Dentists honored with pizza party

May 13, 2021

The staff at Gateway Dental on High Street were treated to a pizza party on May 13, courtesy of Papa Gino’s Pizza My Heart program.
The office was nominated by Aprilleigh Lauer, a patient at the practice. 

After several bad experiences, Lauer was left with a lot of anxiety about going to the dentist.

It took me three tries to find a dentist I was comfortable with where I used to live, but Gateway got it right in one,” Lauer said. “I don’t think I even gave them all of my history, other than briefly mentioning a childhood fear of dentists. They’ve been awesome, and I’m grateful that my son has never had a reason to fear his dentist.”

Karen A. Silva, the office manager for Gateway Dental, said the whole team was excited when they heard they had been selected for the program.
“We’re so excited to have gotten that type of thank you,” Silva said. “It was so nice.”

Silva said the team was grateful to have their day-to-day work recognized. 

“We want our patients to feel the most comfortable,” Silva said. She’s worked at Gateway Dental for about 20 years, and the newest staff joined the team about five years ago. 

The business is owned by Dr. Wendell Anderson and Dr. Bradley Palter, who work alongside Dr. Loretta Andres, five hygienists and several office staff. 

“It’s a family-operated-type business,” Silva said. “They really, really understand and listen to everything going on… You just can’t ask for better bosses.”

Palter said the lunch was a “really nice gesture,” and added that it’s nice to get recognized as a dental office. 

The Papa Gino’s Pizza My Heart program began in the early days of the pandemic, when staff would deliver pizzas to hardworking healthcare workers. Since then, it’s expanded to all kinds of community heroes.

To nominate someone for the program, go to www.papaginos.com/community/pizza-my-heart.