Meet Our Dental Team Nocatee
We Treat You Like Family
As a family-owned dental practice that focuses much of our attention on building relationships, our dental team consists of two dental hygienists who leave nothing to chance when it comes to your smile. Working alongside patients is what we do. Whether it’s listening to your concerns, explaining a particular form of treatment, or helping you remain at ease before a procedure, our attention is yours from beginning to end.
Cindy – Office Manager
Originally from Jacksonville, Cindy has spent her entire career in Florida—all 10+ years of it! She has gained priceless hands-on experience running dental offices throughout her career and loves being able to lead a talented team and getting to know every patient that comes into the office.
Married for over 30 years, Cindy has two children and two grandchildren. When she’s not spending time with family, she’s playing the piano, swimming, or cooking. Something everybody must know about Cindy is that she’s a happy and positive person that chooses to see the glass half full and strives to find the positive in all situations.
Charlene – Front Office Coordinator
With a dream of working in the dental field for years after attending Florida State College at Jacksonville, Charlene is happy to now be a part of such a wonderful team at Palm Leaf Dental. She enjoys learning new things every day and getting to know and help out patients in any way she can—she truly loves what she does!
Charlene was born and raised in Jacksonville but loves the cold weather. Whenever she’s not at the office, she loves spending her days at the beach, with family, and travelling.
Joy – Dental Hygienist
Joy boasts a phenomenal 40+ years in the dental field, with several of those being spent right here at Palm Leaf Dental. Upon graduating from Florida Junior College, she immediately jumped into the field and never looked back. One of her favorite parts of her job is being able to interact with her patients.
Joy has been married for over 40 years and has two sons that now have families of their own, including one grandbaby! In her free time she loves to read and play the piano.
Laura – Dental Hygienist
Upon finishing her schooling at the University of South Florida and Pasco Hernando State College, Laura jumped into working at a private practice. It’s now over 20 years later, and she still loves being able to meet new patients and learn more about who they are. For over four of those years, she’s been a trusted dental hygienist at Palm Leaf Dental.
Having grown up in Dunedin, Florida, Laura loves boating and running. She has been married to the love of her life for over 30 years and has two children and three grandchildren.
Makenzie – Dental Hygienist
Having grown up in Jacksonville, Makenzie attended Florida State College at Jacksonville, where she went through their Dental Hygiene Program and became a Certified Registered Dental Hygienist. Immediately upon completing her education, she went to work at a pediatric dental office, which taught her so much about patience and working as a team. After that, she then worked in a general dental office, where she loved being able to make connections with all of her patients. Now, she’s excited to do the same at Palm Leaf Dental!
Makenzie and her husband have been married since 2018, and they love to spoil their nieces and nephews together. She has two cats that bring her joy every day and loves trying new restaurants, spending time with family, and visiting national parks. She also has a love for all things Disney! Have you ever met someone that can solve a Rubix Cube? Makenzie can!
Melissa – Dental Assistant
Having been in the dental field for over 30 years now, Melissa loves working with a very functional team of professionals. She graduated from Nashville Tech and has certifications in coronal polishing, radiology, nitrous monitoring, and CPR.
In land-locked Columbia, Tennessee where Melissa grew up, she didn’t get to enjoy the beach every day, which is why that’s one of her favorite things to do now! She enjoys fishing and gardening and is married with two sons and two grandchildren. One interesting thing about Melissa is that she loves skydiving!
Nicole – Dental Assistant
Nicole has been a dental assistant for several years, most of which have been spent here at Palm Leaf Dental. She loves being able to help her patients maintain and improve their oral health so they have a smile that they feel proud to let show.
Nicole grew up in Jacksonville, and some of her favorite things to do when she isn’t at work is painting and spending time with her dog.
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