,” Guze said. “As a group we offer across the board dental services, including extractions, root canals, bridges and dentures.” Each doctor excels in their own way, so they work as a team to give the best treatment possible. 

“You can only be as good at so many things. We make sure [the doctors] are highly trained before we offer it to our patients,” said Guze. Lifetime Dental has two general dentists, a periodontist, four hygienists, three dental assistants, two front office staff members and one manager. The dentists are Donald Warner DMD, James Shahinian DMD, and Katerina Chernyjhivska DMD. The practice manager is Linda Mandarelli.

“To sum up who we are . . . we have a deep understanding of care in what it takes for what we are doing when treating our patients,” Guze said. 

The philosophy of the practice is to approach things from a clinical and academic perspective. However, their first priority is the quality of care they offer patients, including making sure the patients are comfortable and the “the experience is as positive as it can possibly be,” Guze said. 

Soon the practice will be offering IV sedation and general anesthesia with a licensed anesthesiologist. “I hate causing pain. I want this to be a comfortable setting,” Guze said. 

The most common services provided are restorative in nature, like crowns and bridges, root canal treatments and implants. Patients from the community don’t have to leave Windham to get top quality treatment for their dental problems. 

Dr. Guze and Dental Assistant, Jennifer Czarnecki prepare patient for treatment

“We offer the general dentist and specialist, together in the same office. Patients don’t have to be referred out.” 

Dr. Ernie Gailunis provides comprehensive crown and bridge treatments for more advanced cases. He comes to the office once a month for root canal treatments also. He has worked with Guze for four years in Massachusetts and Maine. 

Oral health has been closely tied to general health. It is believed that people with a healthy mouth and smile feel better about themselves. 

“Decades of research have demonstrated the relationship between gum and periodontal disease and high blood pressure, stroke and diabetes,” said Guze. The American Heart Association also wants patients to have a healthy mouth before having major surgeries or transplants, he added. 

“The quality is great. The doctors are very thorough, efficient and genuine,” said dental assistant Jennifer Cerino. 

The company believes in a trickle-down effect, meaning that if the employees are happy, then the patients will be happy, said district manager Susan Giaimo. 

“It’s bigger than just dentistry. We’ll figure out how to raise money [for the community] as a team,” Giaimo said. 

Patients of all ages come to Lifetime Dental. The first time a child should see a dentist is six months after the first teeth arrive, just to have the dentist take a look and as an introduction to the dentist, Guze said. 

The practice offers cosmetic type procedures like veneers, teeth whitening and Invisalign for straightening. They also offer Botox for TMJ related conditions. 

“As we grow, we’ll bring more to the community,” said Giaimo. 

Lifetime Dental accepts all insurance companies and participates with many. They offer a senior discount and interest free financing is also available. They have competitive prices. “We are inexpensive, cost effective and affordable,” said Mandarelli. 

Lifetime Dental is open Monday through Thursday and offers evening appointments on Tuesdays until 7 p.m. All other days they are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but have 24 hour emergency coverage for existing patients.   

For more information on services or to schedule an appointment, visit www.lifetimedentalhealth.com, email windhamdentalPC@gmail.com or call 207-892-8548. Also, visit them on Facebook.