Five years of smiles

It was five years ago, in September 2025, when Dr. My-Huong Ta, DDS, opened her new dental office in Siesta Village Center, in the heart of Siesta Key Village.

With a 25-year career in dentistry as her base, she was taking on a new challenge. Little did anyone know that only a few months later, COVID-19 would impact our lives for several years. Yet Dr. Ta and her practice continued on, and this year, Siesta Village Dentistry is celebrating its fifth anniversary on Siesta Key.

Looking back, Dr. Ta agrees that it was certainly a change—but one that she embraces. She and her family had recently relocated to Sarasota after she sold her dental practice in midtown Manhattan in New York City. Dr. Ta and her husband, along with their young son, left behind their Long Island home and made the move to Sarasota, her husband’s hometown.

She began a teaching position at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) School of Dentistry in Lakewood Ranch as a professor of dental medicine. Her students were doctoral dental students working toward Doctor of Dental Medicine (DDM) degrees.

In addition to her teaching duties, she became a student as well, studying for her Florida dental license in order to open a private practice in Florida. When space became available in Siesta Key, she decided that this would be where she would establish herself and her new dental practice, serving the Siesta Key and Sarasota communities.

A strong advocate of continuing professional education, Dr. Ta continues to study and stay abreast of the latest advances in dental care. Her most recent focus has been on educating herself on the advances of laser treatment in dentistry and how lasers can benefit her patients.

A graduate of the University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y., where she completed a Bachelor of Science degree in microbiology, she earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine in Stony Brook, Long Island. After completing her residency at the University of California at San Francisco in Advanced Education in General Dentistry, she returned to New York City. While working as a practicing dentist, Dr. Ta earned certificates in Advanced Continuing Education, Full-Mouth Reconstruction, Implantology — Surgical and Prosthetic Treatment, and Advanced Aesthetics at New York University.

During her time in New York City, Dr. Ta’s patients at her private practice included many network television staffers. On Siesta Key, most of her patients are adults in their 40s, 50s and older. Many, she said, suffer from gum disease, a common affliction among adults.

“Many older adults, in addition to gum disease, have problems with their bites, as well as bone loss and injuries. Some come to see me complaining of headaches, shoulder and neck pain,” she said. “In treating my patients, the goal is for the patient to have better function and to feel better. Many times, there is also an aesthetic element to consider.”

Cosmetic treatments that Dr. Ta performs at her practice include implants and veneers following a consultation.

To treat patients with gum disease, Dr. Ta said she has had success using the Laser-Assisted New Attachment Procedure, better known as LANAP®. According to its manufacturer’s website, it is “the world’s first and only FDA clearance with scientific proof for true bone regeneration.”

“The laser allows us to go into the deep pockets of the gums,” Dr. Ta said. “Using the Nd:YAG laser, it kills the bacteria that create periodontal disease. It removes infected layers so the body can create healthy gum tissue that will attach to newly formed bone. It is the only laser in the world that can do that.”

She received training on the laser in California and explained that “nothing can cure gum disease, but it will help to improve it.”

Additional dental procedures that Dr. Ta performs include implant dentistry and root canals. She also offers advanced technological procedures such as the Picasso Lite Laser Periodontal Gum Treatment, in-office 3D imaging for implant planning, and digital smile design, which allows the doctor and patient to visualize a patient’s “perfect smile.”

For the common dental condition temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, which can make it difficult for a patient to open or close their mouth, Dr. Ta advises that Botox treatments injected into the facial muscles have given patients relief.

“Botox for TMD (temporomandibular disorder) can also create an aesthetic side effect,” she said. TMD is defined as “a group of conditions that affect the joints and muscles around the jaw.”

Free consultations are available for new patients, and Dr. Ta is available for emergency dental events for existing patients as well as those visiting the area on vacation or spending the season here.

Dr. Ta’s Siesta Village Dentistry is located at Siesta Village Plaza, 5136 Ocean Blvd., Siesta Key. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and the phone number is 941-505-1200.

Source: https://siestasand.us/five-years-of-smiles/

By Jane Bartnett