Dental Care

After a day of antique shopping in historic downtown Petaluma, you find yourself in a tranquil space where scented candles and the sound of a trickling water fountain lull the senses. "Is this a spa?" you ask yourself. "Am I here for a massage?" As dentist Jurina Smida greets you, you realize you've arrived at Dental Care of Petaluma, maybe for a high-tech procedure such as laser gum therapy or a smile-straightening Invisalign treatment. You can't remember—and, quite frankly, you don't care—as you help yourself to a steaming cup from the exotic-tea center, don a pair of DVD-playing glasses, and position a therapeutic pillow beneath your neck. "That was an excellent facial," you think as a staff member hands you a lavender-scented hot towel after your treatment. "Or was that a root canal?"

Jurina Smida has both a DMD degree from the Komesky School of Dentistry and a DDS degree from the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, where her son, Dr. Branko Smida, also earned his dental degree. The duo focuses not only on patient comfort but also on seeking out the latest dental technology. They employ an advanced KaVo system to track down cavities and use Cerec software to design and fabricate ceramic crowns or tiny Statues of Liberty in only one visit.