With every cavity she fills and every tooth she gently pulls, Pembroke Pines Charter alumna Dr. Leilani Lorenzo is filling more than teeth; she gives her community new reasons to smile. On her journey from a student on campus to a general dentist, Lorenzo has learned to balance her career with being a mom and continuing to learn new things.
Reminiscing on her time in the Pembroke Pines Charter school system, Leilani Lorenzo describes it as one of the best times of her life, emphasizing her graduating year, 2007. During her time on campus, she stated that she had a major support system, particularly with her closest and dearest friend, Kari Yoppfogel. As the years pass, the two manage to maintain a friendship that has grown beyond fruitful.
During Lorenzo’s years at Pembroke Pines Charter High School (PPCHS), she was heavily involved in sports, academics, and social activities. Notably, she played a role as the captain of the volleyball and flag football teams, took charge of homecoming as the senior senator of student government, and excelled in honors and AP classes. Living a busy life in both school and extracurriculars, Lorenzo quickly adapted to it, learning to manage her time.
“I just like multitasking. I enjoy talking to this person and that person,” Lorenzo says, describing her constant drive to stay involved.
Her drive extended beyond high school walls. While she wasn’t sure what she wanted to pursue, a suggestion from her aunt to try dentistry would later define her path. According to Lorenzo, “When [my] aunt said dentistry, it just made sense.” She shadowed an orthodontist and immediately knew she was in the right field.
Lorenzo attended the University of Central Florida and studied biology, navigating lecture halls of over 300 students. When she didn’t get into dental school on her first try, she persevered and found new roads to the health field.
As a matter of fact, Lorenzo enrolled at Barry University and earned a master’s in biomedical sciences. She added, “I felt like this is what I’m meant to do.” From then on, she was accepted into Nova Southeastern University’s College of Dental Medicine.
At Nova, she rapidly transitioned from simple classroom learning to hands-on work. “By the end of the first year, we were already treating patients,” she recalls. When it comes to experience, Lorenzo notes how it used to “[take her] three hours to do a procedure that now takes [her] fifteen minutes.”
To this day, the alumna is extremely satisfied and appreciative of her time at Nova. Working with patients taught her how to blend technical skill with empathy, especially when working with anxious patients.
As a general dentist, Lorenzo works at two practices: Friedman Dental Group in Coral Springs and All Smiles in Miami. “They’re two totally different worlds,” she says. At Friedman, she sees a few private patients a day in a calm, modern setting. At All Smiles, she treats patients who have little to no dental history. “Every single day, we’re changing their lives, changing their smiles,” she says with pride.
The versatility of her work remains her favorite part. “One room I can do dentures, another root canals, another veneers, and another Invisalign,” Lorenzo shares. That variety, she explains, keeps her motivated.
Beyond dental care, Lorenzo focuses on emotional comfort. She connects with her patients about their lives, families, and travels to make them feel seen. “I don’t want guilt in my patients,” she says. “I want you to come even if you don’t floss, even if you love candy. When you’re in my chair, we talk about everything but dental.”
Her philosophy carries over into her life at home. As a mother of two young daughters, she instills the same habits she teaches in her practice. “I brush my one-year-old’s teeth twice a day,” she says proudly.
Through rejection, late nights, and long procedures, Lorenzo’s main wish for people going into the path of dentistry is to “focus on the positives, don’t give up after rejection or hardship.” Overall, she advises people to stay true to themselves as “everything will work out.”