They say a smile can change the world. For nearly 40 years, the dentists and staff at CinciSmiles have been dedicated to changing their corner of the world—and beyond—one patient at a time.
“We’ve heard some pretty incredible life stories, where a patient starts dating again or they get married,” says Dr. Andrew Kitzmiller, CinciSmiles partner/owner. “We’re talking about a whole new realm of confidence … to the point where their loved ones will come in and say ‘Thank you—for the first time in family photos, they smiled.’”
For patients of CinciSmiles, located in Milford, that sense of confidence may be due to their new set of veneers, or straighter teeth thanks to Invisalign. It may come from feeling more refreshed after a Botox or dermal filler treatment. It could be because they finally (finally) got a good night’s sleep with successful oral appliance therapy for sleep apnea. Fillings and teeth cleanings? That’s just scratching the surface. This isn’t your parent’s dentist—and for Dr. Timothy Kitzmiller, who opened the practice in 1988, that’s exactly how he wants it.
“I had a terrible dentist growing up,” Tim recalls. “In dental school, I wanted to learn how not to do everything he did. It helped me to be very empathetic toward people with fears and anxieties because I had to work through them myself.”
There’s nothing scary about the CinciSmiles office, which underwent a major redesign and remodel in 2022. Modern artwork lines the wall. Treatment rooms to the staff kitchen, the interiors are sleek and sophisticated. Walking in the front door feels like you’re stepping into a spa, not a dental office, and that’s the intention.
“It’s funny how many people will sit down, and I’ll hear the heavy sigh,” says Tim. “I’ll ask, ‘Are you okay?’ And they’ll say, ‘I can finally turn my cell phone off.’’’
From décor to services—to the team itself—CinciSmiles is probably the only dental practice like it in Greater Cincinnati. Where else can you go and be seen by practically an entire family—husband, wife, and one of their sons? In addition to Tim and Andrew, you can also find Lori Kitzmiller at CinciSmiles. She began working at the practice after her husband, Tim, asked her to help while a couple of staff members were on maternity leave.
“He asked me to fill in for a couple of months … 20 years later, I’m still here,” she laughs.
Today she is the Sleep Medicine Coordinator for the CinciSleep side of the practice, which treats patients for sleep apnea using oral appliance therapy.
Their son Andrew joined the practice five years ago, but becoming a dentist wasn’t always in the plans. Although he completed his pre-dental studies as an undergrad, he also earned a minor in entrepreneurial studies. After college graduation, he worked at startup companies for about a year and a half before deciding to see what dental school “was all about.”
“I can’t necessarily say that my dad forced it on me,” admits Andrew, as his parents laugh. “But just by the nature of being around it, I could see how he was able to help people out—and do really neat and interesting things to change people’s lives.”
Now, the three spend their workdays together—and sometimes their off-time together, too.
“I figure we’re still doing pretty well if, toward the end of the week, he asks, ‘What are we doing this weekend?’” jokes Tim.
The Kitzmillers have another son, who chose not to go into dentistry, but all four are close. That sense of family is an integral part of how the Kitzmillers approach their practice—they believe in building relationships with their patients.
“When someone comes in for their first office visit, one of the best questions we ask is ‘What can we do for you today?’” Tim notes. “Often, patients are surprised because they haven’t been asked that question before while sitting in a dental chair.”
The Kitzmillers believe in providing patients with the benefits of everything a truly full-service dentistry can offer—whether that’s whiter, straighter teeth, a smoother forehead, or finally, thankfully, a good night’s sleep.
“You know, when it’s finally time to get that beautiful smile, or try Botox,” says Timothy. “It’s really the whole person. Making people look good, feel good … just feel good about themselves.”
Of course, at CinciSmiles, the smiles aren’t limited to brushing, flossing and crowns—nor limited by a patient’s lack of insurance, either. The practice offers its very own in-house dental savings plan. As the Kitzmillers have seen, changing the way dentistry is practiced has changed their patients’ lives for the last three and a half decades … turning a trip to the dentist into something more like a day at the spa. Talk about smiles all around.
CinciSmiles.com | 5722 Signal Hill Ct, Milford | 513.248.8848
CinciSleep: Putting Sleep Apnea to Bed
Because May is Better Sleep Month, ask yourself: Do you snore a lot through the night? Wake up still feeling tired? Or worse, find yourself waking up, gasping for air? These are all symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA, a disorder that causes disruption of breathing during sleep.
Often those with sleep apnea are treated through Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), which means wearing a mask over the mouth and nose while sleeping. But CinciSleep offers an FDA-approved alternative to this cumbersome form of therapy—a custom oral appliance prescribed by a physician and created by a trained dentist.
As Sleep Medicine Coordinator, Lori is the first point of contact for patients who want to consider this therapy. Patients are brought into the Sleep Suite for an initial conversation to see if patients want to move forward with treatment. If they do, scans are taken, and results are interpreted by a board-certified physician, who will prescribe oral appliance therapy, if appropriate.
“It’s amazing how many times people will say, ‘This really changed my life,’” says Tim. “They’ll tell us they get clarity back. They can watch a whole movie at night, without getting elbowed by their significant other for falling asleep in the middle.”
Tim should know—he learned about sleep apnea at a conference in 2007. More tellingly, he discovered he had it himself.
“After Tim got his first sleep appliance, the difference it made in his health and well-being was incredible!” says Lori, who’s been enjoying a quieter night’s sleep for years now.
Loved ones will come in and say ‘Thank you—for the first time in family photos, they smiled.'
