Chantal Tavarez of Tava Dental NY: Exclusive Interview
Dr. Chantal Tavarez
From Santiago to Westchester, Dr. Chantal Tavarez Is Redefining Dentistry Through Compassion, Courage, and Service
Read INLOVE Magazine’s exclusive interview with Dr. Chantal Tavarez of Tava Dental NY on dentistry, leadership, patient care and her journey from Santiago to Westchester.
There are careers chosen through careful planning, and there are callings that reveal themselves quietly—through experience, instinct, and the unmistakable desire to care for others.
For Dr. Chantal Tavarez, dentistry became far more than a profession. It became a way to restore comfort where there had been fear, confidence where there had been hesitation, and dignity where access to care had too often been limited.
Dr. Chantal Tavarez believes that exceptional dentistry begins with understanding the person behind the smile.
Today, as the founder and clinical leader of Tava Dental NY in West Harrison, Dr. Tavarez is building a distinctly personal kind of dental practice—one rooted in advanced care, genuine connection, and the belief that every patient deserves to feel understood. Her work reflects the journey of a woman who crossed borders, rebuilt her professional life in a new country, and ultimately created a dental home shaped by both precision and heart.
Dr. Chantal Tavarez’s commitment to advancing the dental profession extends beyond her practice. In recognition of her leadership and dedication, she was elected as a 2027 Alternate Delegate for the New York State Dental Association (NYSDA). This distinguished role allows her to represent fellow dentists, contribute to shaping the future of organized dentistry, and advocate for the highest standards of patient care across New York State—reflecting the same passion, integrity, and excellence she brings to every patient she serves at Tava Dental.
Born and raised in Santiago de Los Caballeros in Dominican Republic. Dr. Tavarez graduated cum laude from Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra in 2011. After moving to the United States, she entered Columbia University’s rigorous three-year international dentistry program in New York City and completed clinical rotations at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital between 2015 and 2018.
The path demanded discipline, resilience, and the willingness to begin again. Yet those years did more than expand her clinical knowledge. They helped shape the dentist she would become: technically exacting, deeply attentive, and especially sensitive to the emotional experience of the person sitting in the dental chair.
Creating a Different Kind of Dental Experience
At Tava Dental NY, the philosophy is simple but powerful: dental care should never feel impersonal, intimidating, or rushed.
Dr. Tavarez believes that visiting the dentist can be a restorative experience rather than a stressful one. She understands that fear of dentistry is rarely superficial. For many patients, it is connected to a painful memory, embarrassment about the condition of their teeth, anxiety about cost, or years spent avoiding treatment because they did not feel safe enough to begin.
Her response is not judgment. It is patience.
Through careful listening, personalized treatment planning, and a gentle clinical approach, she works to replace fear with trust—one appointment at a time. Her practice emphasizes patient comfort, professionalism, compassion, and the connection between functional oral health and overall well-being.
This philosophy defines the atmosphere of Tava Dental NY, a modern dental practice serving West Harrison, Harrison, White Plains, Purchase, Rye, Scarsdale, Mamaroneck, Port Chester, and communities throughout Westchester country and Greenwich CT.
The practice provides preventive dentistry, dental cleanings, cosmetic dentistry, restorative treatments, dental implants restoration, emergency dental care, teeth whitening, veneers, and more.
Yet the most meaningful element cannot be found on a treatment menu.
For Dr. Chantal Tavarez, service has always been inseparable from professional success.
It is the way a patient feels when someone finally takes the time to explain what is happening. It is the relief of realizing that a damaged smile can be repaired. It is the confidence that comes from being treated as a whole person rather than a collection of symptoms.
Dr. Tavarez does not believe in identical solutions because she does not believe in identical patients. Every smile carries a different history, and every treatment plan must respect the life behind it.
That understanding has become one of her greatest strengths.
Perhaps the clearest expression of Dr. Tavarez’s character is found beyond the walls of her own practice.
For several years, she has volunteered with Somos Amigos Medical Missions, returning to the Dominican Republic to provide dental care to communities with limited access to regular treatment. She also serves as a member of the organization’s board of directors.
Somos Amigos operates a volunteer-driven medical and dental clinic serving isolated mountain communities surrounding El Naranjito in the Dominican Republic. Working in partnership with local residents, the organization provides reliable care while emphasizing dignity, collaboration, and continuity—not temporary charity. Its dental teams may include general dentists, hygienists, pediatric dentists, oral surgeons, endodontists, and denture specialists.
For Dr. Tavarez, this service is profoundly personal.
She is not simply traveling abroad to volunteer. She is returning to the country that formed her, offering the skills she once began developing there, and caring for people in her native language. Her work completes a circle between origin and achievement—between the young woman who studied dentistry in Santiago and the accomplished clinician who now returns with experience, resources, and the ability to relieve suffering.
“To be able to help my Spanish-speaking community in a foreign country with their oral health and to be able to return to my country and help those in need is one of the biggest joys that fills my heart and soul,” she shared with the Somos Amigos board.
The meaning of that service cannot be measured only in procedures performed.
A dental infection treated before it becomes dangerous can change the course of someone’s health. The restoration of a damaged tooth can allow a person to eat without pain. A new denture can return not only function, but the willingness to smile in public again. Oral health influences confidence, nutrition, communication, work, and quality of life.
In communities where care is difficult to reach, dentistry becomes something even greater: a form of possibility.
Leadership Through Humanity
The most compelling leaders do not simply speak about their values. They arrange their lives around them.
Dr. Tavarez’s values are visible in the practice she has created, the patients she comforts, and the communities she continues to serve. She represents a generation of women in healthcare who are expanding the meaning of professional success. Achievement is no longer defined only by credentials, titles, or the growth of a business. It is also defined by impact, cultural connection, mentorship, compassion, and the decision to bring others forward as one rises.
What makes Dr. Chantal Tavarez remarkable is not simply her education or clinical skill.
It is the consistency of her purpose.
Whether treating a patient in West Harrison or volunteering in the mountains of the Dominican Republic, her mission never changes.
Help people.
Relieve pain.
Restore confidence.
Serve others.
That philosophy extends far beyond dentistry.
It defines who she is.
The work of Dr. Chantal Tavarez reflects a philosophy centered on compassion, precision, and long-term patient trust.
Words by Elena Vasilevsky
