Calmness, patience and a peerless chairside manner, thy name is Angelica Rivera. Our Dental Assistant of the Year is a superstar inside the office and out, reminding her patients (and the teenage son she has raised as a single mom) that a great work ethic is imperative, but it means little without a humanistic sense of joy alongside.

Angelica Rivera, RDA – Dental Assistant of the Year

By Gia Mazur Merwine

EVERY THRIVING DENTAL PRACTICE has someone who keeps it all running, the quiet center of gravity amid the daily cacophony of patients, procedures and personalities. At Dr. Reshma Baddaloo’s Smile Studio in Pembroke Pines, Florida, that person is Angelica Rivera. “Angie,” as she’s universally known, is the practice’s lead dental assistant—a 17-year veteran whose steadiness, empathy and skill make her, as her colleagues say, the heart of the practice.

Dentistry was always more than a job for Rivera, 38. It was a calling—though a summons she nearly left behind. Born and raised in Calí, Colombia, she was accepted into a top local dental school before life took a sudden turn. In 2007, at age 20, she immigrated to the U.S. to live with family in Rhode Island after her father had a health scare, trading her long-held plans for the promise of a fresh start. She worked in restaurants and clothing stores but needed a boost, something that would make her excited to wake up each day. “Dentistry gave me that again,” she recalls. “It gave me purpose.”

Strong as a Mother
Working the front desk at a dental office reignited her ambition. She enrolled in vocational night classes for dental assisting, earning her certification in 2008 and her radiography credentials from Boston University the following year. “Back then I didn’t have much,” she says. “But I had discipline and faith. I just kept going.”

Around the same time she began training, Rivera became pregnant with her son, Santiago, and her path now looked very different indeed. She had to contend with classes, exams, clinical hours—and the challenges of single motherhood. “Those were long, exhausting days,” she says. “But giving up was never an option. [Santiago is] my ‘why.’ ”

When child care periodically fell through, she’d bring him to the office. “He’d sit quietly in the corner with coloring books while I sterilized instruments or prepped trays,” she remembers. “Everyone looked out for him. That’s the thing about dentistry—it becomes your family.”

Those years spent balancing motherhood with career ambition forged the resilience Rivera is known for today. They taught her how to stay calm under pressure, multitask and find light in the dimmest moments. “When you’ve had to fight for every step, you understand people differently,” she says. “It makes you more patient—with yourself, with your team, with your patients.”

When a patient smiles in the mirror after years of hiding it, that’s everything.”

PICTURE PERFECT: Rivera with the iTero scanner, which she jokes is her “best friend” thanks to its accuracy and clarity to help every patient she treats.

Santiago is now 14, and Rivera says her motivation hasn’t changed. “He’s still my reason for everything,” she says. “Every class I’ve taken, every late night I’ve studied, every new skill I’ve learned—it’s for him.” She carried those lessons she learned into her first clinical role at a general practice in Boston, where she came to appreciate the foundations of patient care and the power of calm under pressure. In the operatory, her composure became her hallmark. She worked alongside endodontists, surgeons and periodontists, absorbing their different styles and discovering her own. Every day presen­ted new challenges: One afternoon, the office’s suction system failed mid-procedure. “Everyone froze for a second, but I had to stay calm and figure it out,” she says. “That was one of my first lessons in staying composed when things go wrong. The patient always looks to you for reassurance.”

HER “WHY”: With her son, Santiago, during an office visit a few years ago—a reminder of the support, sacrifice and drive that have fueled her journey in dentistry.

Her reputation grew. She embraced continuing education, attending the Yankee Dental Congress, Gentle Dental Partners’ implant seminars and, most recently, Strupp/Brumm’s advanced course in cosmetic and restorative dentistry. It all helps her stay ahead of an industry that never stands still. “Dentistry evolves,” she says. “You have to keep learning if you want to serve your patients well.”

Through it all, Rivera’s larger philosophy of care began to take shape: Dentistry isn’t just about restoring teeth, but restoring confidence. The finest clinical skills mean little if they’re untethered from empathy. “When a patient smiles in the mirror after years of hiding it,” she says, “that’s everything.”

A Professor in the Operatory
After 11 years in New England, Rivera settled in South Florida. She has been with Dr. Baddaloo since June 2023 and wears many hats: She assists with surgeries and complex cosmetic cases, manages OSHA compliance and sterilization, trains new team members, oversees inventory, handles insurance calls and even picks up the phone when the front desk gets busy. “Whatever the office needs, I’ll do,” she says with a laugh. “That’s how a great team works.” Dr. Baddaloo, a member of the Incisal Edge 40 Under 40 in 2023, is effusive about her stalwart assistant: “Angie is the backbone of our dental team—a role model to her peers, a light in the lives of her patients and a true example of what it means to lead with heart, skill and service.”

GOOD NEIGHBORS: Smile Studio staff, including Dr. Reshma Baddaloo (second from right) and Rivera (far right) at a teacher appreciation event in the
practice’s South Florida community.

Rivera’s leadership extends beyond simple efficiency. She’s the steady presence to whom new assistants gravitate—the one who makes a hectic operatory feel like a classroom. She doesn’t just show her younger charges how to do something; she makes them curious why it’s done that way. “I tell them, ‘Don’t rush it. Learn the why behind everything you do,’ ” she says. “It’s not just about passing instruments. It’s about understanding the whole picture.”

She leads by example, not just instruction, with steady hands, clear communication and the sort of patience you can’t pick up from a manual. Under her wing, rookies find their rhythm, their confidence and their pride in the craft. In other words, Rivera helps mold the kind of strong teammates every practice needs.

The family aspect of dentistry that Rivera lauds begins in the operatory. She has a gift for putting patients at ease—especially those who dread the chair. “A lot of fear comes from the unknown,” she says. “So I explain every step. I show them the instruments. I take my time.” Her patience is legendary among her colleagues, and her bilingual warmth helps Spanish speakers feel seen, heard and understood. “Even if I have three patients waiting, I slow down for the one who’s scared. I’ll make them laugh, tell a little joke, remind them they’re in good hands.”

Technology naturally plays a part. Rivera swears by her iTero scanner. Digital impressions have completely changed how she works. No more messes or guesses, just speed, accuracy and clarity. “It’s amazing because patients can see what’s happening,” she says. “They understand their treatment plan instead of imagining something painful or mysterious.” She especially loves the moment their expression shifts when the 3D model of their mouth appears onscreen and fear gives way to fascination.

Acting Globally
Her characteristic empathy accompanies Rivera beyond Smile Studio’s walls. She has come along to Jamaica and Dr. Bad­daloo’s native Trinidad to provide cleanings and extractions for patients who rarely get dental care. The contrast is striking. “In the U.S., we talk about digital scans and cosmetic cases. In some places, people are just praying for pain relief,” she says.

For visits home to Colombia—she gets back as often as she can—Rivera collects toothbrushes, toothpaste and basic hygiene supplies for children. She’s dental Santa Claus no matter the time of year. “Those trips remind me how powerful our work can be,” she enthuses. “People are so grateful for even a simple cleaning. It makes you appreciate everything we take for granted.”

Dental Assistant Of the Year 2026 – Angelica Rivera, RDA

Rivera views every act of service as a quiet thank-you to the life she has built. “As a single mother and immigrant, I know what it’s like to start from zero,” she says. “Helping others reminds me how far I’ve come.”

Follow Her Lead
Rivera’s mornings begin before sunrise, cooking breakfast for Santiago before school and soccer practice. At Smile Studio, she keeps the clinical day flowing with the same focus and timing she brings to the dance floor. When the scrubs come off, you see, the salsa shoes go on. Dancing is her therapy, a release that keeps her grounded after long days in the operatory. “Salsa reminds me to stay in the moment,” she says. “It’s joy, expression, connection—it’s what keeps me balanced.”

Through it all, Rivera seeks to embody the kind of person she wishes her son to be. “I try to show my son that strength and kindness can take you far,” she says. “Life isn’t always easy, but if you stay humble, disciplined and kind, you can overcome anything.”

After all, her son can’t help but notice the pace she keeps. “He says, ‘Mom, you’re always doing something!’ ” she says, laughing. For eons Santiago has seen her juggle long clinic days, evening coursework and her volunteer efforts. “But I want him to see that hard work pays off, and that joy matters, too,” Rivera says. “You have to make time to dance.”