Employee Spotlight: Cristina Delgado

This month we feature Cristina Delgado, one of our fabulous periodontal surgical assistants at our Bustleton Avenue, Philadelphia location.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Cristina spent seven years as a general dentistry practice assistant before joining Pennsylvania Center for Dental Implants and Periodontics.

Periodontics is So Rewarding

“I always enjoyed the general dentistry work,” she reminisces. “But I thought I wanted something more. Full-mouth reconstructions compared to fillings, as one example, is incredibly rewarding for us since we’re helping patients dramatically change their lives for the better with their replacement teeth rather than just solving a simple issue.”

Cristina took time off last year to explore another way of helping people feel better about themselves. She became a licensed massage therapist, a hands-on service she still offers on weekends to select patients when time allows.

“Massage therapy is another great field when it comes to helping people, but I did miss the office camaraderie and routine hours,” she says. “As a surgical assistant, I can still help patients here with some kind words, a pillow if they want one, or even maybe a little neck massage to help them relax. Similar to massage therapy, working in people’s mouths is a very intimate experience where we want our patients to be as comfortable as possible when they’re in a somewhat vulnerable state.”

She loves the “great environment” of the practice and commends Dr. Fava, in particular, for the way he likes to get the entire team together for fun activities outside of the office.

“I’m very proud to talk about my job, the doctors and my fellow colleagues,” she says. “It’s a great company culture.”

In Her Spare Time

With four siblings still in Philadelphia, a 7-year-old black lab (Onyx) and a new kitten (Pancake), life is never dull. Cristina has already been on eight cruises and hopes for many more. A trip to see California’s redwoods is on her bucket list.

“I’ll talk to the trees and thank them for what they do for us!”

Cristina turns 32 on December 6^th. Be sure to wish her a happy birthday— We sure will!