By Derek Maul
Andrea Gordillo loves her work. She’s passionate about dentistry, she values the relationships, and she enjoys her community. “And it’s the satisfaction of making a smile really beautiful,” she said, “or of taking someone out of pain. It’s a really social job, I like to learn people’s stories.”
Gordillo came to Brandon as a staff dentist in 1999, then joined the Dental Laser Center as a partner in 2004.
Gordillo, 40, knew she wanted to be a dentist in the 5th grade. She observed, shadowed, volunteered and worked tirelessly before enrolling in the University of Florida dental school in 1995
“I didn’t have time to be a hard-core Gator,” she said. “I had to focus and it was a couple of years before I attended a game.”
Gordillo returned to Tampa in a big way when she added Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleader to her resume while establishing her credentials as a Brandon dentist.
“It was a dance thing,” she said. “I’ve danced all my life, including professional flamenco while attending the USF as an undergraduate.”
In 2000 the Bucs intentionally recruited intelligent, professional women. “It was wonderful,” Gordillo said. “It didn’t even seem real. We traveled, we went to the Super Bowl, I met my husband.”
Fox 13 meteorologist Dave Osterberg interviewed Gordillo for a news story. They made a connection, married in 2007, and have two children, Aiden and Annalucia.
“I stopped when I bought this practice,” she said. “But I’ll dance again when my daughter is old enough.”
At the office, Gordillo is excited about some new equipment.
“We just bought a new laser,” she said. “We can do surgery without the things that scare people. We may not have to use the drill much at all. Pain free dentistry really is on its way.”
Learn more about Andrea Gordillo and the Dental Laser Center at www.dentallasercenter.net.
