When we told people we were opening MSD Dental Studio, a dental practice on University Drive in Coral Springs, the reaction was often the same.

“Are you sure?”

Some people were even more direct.

“You guys should go rural. You’d crush it out there.”

They were not wrong about one thing. The Coral Springs and Parkland corridor, particularly along University Drive, has become one of the most competitive dental markets in the country. Established private practices, large group offices, corporate-backed brands, and practices that have served the community for decades are all here.

Starting a practice from scratch here is not easy.

And we knew that from the beginning.

South Florida moves quickly, and patients in this area have options—often dozens of them within just a few miles. For patients searching for a dentist in Coral Springs or Parkland, that competition can actually be a good thing. It raises the standard for care.

For us, it clarified something important.

If we were going to build a dental practice, we wanted to do it thoughtfully and in a way that truly reflected how we believe dentistry should be practiced.

Not the Biggest Practice. The Most Trusted.

When people talk about opening a dental office, the conversation usually centers on growth.

How many chairs will the practice have?

How quickly will it expand?

How large will the team become?

Those were never the questions guiding us.

We did not open this practice because we wanted the most chairs. We did not open it to build the largest team or compete on volume.

We opened it because we wanted to build the kind of place people feel proud recommending to their neighbor.

That became our internal standard.

If someone says, “You should go see them,” we want that recommendation to come from genuine trust.

Not because we ran a promotion.

Not because we showed up first in a search result.

But because someone believes we will take care of a person they care about.

Trust like that grows slowly. It is built through consistent decisions and clear communication over time.

When You Plan to Stay, You Practice Differently

From the beginning, this practice was built with the long term in mind.

We are not building something to flip. We are not building something to sell in a few years.

We are building something we intend to practice in for decades, serving families in Coral Springs, Parkland, and throughout North Broward.

That perspective changes how decisions are made.

Treatment planning becomes more deliberate. Conversations become more thorough. Instead of asking what works today, the focus shifts to what will still look good and function well years from now.

Crowns, implants, and orthodontics all affect the stability of a person’s oral health over time.

In a highly competitive market there can be pressure to move quickly.

We prefer to move thoughtfully instead.

A Practice Built by the Doctors Who Work Here

Another aspect that shaped this office is simple: the doctors who treat patients here are the same doctors who built the practice.

In many modern healthcare environments, the people providing treatment are employees of larger organizations where decisions about scheduling, materials, and treatment systems may be made far from the community the practice serves.

That structure can work well for some offices.

But we chose a different model.

As a doctor-owned practice, the decisions about how care is delivered here are made inside the practice — by the same clinicians who sit with patients, explain options, and stand behind the work long after the appointment ends.

For patients, that usually translates into something simple but meaningful: consistency.

The person you meet, the philosophy you hear, and the standards guiding your care all come from the same place.

Why We Built It This Way

Dentistry today offers many different ways to practice.

Some models prioritize speed and volume. Others rely heavily on outside decision-making or systems that limit how much time doctors can spend with each patient.

Those approaches can work well for certain organizations.

But when we decided to build a practice, we felt strongly about one thing.

If we were going to do it, we wanted the freedom to practice dentistry the way we believed it should be practiced.

That meant investing heavily in continuing education. Taking time to explain treatment clearly. Building a team that values communication and accountability. And creating an environment where decisions are made with long-term outcomes in mind.

That freedom also comes with responsibility.

When your name is on the door, every recommendation carries weight. Every treatment plan reflects your judgment. Every patient experience shapes the reputation of the practice.

For us, that responsibility is not something to avoid.

It is exactly the reason we built this practice.

A Word About Cost

Healthcare decisions deserve clarity and time for thoughtful discussion. We embrace that here.

It is also fair to say we are probably not the least expensive dental office in Coral Springs or Parkland, and we are comfortable being honest about that.

Dentistry reflects the choices a practice makes: the time spent with patients, the materials used, the dental laboratories selected, and the structure of the clinical team.

Lower fees can sometimes come from operating very efficiently. In other cases they reflect different priorities.

Some offices run extremely high-volume schedules where appointments are stacked closely together.

Others rely on lower-cost laboratory work produced overseas.

Some reduce staffing or shorten appointments to move patients through more quickly.

Those models can work for certain practices.

But they were not the model we wanted to build.

We invest heavily in training. We work with high-quality dental laboratories. And we maintain a team structure that allows us to spend time explaining treatment rather than simply moving patients from one appointment to the next.

Those choices affect the cost of running a practice. They also affect the experience patients have when they are here.

For us, the goal was never to be the cheapest option.

The goal was to provide thoughtful care that patients feel confident about long after the appointment ends.

Skill Matters. Temperament Matters Too.

There are many skilled dentists in this community. That is something we genuinely respect.

But when technical skill becomes the baseline, something else begins to matter more.

Character.

Patients often cannot evaluate the technical details of dental work.

What they can evaluate is how they feel during the process.

Were their questions answered?

Did they understand their options?

Did they feel comfortable asking questions?

Dr. Shantall Di Loreto often explains it this way:

“Skill matters. But temperament is what makes patients feel safe. You can be technically excellent and still make someone feel like everything is moving too quickly.”

That philosophy shapes how care is delivered in our office.

When patients feel calm and informed, they make better long-term decisions about their health.

Access Creates Peace of Mind

As Dr. Shantall often tells patients,

“Our patients have our number. That access gives them peace of mind.”

If something feels off after a procedure, if a question comes up later that evening, or if someone simply needs reassurance, they know how to reach the people who treated them.

That level of accessibility reflects the responsibility that comes with recommending treatment.

When doctors stand behind their work, communication stays open.

Earning a Place in a Competitive Community

Building a practice along one of the most competitive dental corridors in the country comes with responsibility.

You do not get to hide.

Reputation spreads quickly — good or bad.

That reality keeps us focused on the fundamentals: thoughtful planning, honest communication, and accountability for the care we provide.

Dr. Matthew Dillon explains it simply:

“If we are going to build a practice here, we have to earn our place in the community every day. That means being thoughtful with our treatment decisions and standing behind the care we recommend.”

The Long Game on University Drive

South Florida moves fast.

Practices open.

Practices sell.

Brands change.

Our goal has always been something steadier.

Not to become the biggest office on University Drive.

Not to be the loudest.

But to be the kind of place where someone confidently tells a friend, coworker, or neighbor:

“Go see them. They will take care of you.”

In communities like Coral Springs and Parkland, where patients have many choices, trust is the only thing that truly lasts.

And earning that trust year after year is exactly the kind of practice we set out to build.

If you are searching for a dentist in Coral Springs or Parkland and want to learn more about our approach, we always welcome conversations before decisions.