What is your hometown: Saint Petersburg, Russia (former Leningrad, Soviet Union).
What was the first job I ever had: Dentist in Russia.
Why did you decide on a Dental Field? Like many people who were born in my former country, I didn’t have very good teeth. I spend a lot of time in the dental chair. One of my childhood dentists was a young and compassionate female who was very kind to me. I remember her being very tall and blond. I admired her and wanted to be just like her. That led me to the career as a dentist.
What dental school(s) did you attend? When I was 17 years old, I went to Dental school in Saint Petersburg, Russia (in Russia we to universities right after high school). After I finished dental school there, I came to United States of America. I loved it here very much and decided to stay. My road to dental school in United States was much longer. I lived in Yakima, WA where I went to Dental Hygiene School at Yakima Valley Community College. I worked as a dental hygienist for 4 years. Then I went back to college to pursue a career as a dentist. First, I graduated from Central Washington University with a bachelor’s degree and was accepted to University of Washington School of Dentistry. I graduated from Dental School in 2013 with a high GPA and was ranked in the top 10th percentile of my class.
When did you start your practice? Initially I owned my first dental practice in Renton, Washinton, the practice name was Rental Smile Dentistry. I successfully ran that office for five years and the office grew in size by the time I left. In 2018 I sold my Renton practice because my family relocated to Olympia, Washington.
Did you work for someone else before starting your own practice? When my family came to live in Olympia, I worked as an associate dentist for 5 and a half years at SeaMar Community Dental Clinic in Lacey and Olympia. Although there were some challenging aspects, it was a very rewarding environment to work in. I helped a lot of people of all ages, and I believe I made a positive impact on many people’s lives. I really enjoyed setting children and teenagers up for success by accurately diagnosing early problems and recommending preventative care.
What are some highlights of your career from when you graduated up to today? One of the highlights of my career was in February of 2024 when I became a new owner of a long standing private dental office in Olympia. The practice was established by Dr. Fitzgerald in 1972, when he retired the second owner of the practice was Dr. Kautsky. Both men had an outstanding reputation in our community. I am very proud of being the third owner of this dental office. Then a year later in March of 2025, I became the owner of a second practice in our area. Dr. Larry Adams, the owner and founder of Dental Care by Design, owned his practice for over 40 years and decided to semi-retire and work part-time. I combined both practices and moved into the beautifully built and designed office that Dr Larry Adams created.
What is your favorite part of your job? My favorite part of being a private practice dentist is to be able to make every person who comes to my door feel special and wanted. I love working with people and learning about them. I want everyone who comes to us to feel welcome and respected. I like to make people feel at ease. I truly want to be a dental home to our patients so when they come in they know their needs will be met.
What are your Hobbies and Interests: My personal hobbies and interests are spending time with my family. I spent a lot of time helping my younger son with his schoolwork. My parents also live with my husband and I and they are a big part of our family. My husband and I take a lot of continuing education classes and seminars, so we travel quite often to different locations. When we are at home we cook a different variety of food. I used to spend a lot of time gardening but lately I do not have time to do that.
Can you share a personal story of how you helped a patient, and how you felt about it? I like to follow up with my patients after the treatment and see how their lives change. One of the fun cases was with a young guy who felt that his smile needed to be improved but he did not know what to do exactly about it. Two of his front teeth had very large fillings that did not match his natural teeth. We replaced them with two cosmetic crowns. It changed his life so much that the same year he met his girlfriend. He attributed his personal success to increasing his self-esteem that comes with confidence in how he looks and how people perceive his smile.
Do you have any special certifications? I am an active member of American Dental Association and Washington State Dental Association for over 15 years. Every year I follow my husband and take continuing education classes in the very prestigious Pacific Society of Prosthodontics.
Have you had any studies or articles published? While I was in dental school, I worked with one of my professors of endodontics, AKA “root canal specialists,” on a research project. I finished and analyzed the research data, and we published an article in Journal of Endodontics in March of 2015. The article’s name is Osseus Characteristics of Mice Lacking Cannabinoid Receptor 2 after Pulp Exposure.
What is something people don’t know about you? My mom is my best friend.
What is your favorite food? Duck. Borsch. Pastries.