Julie Tucci, executive director of St. Apollonia Dental Clinic, and Dr Norma Desjardins, clinic founder, are pleased to announce the hiring of a board-certified pediatric dentist to lead their dental care team: Dr Ogo Olele. She will begin work at the clinic in January 2025.
Dr. Olele (Dr. O) was born and raised in Southern California and has most recently lived and worked in Virginia.
It was in the melting pot of Los Angeles where she discovered her affinity for smiles through volunteering opportunities and mentorship. In light of her own personal dental history and desire to improve the oral health experiences for all, she decided to pursue the field of dentistry. Given her love for the kiddos, she graduated from dental school from University of California-Los Angeles and continued on to further her education and training in pediatric dentistry at UCLA.
Currently, as a pediatric dentist, Dr. O enjoys making the dental experience fun and memorable for each patient. Alongside fellow team members, she strives to create and foster a nurturing space for children and adolescents to learn and develop excellent oral habits. Understanding how fear may play a role in the dental setting, Dr. O aims to guide each patient into feeling comfortable and at ease during their appointments. For Dr. Olele, there is such a pleasure in helping children establish a positive relationship within the dental setting which may transcend throughout a lifetime.
Outside of the office, when the opportunities present themselves, she loves to organize, decorate, bake, travel and spend time with her nieces and nephews.
Dr. Desjardins and the entire St. Apollonia team look forward to introducing Dr. Olele to patients and to area dentists, “As many folks know, it’s not easy to refer patients to specialists as they can be hard to find, in Maine and in other states too. Having a pediatric dentist in-office will benefit the patients of St. Apollonia immensely. Dr. O will accept referrals from other offices and hopes to work with other specialists to help coordinate optimal oral health care for each child.”
Tucci adds that the St. Apollonia team looks forward to having a full-time dentist on board again, “While we’ve had some great locum tenens dentists in recent months, it will be wonderful to have Dr. O here on a full time basis. We’re prepared to welcome Dr. O and look forward to her leadership of our clinical team. Our mission is to provide a comprehensive, compassionate dental home for every Aroostook County child who needs one, and I’m confident that Dr. O is going to help us accomplish our mission. We look forward to introducing Dr. O to our patients and their families.”
In addition to this exciting news, St. Apollonia Dental Clinic also wants to remind everyone that their one major annual fundraiser. This year’s 10th Annual Festival of Trees takes place December 6-8 at the NMCC gymnasium. Join us for a fun, festive event featuring 75 incredible tree displays. More information can be found at the clinic’s website at www.stapolloniadentalclinic.com and on the St. Apollonia Dental Clinic Facebook page.
