Dentist in Maitland
Get to Know Dr. Avni Dhaliwal
Dr. Dhaliwal has been practicing dentistry for over 15 years and is passionate about building connections with her patients and helping educate them on ways to protect and maintain their smiles. She’s known for her soothing and gentle demeanor, helping patients that were too afraid, anxious, or embarrassed about their mouth feel comfortable in her care. To learn more about Dr. Dhaliwal’s experience and training, continue reading below.
Why Did You Become a Dentist?
In college, Dr. Dhaliwal was on the board of directors for the school’s Habitat for Humanity organization. Her favorite part of it was leading the team in building sites. Whether it was putting up drywall or painting, she always loved working with her hands to create something. As a psychology/biology major, she also loved the aspect of helping people, but she didn't know which direction to go in until a dear friend got into UNC's dental school and suggested she shadow a dentist.
The professional she ended up shadowing was an amazing dentist and helped her see firsthand how to ease a patient's fears while creating a beautiful, healthy smile. This experience led her to pursue dentistry, and she hasn’t looked back for over 15 years!
Where Did You Study Dentistry?
After earning her undergraduate and dental degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill, Dr. Dhaliwal started her career practicing in the inner city of Chicago. Afterwards, she spent six years serving a rural community outside of Peoria, IL. It was there that she became Invisalign certified and focused on pediatric continuing education to meet the needs of that particular area since the closest orthodontist and pediatric specialists were over an hour away.
After moving to the Orlando area, Dr. Dhaliwal completed an Academy of General Dentistry Fellowship, which entailed 500 hours of continuing education as well as a rigorous exam. Earning a Fellowship takes dedication, as only about 6% of general dentists in the U.S. and Canada are AGD Fellows!
Her love for learning did not end there, so she started focusing on helping relieve jaw pain in patients dealing with TMJ issues, receiving a certificate from the American Academy of Facial Esthetics for Botulinum Toxin (i.e., BOTOX) Hands-On Training and Frontline TMJ Orofacial Pain Therapy in 2022. As a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, she has also completed close to 100 hours of advanced training in the area of dental sleep medicine to help patients dealing with sleep apnea, snoring, and CPAP intolerance.
On top of this, Dr. Dhaliwal also maintains active memberships in the American Dental Association, Florida Dental Association, American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, and Academy of General Dentistry.
Outside of the Dental Office, What Do You Like to Do?
Originally from Wilkesboro, NC, Dr. Dhaliwal and her husband (who practices family medicine) have two daughters. Other than dentistry, one of her passions (or obsessions) is playing tennis. If she’s not on the courts, you can either find her in her garden trying to figure out how to grow vegetables in the Florida heat or rooting for her Tar Heels.
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