The Feeling of Fulfillment

Andrea Canales and her two sisters, one older and the other younger, could have pursued any career path they wanted. They are intelligent and they enjoy learning. And, perhaps most importantly, their mother, a dentist, and their father, a veterinarian, consistently offer a full measure of love and support.

“We started our lives in Mexico,” said Dr. Canales, “and we did a lot of our growing up in our mother’s dental clinic. She didn’t believe in any kind of daycare or paying strangers to look after us. She was all about hands-on parenting, which meant we did homework and napped to the sound of drill bits.”

As young girls, the three sisters passed countless hours with the sounds of their mother’s busy dental clinic as their rhythmic white noise. Being exposed to the dental world at a young age ignited within each sister a passion for the art of dentistry. They learned very early that the joy emanating from a patient with a newfound confidence in a healthy smile is unparalleled.

The sisters moved on to college and the beat kept pace with them. Eventually, the first two walked across a stage and received official permission to add “DDS” after their names. The younger sister also plans on obtaining her DDS after graduating college and following in her older sisters’ footsteps.

“All three of us were educated in the States,” said Dr. Canales, “Our parents decided to move to the U.S. when I was six years old. Since I grew up immersed in two different languages, I can provide dental care to the Spanish-speaking community as well as to our English-speaking patients.” Dr. Canales strives to provide personalized, comprehensive dental care to every patient she has the privilege to work with.  

Dr. Canales began working at Hebron Family Dental in Carrollton shortly after graduation. She is enjoying her time at the practice, making lifelong relationships with her patients. Hebron Family Dental is truly a family practice, which means they see patients across the entire age spectrum. 

“Professionally as well as personally, the most fulfilling part of my practice is when I see a patient begin smiling more and more. So often, you see patients who smile very little when they first begin their appointments, or they duck their heads and put a hand in front of their mouths. They gradually begin realizing that’s no longer necessary. They see a beautiful smile when they look in the mirror and they’re so happy. That’s a beautiful experience.

“Restorative work is a favorite area for me, as is pediatrics. I guess I just named an entire list of favorites! The truth is, everything becomes a favorite when you see the work make an actual, positive difference in a person’s life. I consider it a major achievement when I reach a point where a patient needs only maintenance of all we’ve accomplished. I can’t describe the feeling of fulfillment that brings.”  

There’s an old saying that towns and cities in the United States have a gas station on every corner. In Mexico, that’s modified to say a “dentist on every corner.” 

“That’s very true,” said Dr. Canales. “I’ve lost track of how many aunts, uncles, cousins – relatives in general – I have who are dentists. It’s amazing.”

Hebron Family Dental

4300 N. Josey Lane, Suite 100

Carrollton, TX 75010

972/820-8780

Hebronfamilydental.com