Dr. Laz Kavouklis started treating Tampa Bay families in 1974. His son Dr. Nick joined him in 2008, the year the practice moved into the building it still occupies on Sheldon Road.
years of one family looking after another, in a building the practice put up itself.
Training, certification and memberships held by our doctors
Dr. K retired in 2021. The practice he built did not change hands, it changed generations.
How this practice works
A family-friendly, high-tech, affordable practice is how they describe themselves. Here is what each of those three words actually buys you.
The problem: people who have put off a dentist for years because the last time went badly.
Dr. Nick is certified in oral sedation dentistry. That means conscious oral sedation, not an IV and not a general anaesthetic: you stay awake, you relax, and most people do not remember the appointment afterwards. Nitrous oxide is there too. It also lets several visits be combined into one.
The problem: being told a tooth needs work, and having to take it on faith.
An intraoral camera puts what the dentist is looking at on a screen you can see, enlarged. Digital x-rays give one-sixth the radiation of film and appear on the monitor immediately. You get shown the problem rather than described it.
The problem: the part of a dental practice nobody shows you.
The whole team works to the procedures set by OSHA, the EPA and the Centers for Disease Control. Universal precautions, every patient, every time. This is the room it happens in, and you are welcome to look.
Not a stock photograph of somebody else’s practice. Dr. K put this building up in 2008 after thirty-four years of renting, and these are the rooms you will actually sit in.
★★★★★I have been going to Tampa Dental for over half my life. I'm not an easy patient, to say the least! Dr Nick always takes the best possible care of me, is patient with me, and fully explains all procedures.StephNie BPatient review
Meet your dentist
A native Floridian who went a long way to come back. Florida State, then dental school at Maryland, then two years in Brooklyn where he was made Chief Resident, and then straight home to work alongside his father.
Dr. K treated Tampa Bay for forty-seven years and retired in 2021. A great many people in these chairs were his patients first, and the records, the habits and the way a visit runs all carried straight across.
Born and raised in Tampa Bay. Biological Science at Florida State, then dental school at Maryland, then a two-year general practice residency at Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn where he was named Chief Resident. Certified in oral sedation dentistry and Invisalign. Back home since 2008.
University of Maryland School of Dentistry
Second-generation Floridian, raised in Tarpon Springs. Two years in the Navy at Jacksonville, then his own practice here from 1974. A graduate of the Las Vegas Institute, and the reason the building on Sheldon Road exists at all.
University of Louisville School of Dentistry, 1972
The front desk, the hygienists and the assistants. They are the ones who answer the phone, work out what your insurance will do, and know your name before you have given it.
Portraits to follow. We would rather show you nobody than show you a stock photograph of somebody who does not work here.
Dentistry in Tampa, FL
Preventive, restorative, cosmetic and surgical. Almost nothing here needs referring out, which is the practical difference a general practice residency makes.
The appointment that prevents the other eight. Exams, gentle ultrasonic cleanings twice a year, and an oral cancer screening every time.
Putting a tooth back the way it was. Bonded ceramic rather than metal wherever the tooth allows it, and the tooth saved rather than replaced wherever that is still possible.
Both doctors trained at the Las Vegas Institute, and Dr. Nick is a certified Invisalign provider. Most people need less than they walk in expecting.
The jaw, and the things that happen at night. Clicking, aching, grinding and snoring all get looked at properly rather than dismissed.
A titanium post replaces the root, the bone grows onto it over three to six months, and the tooth on top is fixed. It also stops the bone loss that follows a missing tooth.
Clear aligners, changed every two weeks, checked every four to six. Removable, so you take them out to eat and to clean your teeth properly.
Thin ceramic bonded to the front of the tooth. Light passes through it, which is why it does not read as a false tooth. Three to four visits.
Custom trays moulded from impressions of your own teeth, with prescription-strength gel to take home. Often the impressions are taken the day you ask.
Advanced technology
Dr. K and Dr. Nick choose carefully which radiographs are taken and when, to published guidelines rather than to a schedule. What the technology is for is seeing sooner, and explaining better.
New patients & emergencies
If something hurts or has broken, every attempt is made to see you the same day and get you out of pain. A follow-up finishes the job properly. Patients of record can call the same number after hours.
We accept assignment of benefits after verification, and take most major PPO plans. No DMO plans. Being out of network does not mean we cannot be your dentist, and we file out-of-network claims too.
Payment is due at the time of service. Treatment spread over several appointments can be split evenly between them, with the balance due on or before the last visit.
When a friend or a family member you sent comes in for their examination, you get $25 off your next visit. There is no limit to how many times.
Dr. K and Dr. Nick
4.9 out of 5 · 1,300+ Google reviews
★★★★★I have been going to Tampa Dental for over half my life. I'm not an easy patient, to say the least! Dr Nick always takes the best possible care of me, is patient with me, and fully explains all procedures. Most importantly they do everything they can to make me as comfortable as possible during each procedure. Both doctors are kind and compassionate and truly care about my well being!StephNie BPatient review
★★★★★Lovely staff, everyone makes you feel like you are the most important person there. Everything is explained before and during the procedure. I was so impressed I now take my two children. We have been patients for 2 years now and we moved out of town but keep going there because they are great!Kelley RPatient review
★★★★★I will not go anywhere else, lucky to have such a great dentist and staff!!!Gloria RossPatient review
★★★★★Always received outstanding care here. Glad to find a good establishment in Tampa for my dental care needs.Carolyn SPatient review
★★★★★I would refer anyone to this dentist. Guaranteed to be a happy patient leaving.Priscilla PPatient review
Common questions
We accept assignment of benefits after verification, and we take most major PPO plans, including Delta Dental, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, CIGNA, Aetna, MetLife, Guardian, Humana and United Healthcare. We do not take DMO plans. Being out of network does not mean we cannot be your dentist, and we file out-of-network claims for you as well.
Say so when you call. Dr. Nick is certified in oral sedation dentistry, which means conscious oral sedation rather than an IV: you are not unconscious, but you relax, and most people do not remember the appointment. Nitrous oxide is available as well. It also lets several appointments be combined into one.
Call the office rather than booking online. If you are in pain, every attempt is made to see you the same day and get you out of pain, with a follow-up afterwards to finish the treatment. Patients of record can call after hours on the same number.
X-rays and a consultation, with your diagnosis and the treatment options explained. Your cleaning is then booked with one of the hygienists. Bring any previous x-rays, your insurance card and photo ID, and tell us about any medical condition or medication. Anyone under 18 needs a parent or guardian with them.
Payment is due at the time of service, and for treatment across several appointments it can be split evenly between the visits. We take cash, check, MasterCard, Visa, Discover, American Express and FSA or HSA cards. CareCredit offers 3, 6 and 12-month interest-free plans and financing up to 60 months, and you can apply in the office.
6421 Sheldon Road, on Sheldon Road between Water Avenue and Hillsborough Avenue. It is our own building rather than a suite in a plaza, with its own car park at the door.
Visit us
Our scheduling coordinator will contact you to confirm. If you are in pain, please phone instead. Existing patients: please do not send private health information through this form.