Anne: Hello, everyone. It's Anne Duffy and welcome to Dental Entrepreneur, the future of dentistry podcast. I am so happy that you're with us today. I have a very new friend and a special guest for you, but before we get started, let me tell you a little bit about her. Dora Pena Pesqueda. Founder of the smile zone is a dedicated dental professional, mother, wife, consultants and entrepreneur. Passionate about improving oral health and empowering youth. She builds community partnerships to make a difference. Fun In fact, she loves traveling with her family and considers dentistry her world.
Please help me welcome Dora Pena Pesqueda. How are you today, my darling?
Dora: Hi, I'm doing good. Thank you for having me. Oh, it's so nice
Anne: to see you. saw each other at CE on the beach in Aruba. And it was so fun. Shout out to Minal Sampat and CE on the beach, but we got to talking a little bit and learning a little bit more about Dora.
I'm just thrilled to find out more about what you do, what your mission is. Cause it's such an important mission in our world But let's start. Where it all began. How did you get involved in dentistry?
Dora: So I've been in dentistry for probably about 25 years plus, I don't like to say the plus, and I started as a sterile tech.
So I did training on the job. I became a dental assistant. I became an expanded functions dental assistant. And then I started feeling like I wanted more. as my career blossomed, I started doing more and learning more in dentistry. And then somewhere along the line, I went to front office and started learning the front office aspect of business in a dental brick and mortar practice.
Years down the road, here we are, and it is what I love to do. So dentistry has become my world, and that's how it all started. Okay, so you're still in the brick and mortar practice? I am, yes. I do have partnerships with some doctors, providers, so I help them and I support their practices.
I build them up. And as I was a partner with one of them, he had a practice in Texas. And so I was helping him to grow this new practice that was coming to a new town. And one of the things I did was I was visiting schools and talking to teachers just to mention pediatrics. So that's where I started in pedo. I loved it. Family dentistry is different and you can go wherever you want to go in dentistry. There's so many things that you can dabble in, but mine was specific to pediatrics.
So I loved working with children. So I was helping him build this practice and I had gone to a school and I realized that it was so rural, that they didn't have a lot of dentists that you could get in same day. Or if there was an emergency, you would have to travel about an hour and a half, two hours out of town just to see a dentist.
And if you wanted your child to be seen and they had like dental care needs. It was even harder to find a specialist to be able to do those things. it was something that had gotten brought to my attention back then about why can't you come here? we used to have this dentist that would come and visit us.
It's been years. We haven't seen that. Can you guys do it? And I just said, you know, I don't know but Let me get back to you. so I had gone back to my partner at the time and I said, Hey, can we do this? Can we have like some sort of outreach program? And he said, you know, I've got a lot going on, but if you want to do it, I'll support you go ahead.
And so that's what I did. it was something that just fell into my lap. It was something that there was a need, and I was just trying to meet that need. it became this, yeah. growing passion project for me. because it was in Texas and I live in Arizona, it's been since pre COVID when I started the outreach program.
Okay. since then I have always said, my dream is to come to Arizona and I would love to have a nonprofit. And then in June of 2023, Is when I started the nonprofit here in Arizona.
Anne: Oh my God. The smile zone,
Dora: right?
Anne: Smile zone. org. so you're still working with your same partner in Arizona as a, assistant expanded functions.
I just consult.
Dora: really, I just consult and I support her in her business. I have a couple of partners and doctors that I work with and I support them. I help them grow. know the backend, I know the front end and sometimes management is really hard for doctors.
They're in the thick of things. They're working and they're doing all these things. And so. Sometimes it's really hard to find a partner that you actually trust and you believe in everything that they say. And, Maybe it's just me and my personality, but I'm a big supporter.
I'm, I will be your biggest cheerleader. And so when it comes to my partnerships, that's how I am. I'm very loyal. I'm their biggest supporter and I believe in what they're doing. I will go and do what you need me to do to get you what you want. And that's just my motto. Wow.
Anne: so I'm still trying to figure out you work in support in these different practices and then you started this mile zone and how does that work and how did you get involved, get the equipment? Would you have a mobile vehicle? Tell me more about that.
Dora: I just have the mobile unit. I don't have a vehicle, I don't have a van, but that is a dream that I planned to have come true someday.
So we just have our toolboxes, our unit, and we just roll up into the school and we set up in an empty space or a room and we're able to see the kids that way. I'm very fortunate in the fact that because I have these really great partnerships with these providers, I do have access to my providers, my assistants.
My doctors, my hygienist, and so those team members that I'm able to touch and keep that connection with are able to help me in my endeavors. To help every
Anne: kid have a healthy smile it breaks your heart when you think about how there's a young, child in pain and can't even get to the dentist or get into the dentist.
And. The other thing I've seen Dora, is that they don't even know they're supposed to brush both sides of their teeth. I've had kids that don't have any dental education. Oh, I'm supposed to brush the inside also? I've had that, question to me and we're not in a rural area, so I could imagine that the dental education that they're getting is at a minimal at the very best.
Yes. I'm just trying to picture this. I knew about the mobile van units, what you're doing is you putting all the equipment in your trunk or your van going to the school. And then do you give them a lounge chairs or do you just, how does that work?
We have a dental
Dora: chair.
It's a mobile dental chair. So we have a mobile dental chair. We set it all up. We have everything that we need. I really wanted to be able to create quality, preventative dental care. So everything that you see in a dental practice at your first visit, when you're getting that preventative dental care, your exam, your cleaning, your x rays, your fluoride treatment, all of that is mobile.
And we're bringing it there all the way down to our wireless, pro fee, which is the aero pro. So we're using all these mobile devices and tools and we're taking them with us. I try to make it like we're just getting that one visit with these children, parents and other providers, you know, like our people, right?
Our dental people are coming and they're saying that is really cool.
Anne: Oh my gosh. And what a give back. so you're always looking for new dental professionals to help you out. And what's the circumference of where you go in Arizona? what area is it?
Dora: Statewide. throughout the state of Arizona.
We are still new. So we're just over a year right now. But we're trying to expand outside of the little hub. right now I find that the need has actually been in our backyard. Little did I know. And so that was a really big eye opening experience for me when I started the mobile outreach here.
don't know if you know Arizona or if you've been to Arizona. I do know
Anne: Arizona. Yeah.
Dora: Tell me. You pull up to the airport and you just see all these You know, Skyscraping buildings in downtown, you've got the diamondbacks, you've got all these big venues for basketball and all these things, but right down the street, there is a youth or rec center that has a lot of need.
So you have just streets away, right across the street from Celebrity Theater, I just found out some statistics about that area that really children don't come out at night. It's not safe. But there's a school there, and we provide services there. it's just very eye opening. I remember going to a meeting there, and they were talking about the stats in their community and trying to make a difference and change it for the better.
And I remember walking out, broad daylight, I remember walking out and just kind of looking around and thinking, never would have. thought that
Anne: There's so much need, I think we are supposed to be planted where we're planted you know, in our neighborhoods.
That's where it starts, right? It starts with your family and then the neighborhood and then you outreach and then you're doing the whole state. just feel like it's so noble. Andhow do you fund this whole thing?
Because love the word nonprofit, but to run a nonprofit, it's expensive and how do you fund it? How can we help you with that?
Dora: I always like to look at it. Like any support is always welcome even if you're just saying, keep going. That helps me to keep going.
So funding has always been grants. And our events. we gather our funding through events that we host and grants, donations, sponsors, we do have our partnerships with my dentist and they also help with team and they help with all the backend stuff as well. so I'm really fortunate to be in a position where I'm able to do that and take care of my team.
We have volunteers. That's also helpful. it's a family organization. Because I have my kids out there helping. I know that it's, keeping them humble, keeping them kind, and they're seeing the things that are here in our backyard that they don't really see. my husband's out there supporting along with all of the kids and.
My true dental supporters that are there and that believe in me. They're also helping out we're growing i'm reliant on those grants and mostly our events that we're hosting so support and coming to our event Not just donating but maybe sharing things on social media and just getting the word out.
I think that's helpful
Anne: Oh, I think it's beautiful. It's so beautiful that you've taken your talent in dentistry and it's such a big give back to these young kids and their families, parents who probably never had any dental education, how to brush their teeth.
And then who knows what kind of dental professions you're going to spawn from this, you know, that they see what you're doing. And the other thing that strikes me, Dora, which is so wonderful is so often I can say myself working in a dental practice many years being a hygienist, I always want to give back, I don't know how to give back.
And you're giving, someone like me the opportunity to show up, to give back, with my expertise to help these young people and actually maybe bring my kids when they were little growing up in the teen years because it takes a village to run a dental mobile unit to get the kids in and to see These lovely people that are just like us. They just happen to have been born different situations. And it just, makes the world go round when you start with love and I could just see it in your eyes and what you started. So you've only started this in 2023
Dora: here in Arizona.
Yes. Wow. And Arizona was a nonprofit.
Anne: Okay. So that's like a year, a year and a half. So you're really just getting started. So we're, honored to be able to get the word out for you. I just wonder, I know it's hard and now I know why you know Landsat and, Crystal Springs and, you know, a lot of these gals and actually mobile dentistry will be, At our retreat with Sonia Dunbar and Melissa Turner, so they'll be there. They'll be at the retreat. we love those two and what they've brought to light. I think they've opened up my eyes about mobile dentistry, which I believe, everybody wants to work in downtown Charlotte or downtown Scottsdale. But it's getting out there that is so rewarding and you're showing them a way to do it and to make it life changing, not only for yourself, but for those that you're serving.
how do you stay motivated when it gets down? Cause I know I've everyone's I've been on phone calls when, you know, some of our dues are trying to get grants. It's not that easy. You've got to be very specific and it takes a long time and a lot of prayer. And, oh, I hope this works out. How do you stay motivated?
for your nonprofit and for what you're doing to serve
Dora: passion. I think passion is a big thing and a big motivator for me because if my heart wasn't in it, I don't know that I would do it All of us as health care providers, whether that's dental or medical, we're all servants. So to speak.
And so you have to have a heart to go into that kind of field. And for me, feel good because you're doing something and you're trying to make a difference in someone else's life other than your own. And I think that just gives me the drive and the motivation to do more there's just something about it and you just want to make a difference.
And when those kids or those parents are thankful they look at you and you can tell, not only can you tell, and you can see it, but you feel it. That's what keeps me going.
Anne: Oh my gosh. That's so beautiful. I just feel the need is so great. Even getting the education out there, you know, you hope you can get them educated before they have all their teeth bombed out or just all the needs you know, they're desperately seeking.
it has to start somewhere and it's starting with you. So I am so proud of you and I'm so glad to know you. And I wish you the best. And if anyone's listening and wants to donate their time, their talent, or their treasure, you're welcome Tell us how to get in touch with you, and we will have this in the show notes as well, Dora.
What's the best way to get in touch with you?
Dora: The best way is going to our website. All of our information is there from all of our social media handles to our phone number to our email, and that's at the smilezone. org. So you can go there and you can reach out to us follow us on our social media pages, I would say, because that has all of our information and some of our events, but if you want to see the fun side of things, you can also go to our Tik TOK that's fairly new.
our human experience, our setup, our breakdown, and just what we're doing. to get to know the real us. To get to know the fun side of us because we want to have fun too. It's not all just work. we're doing it because we love what we do But we also are doing it because we're just good people having fun Oh
Anne: my
Dora: gosh, and
Anne: good people find good people and you know what else it makes the kids realize that dentistry is cool you go in you're not so serious.
It's lays their fears and I just love it. So the smile zone. org is your website. They can get in touch with you. I hope that we will gather all the dental professionals around your area that want to help and beyond Dora. The kids deserve it.
Their families deserve it. And so do you. So thank you for joining me today. I'm so happy. We'll get on another time and go into the dental entrepreneur woman's page. I'm going to see you at the retreat for dental entrepreneur women in November, which will be wonderful. And you'll get to meet 220 amazing women just like you.
And for anyone that's listening and Dora, for you to remember to keep doing you, thanks so much. and we'll see you again. Thank you.
Dora: Thank you.
