Born into a family of doctors, Lorena Alemany’s career path seemed clear since infancy.
She always knew she wanted to follow in her family’s footsteps, that is, until she was in medical school. She realized her family’s chosen fields were stifling her creativity. As a child, she was always singing, dancing, and creating art. She always wore a smile and brought smiles to others’ faces. But in medical school, standard medicine seemed too clinical, too cut-and-dry. She wasn’t happy, and didn’t know what to do until a friend suggested dentistry.
Her friend pointed out to Lorena that dentistry combines the arts and medicine, enabling her to literally restore smiles. A light bulb went off, and she made “the greatest decision I ever made” to become a dentist. Born in Cuba and raised in the Dominican Republic, Lorena earned her DDS from Universidad Iberoamericana in 2014. After graduation, she leaned into the creative side and opened a private practice specializing in purely cosmetic dentistry.
For years, she helped improve, repair, and restore people’s smiles. She was the doctor she’d always dreamed of being. Then, her own smile was stripped away. Her mother, who lived in Florida, was diagnosed with cancer. Lorena felt there was only one decision to make. She sold everything, including her thriving practice, and moved to Florida to be with her mother.
Having to re-certify in the states, Lorena was accepted into the University of Florida Advanced Education in General Dentistry program. She completed two years of advanced training that combined her previous experience in cosmetic dentistry with implantology. Thankfully, her mother is a cancer survivor, and still lives with Lorena in Pinecrest. They hope to move to the Keys as soon as possible, especially now that Lorena has joined the Overseas Dental team.
Lorena was recommended to Dr. Maya, Founder of Overseas Dental, by an esteemed colleague and senior executive of a dental implant company that knew her well. Her reputation as an experienced cosmetic dentist and now a faculty member at the University of Florida preceded her. It was an easy decision for Dr. Maya to offer her a position on his multispecialty team.
Dr. Maya has been steadily building a premier team of dental specialists that work together to best serve their patients in the Keys. Overseas Dental’s doctors include a prosthodontist, oral & maxillofacial surgeon, orthodontist, and now Dr. Lorena Alemany, a general dentist with emphasis on cosmetics. Together, along with their exceptional dental hygienists and staff, offer complete care to patients of all ages and levels of need.
Dr. Alemany easily transitioned into her role at Overseas Dental this Spring. Just as it was easy for Dr. Maya to offer the position, it was an easy decision for Lorena to accept it.
“It’s clear that we share a lot of the ethical aspects of dentistry,” Dr. Alemany says. “I believe in conservative dentistry that takes several things into account to develop a treatment plan, including aesthetics, wants, and needs. It’s clear Dr. Maya has built his practice on those ethics and puts his patients first above all else.”
Lorena is embracing the peaceful Keys lifestyle as well. She loves the ocean and enjoys snorkeling, despite admitting she’s not a very good swimmer but is trying to get better. She also raises Monarch butterflies, trying to make a difference in their declining population. It’s clear her compassion for people extends to animals.
“My family won’t let her go near an animal shelter,” she laughs, “because I’ll bring them all home. But that doesn’t keep me from bringing home strays that I find on the street.” Now living alongside her mother and continuing the career that she loves, Dr. Alemany’s smile is fully restored. She looks forward to treating her patients every day and sculpting their smiles as an extension of her own.
–Jerrica Mah is a writer, Army wife, and freelance book editor, who loves to travel with her family.
