It’s All in the Family: Spotlight on Christine Parkes

Born and raised in Northeast Philadelphia, front-desk specialist Christine Parkes was working for another dental practitioner back in 2007 when she decided to seek part-time employment elsewhere.

“My mother, Barbara Conway, worked for Dr. Levine (founder of Pennsylvania Center for Dental Implants and Periodontics) for 30 years,” explains Christine. “I had two young boys at home at the time (Ryan, now 23 and Shane, 20) and Mom suggested I interview here for a part-time, front-desk position, which I did, and the position turned full-time after a few years.”

As a familiar front-office face at our Philadelphia location, Christine has seen the office through many transitions, like the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Levine’s retirement in 2022, and Dr. Klass’s subsequent arrival as part of our periodontal specialist team.

Christine, who Director Dr. Philip L. Fava II notes is “always smiling, super nice and easy going,” enjoys greeting patients, helping to schedule appointments and surgeries, collecting payments, answering patient questions and more. One of the favorite parts of her job is being able to interact with patients on a very personal level.

“Some patients come in every three months for special cleaning – that frequency in visits really allows us to get to know each other better.”

Seeing patients transition from experiencing severe gum and tooth issues to having beautiful, healthy smiles is also exciting for her.

“I love seeing patients so happy with their results,” she says. “I’m here to be a part of this life-changing experience for patients, some of whom haven’t been able to smile, eat or speak properly in years, and now are thrilled with their results.”

In her spare time, Christine enjoys going out to dinner with husband, Steve, and friends, attending concerts and craft shows and going on regular walks with their beloved dog, Darla.