Convenient Access from Laurel
Golf, pickleball and the Legacy Trail keep Laurel calendars full. A dentist near Laurel should be easy to reach, and Prestige Dental is a simple 13-minute drive up the Tamiami Trail. Our Sarasota office sits in unincorporated Vamo, on the west side of US 41 near Debbie Street. Dr. Andrew Falestiny, DMD, cares for patients there Monday through Thursday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and handles cleanings, crowns, dentures and implants under one roof.
Start at Laurel Park and the Sandra Sims Terry Community Center on Collins Road and drive east a short way to US 41. Turn north and stay on the highway through Osprey, where the name shifts to South Tamiami Trail. The whole trip covers 7.7 miles with no interstate driving at all. Just before you arrive, you pass Central Sarasota Parkway, and The Plaza at Palmer Ranch sits across the highway from us.
Put 8520 S Tamiami Trl Unit 2, Sarasota, FL 34238 into your phone, or open our Google Maps listing for directions from your door. Neighbors in Nokomis and Venice follow the same highway north to reach us.
Care That Fits the Pace of Laurel
Laurel is a quiet unincorporated community in Sarasota County, tucked between Nokomis and Osprey along US 41. Golf-club neighborhoods such as Mission Valley and Calusa Lakes sit inside it, and many residents are retired or close to it. Days here often revolve around tee times, a pickleball game at Laurel Park, or a ride on the Legacy Trail from the park's trailhead. Dental visits should slot into that rhythm instead of swallowing a whole day.
Because the drive is one straight road, a Laurel patient can book an 8:00 AM cleaning and be heading home well before lunch. Reminders arrive by email or text, and new patients can fill out forms online before the first visit. That leaves your time in the chair for your teeth rather than clipboards.
Your first appointment begins with a conversation, not a sales pitch. Dr. Falestiny asks about your goals, any worries, past dental experiences, your schedule and your budget before he recommends anything. A blanket and neck pillow are there if you want them, and you leave with a small goody bag.
The people you meet stay the same from visit to visit. Lynn manages the office, Tia handles hygiene appointments, and assistants Maggie, Silvana and Stephanie work chairside with Dr. Falestiny. Seeing familiar faces makes it easier to mention a sore spot or a question you have been saving since last time.
Keeping Natural Teeth Strong Through the Retirement Years
Teeth that have worked for decades often carry large old fillings, worn edges or a crown near the end of its life. Gum health matters more with age, and a missing tooth can let its neighbors drift and change your bite. For many Laurel adults the goal is practical: keep what still works, and replace what is gone with something stable.
Dr. Falestiny shows you what he finds on digital x-rays and intraoral camera images, then explains why a treatment may or may not be needed. A cracked tooth can often be saved with a crown or a root canal. When a tooth is lost, an implant or bridge fills the gap, and our CBCT scanner gives him a three-dimensional view for implant planning.
Restorations can come together faster than many people expect. Our Exocad® design software and in-house 3D printer let us design and produce restorations and appliances in our own office, so there is no need to wait weeks for an outside dental lab.
Choosing between a bridge and an implant is one of the most common decisions we talk through with Laurel patients. A bridge uses the teeth on either side of the gap as anchors, which can make sense when those teeth already need crowns. An implant stands on its own and leaves the neighboring teeth untouched. Dr. Falestiny lays out both paths, along with cost and timing, so you can pick the one that suits your mouth and your plans.
Choosing a Dentist Near Laurel: Treatments We Provide
Dental Implants
Dr. Falestiny places and restores custom implants for one missing tooth or several. Each case is planned with CBCT imaging. Laurel patients who are tired of a gap or a loose partial get a fixed tooth that does not come out at night.
Restorative Dentistry
Fillings, root canal treatment and custom crowns and bridges repair teeth that are worn, cracked or decayed. Older restorations from years ago can be checked and replaced before they fail.
Dentures
We make custom partial and full dentures, both removable and permanently placed on implants. If your current set rocks or rubs, an implant-supported option is worth a conversation.
Periodontal Therapy
Bleeding or receding gums deserve attention long before a tooth feels loose. Our approach starts with the least invasive treatment that can bring your gums back to health.
Family Dentistry
Plenty of Laurel households span more than one generation. Cleanings, exams, sealants, fillings and oral cancer screenings are available for patients of every age, so visiting family members can be seen here too.
Most treatment plans mix more than one of these services. A patient might start with periodontal care to settle the gums, then move on to a crown, and later replace a missing back tooth with an implant. Keeping every step with one dentist means your records, scans and history stay in one chart, and nobody has to start over with a new office halfway through.
Meet Your Dentist, Dr. Falestiny
Dr. Andrew Falestiny trained at Nova Southeastern College of Dental Medicine, where he received the Endodontics Department Award, and saving teeth with root canals is still part of his everyday work. He also holds the American Academy of Osseointegration Implant Award and places and restores implants himself. Laurel patients get a plain explanation of each recommendation and the reason behind it.
Insurance, Membership & Financing
Prestige Dental is in network with Florida Combined Life and MetLife PPO plans, and our team helps file claims when your plan is out of network. Without coverage, our in-office membership plan includes cleanings, exams and routine x-rays for 12 months, plus discounts on procedures. Cherry and CareCredit financing can spread the cost of larger work such as implants.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Prestige Dental from Laurel, and how do I get there?
Prestige Dental is 7.7 miles from Laurel Park, about a 13-minute drive. Take Collins Road east to US 41, then head north through Osprey on the Tamiami Trail until you reach 8520 S Tamiami Trl Unit 2. It is an easy trip for anyone who wants a dentist near Laurel without getting on I-75.
Can a cracked tooth be saved with a crown instead of being pulled?
Often, yes. If the crack has not split the root, a crown holds the tooth together and protects it from further damage. When the nerve is involved, Dr. Falestiny may recommend a root canal before the crown. An exam and x-rays show which option fits, and removing the tooth is the last choice rather than the first.
How long does it take to get a new crown made?
Usually less time than at offices that depend on an outside lab. We design crowns with Exocad® software and can produce restorations on our in-house 3D printer, which removes the weeks-long wait for a lab. Dr. Falestiny walks you through the timeline for your specific tooth at the visit, so you can plan around it.
Is Florida Combined Life in network at your office?
It is. Florida Combined Life is one of four PPO plans we are in network with, alongside MetLife, Aetna and Principal/Ameritas. Bring your card to the first appointment and our team checks your benefits before treatment begins. Members of other plans can still be seen here, and we file out-of-network claims for them.
Can implants stop a lower denture from slipping?
They can. Implant-supported dentures attach to implants placed in the jaw, so the denture is held in place while you eat and talk instead of relying on suction. Dr. Falestiny places and restores implants and plans each case with a CBCT scan. Removable and implant-supported options can both be discussed at one consultation.
Schedule Your Visit from Laurel
Call (941) 415-6024 to book with a dentist near Laurel who keeps implants, crowns and cleanings in one office, or reach us through our contact page. We see patients Monday through Thursday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Browse every community we welcome on our areas we serve page, or visit our main Dentist Sarasota, FL page to learn more about Prestige Dental.