She’ll make you smile, and she’ll make it straight

Few kids are happy when they learn they have to get braces. But even fewer can argue with the results once those hunks of metal come off. Dr. Jennifer Sipkin know that everyone wants a nice smile, so she wants to create a positive experience for each and every patient while that transformation takes place.

Sipkin took over the orthodontic practice of Dr. William Mittler, who is retiring after improving the smiles of Valley Streamers for decades. That task will now fall to Sipkin, who said she has already felt a warm welcome from the community in her short time on the job.

The 34-year-old orthodontist grew up in Oyster Bay Cove and lives in Manhattan with her husband and two children. After working part-time for several years, she decided she was ready for her own practice. “I knew that when the time came, I’d want to increase the commitment to my career,” said Sipkin, who graduated from Columbia University’s College of Dental Medicine.

She found Mittler’s practice was available and it turned out to the be the perfect fit. Mittler still comes in one or two days a week to greet his former patients and help the business transition to Sipkin’s leadership.

About 150 patients a week pass through the West Merrick Road office. She treats both children and adults. Many of the adults she sees never had the opportunity to get braces when they were a child, and are excited about finally getting the chance to improve their teeth.

Sipkin said she meets with every patient when they come in for a visit. For her younger clients, she always makes sure they are included in the discussions about their teeth, even if it is their parents who are paying the bills.

She has high expectations for her staff because patient satisfaction is of utmost importance to Sipkin. “A priority is getting the smile perfect,” she said, “but I take pride in knowing that their whole experience here is great.”

Ultimately, Sipkin said that patients are treated the way she would want herself or her children to be treated.

It’s that level of care that brought 13-year-old Sophie Rodney to Sipkin’s practice. “I like it because everyone that works here is so nice,” she said. “Everyone’s trying their best to make my teeth perfect.”