Tiffanie Apple | Dental Assisting Team Leader
Tiffanie Apple is the Dental Assisting Team Leader at Personal Care Dentistry, but her role goes far beyond that title. She has been with the practice since 2007, starting as a floating dental assistant at the same time as Personal Care Dentistry’s first major expansion. As the practice grew, so did her role. She eventually became one of Dr. Walter Hunt’s main Dental Assistants and eventually took the reins as Team Leader.
Her interest in dentistry was sparked as a junior in high school when she took an Investigating Careers class. I always loved going to the dentist and thought about a career as a hygienist, says Tiffanie, who interned at an orthodontics practice her senior year. I was really drawn to Dental Assisting and liked the variety of responsibilities that role encompassed, she says. This brought Tiffanie to Century College where she learned the foundational skills needed for the career and in 2005 graduated with an Associate’s Degree as a Licensed Dental Assistant.
Tiffanie’s professional career didn’t initially start at Personal Care Dentistry – she spent a year at another dental practice where the environment was vastly different. It felt like a factory just churning out patient after patient. I’m lucky to work here now and couldn’t imagine being anywhere else, she says.
While her training, title and main role at Personal Care Dentistry is as the Dental Assisting Team Leader, she has become a versatile member of the care team. I love teaching, coaching and helping my staff, but I also support the Hygiene Team and other departments, says the multi-tasking Tiffanie, adding, I truly enjoy working with our patients as well and find it incredibly rewarding.
Every day I strive to go above and beyond for the people we serve. They’re like family.
Her outlook on patient care is one that echoes throughout the office. I make sure people are not just treated like a number. We have an amazing personality and culture here. Providing excellent care and building relationships with our patients are the most important things. The best way I can treat people is simply by being myself. I want our patients to know I genuinely care, she says. I hate seeing people in pain and do everything I can to help them and support the doctors.
Tiffanie strongly advocates harmony in the office stating, I want staff to feel comfortable coming to me and I’m often the mediator for them. I can’t stand conflict and negativity. Another of her roles is staffing where she looks at candidates who possess a combination of applicable skills and affable nature. When I am helping hire an assistant I want to make sure that they can work, grow and be comfortable in our environment while truly caring about our patients, she says.
Tiffanie poetically describes working with the practice’s principle doctor and founder as, A dance. I need to know what Dr. Walter Hunt is thinking and anticipate his needs. I become an extension of him.
I’m passionate about my responsibilities and helping others.
Outside of work Tiffanie spends time with her husband and two daughters enjoying the outdoors by fishing and camping. Her personality can be described as caring and passionate with an adventurous, fun and bubbly disposition. When asked what her future goals are Tiffanie says, I want to continue teaching, coaching, assisting and growing personally. Ultimately, I want to do whatever it takes to spread Dr. Hunt’s practice.
