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A partnership built to last
By Laura Janecka
Three Schulich Dentistry alums celebrate 20 years of friendship, partnership and the success of their specialty practice
By Laura Janecka
For Drs. Zhemeng (Zee) Wang, DDS'06, and Krista Lee, BSc'02, DDS'06, it was friendship at first sight when Dr. Anthony Antoniazzi, DDS'06, showed up on the first day of class a little late – a new face joining a group already oriented with each other.
“We felt bad for him,” said Wang, laughing. “We had to be friends with him.”
That first‑day connection for the group of dental students at Western’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry marked the beginning of a long‑term friendship.
“We had such a good class – everyone supported each other, and we were all friends,” said Wang. “But, Anthony, Krista, and I, we were the nerds. We spent a lot of time together in the library, eating dinners and pulling all‑nighters for final exams.”
The trio of friends – (from L to R) Lee, from Vancouver B.C., Antoniazzi from Kirkland Lake, Ont., and Wang from Ningbo, China – travelled far from home for dental school, forging a bond that carried them through school and into business together. (supplied photo)
This summer, the group celebrated their 20th class reunion. For the trio, the milestone also marked more than a decade of owning and operating Kids Dental Group – four thriving paediatric and orthodontic clinics across the Greater Toronto Area, alongside their fourth partner, Dr. Edina Heder.
The group attributes much of their success to their guiding principle: Patient, Team, Business (PTB) – values instilled during their time in dental school which helped them develop and expand their clinics. “The PTB principle means putting the patient first, the team second and believing that the business will naturally grow as a result of that,” said Antoniazzi.
“We worked hard from the beginning, leaning on mentors to align on common goals and shared values, and that’s what made our success long‑lasting,” added Lee.
PTB remained central to decisions made in the clinic, with a focus on their patients: children as young as one all the way to young adulthood.
Putting kids first
As a first-year dental student, Wang never imagined herself working with toddlers all day.
Her interest in paediatric dentistry was solidified after a summer internship at Schulich Dentistry’s children’s clinic, where she found the experience the most rewarding part of her training. Wang went on to receive her advanced training in paediatrics at NYU College of Dentistry.
After Schulich Dentistry, Lee completed her general practice residency at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver General Hospital and finished her orthodontic speciality at NYU College of Dentistry.
For Lee, it was about the impact she could have as an orthodontist, “We’re able to shape confidence in kids and teenagers – not just through the work itself, but with transformed smiles and the relationships we build over time.”
Over the years, the team witnessed their patients grow – from nervous young children visiting for the first time to confident young adults heading off to school.
“The greatest reward is watching them grow,” said Wang. “We’ve even had some return to shadow us in the clinic because they’re pursuing dentistry; that kind of experience is something money can’t buy.”
Partnering up
L to R: Drs. Heder, Wang, Lee and Antoniazzi own and operate Kids Dental Group, a dual specialty clinic offering paediatric and orthodontic care to children from ages one and up. (supplied photo)
The idea to bridge two specialties – paediatric dentistry and orthodontics – came from Antoniazzi.
By then, Lee and Antoniazzi had completed their specialities – Antoniazzi earned his advanced education in general dentistry at Temple University and his orthodontic speciality at Jacksonville University – and had become partners in life, as well as in business.
When Antoniazzi brought the idea forward, it was an enthusiastic “yes” from Wang.
“As a solo practitioner, the work could feel quite lonely. With friends running an orthodontic practice, the idea came naturally – and the rest is history.”
The group reunited, along with Heder, a fellow paediatric dentist who Wang had met during the Royal College exam.
This model set up Wang, Lee, Antoniazzi and Heder to expand their clinics’ reach and learn from one another’s specialties by collaborating on a daily basis.
“Over the years we’ve learned so much from each other,” said Antoniazzi. “The collaboration – and the frequency of it – is really what sets our practice apart from a single‑specialty clinic.”
Business as usual
When asked what was next for Kids Dental, Lee said they’re focused on raising their families, caring for their patients and supporting future paediatric dentists and orthodontists.
“We genuinely love helping the next generation, from taking part in career days to guiding students through the university application process,” said Lee. “It’s incredibly rewarding to support young people as they discover the profession and begin their own journeys.”
Upon reflecting on their own experience at Schulich Dentistry, the three friends and partners were grateful for the path it enabled them to take in life.
“Those four years pushed us to grow up, shaped our values and gave us the chance to build the friendship that became the foundation of our practice,” said Antoniazzi. “Without that opportunity – and the instructors who prepared us so well for the world of dentistry – we simply wouldn’t be where we are today.”