Dr. Natalia grew up in Kyiv, Ukraine, in a family of medical and dental professionals. She graduated cum laude from Kyiv Medical University, School of Stomatology, becoming the 13th dentist in her family. Dr. Natalia went into postgraduate research around birth defects. During the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear accident, cleft lips and palates were on the rise. This was emotionally straining, to see the suffering and not being equipped to help. She needed more training and access to good medical supplies and staff with a good education, to help those around her best. So, she left Ukraine to pursue her educational ambitions in the U.S., with hopes to return soon. However, life took another turn…
Her journey to becoming a dentist in the United States was long and difficult. As a foreign trained dentist, she had to re-earn her dental degree with perseverance and humility, working odd jobs selling donuts and babysitting to earn her living. Having little means to survive, she worked night shifts and weekends while attending SUNY at Buffalo, New York, and received her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 1999.
Undaunted, she persisted in fulfilling her ambitions, and completed her residency at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, NY, where she performed surgeries, emergency care, and clinical care in a community health clinic setting. Through these programs, she gained valuable clinical experience that shaped her future as a dentist and as a person.
After moving to the Pacific Northwest in 2000, and starting her family, Dr. Natalia worked for several dentists in Longview, and Vancouver. In 2002 she took over the small practice of a retiring dentist in Southeast Portland, where she happily served patients for 19 years. She is passionate about providing the highest-quality, most personalized care possible. Her patients rave about her talent, knowledge, and gentle hands, as well as the fact that she takes the time to explain every step before and during procedures to make sure patients feel comfortable. She also speaks several Slavic languages.
Dr. Natalia embraces a holistic approach to patient care. She offers preventative oral health care strategies that address whole body health, treating oral inflammation with an overall goal of helping reduce systemic inflammation. While tooth decay and gum disease are the more obvious signs of poor oral health, chronic low-grade infection in the mouth can elevate systemic inflammation in the body, playing a key role in the development of many chronic diseases. Preventing and treating oral diseases can have a profound impact on our overall health.
In recent years, Dr. Natalia traveled on volunteer dental missions to Honduras and the Philippines, directly impacting and touching the lives and hearts of underserved families. She regularly volunteers in the Portland metro area to provide charitable dentistry with Medical Teams International Mobile Dental Vans and Compassion Clinics. Dr. Natalia is a gift to have in our community!