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Drs. Muhammed Saif and Myra Jehangir want their young patients to feel safe and welcome at their pediatric dental practice.

New Practice Focuses on Dental Care for Children

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
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Peak Smiles is located on Canal Street in Lee. 
LEE, Mass. — A new dental practice is focused solely on ensuring Berkshire County children have bright smiles.
 
Husband and wife duo Drs. Muhammed Saif and Myra Jehangir, both board-certified pediatric dentists, will open Peak Smiles Pediatric Dentistry on March 2. 
 
They had been working at a dental office in Chicopee when they realized many families were coming from the county to see them.
 
"We saw a vast majority of patients. And what we noticed pretty quickly was there was a huge need in the Berkshire County, because a lot of our patients were actually commuting from Pittsfield, North Adams, Great Barrington, to get to our office in Chicopee," Saif said.
 
They decided to open an office in Lee, feeling it was a middle point in the county for the patients they were seeing.
 
They obtained the space in June and began the transformation into a dental office. The only challenge was a plumbing issue that has since been fixed.
 
Saif trained at New York University's College of Dentistry and did his residencies at NYU Langone Dental Medicine and Johns Hopkins. Jehangir graduated from the University of Maryland, and did her residencies at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, and NYU Langone Health in Holyoke. 
 
They currently practice in New York's Hudson Valley and live in Albany. They loved their time in Western Massachusetts and knew they would like to work here again.
 
"We did enjoy our time in Western Mass, which is why when this space opened up, my husband was really excited," Jehangir said. "Everything just worked out in our favor — the space was big enough, like we could put the seven chairs that we wanted — and then Massachusetts was just somewhere he really likes, so we wanted to be here." 
 
They are credentialed at Berkshire Medical Center and will be taking patients there once they have gained their footing.
 
"Once we get the systems down, we'll be scheduling patients to get, like, full-mouth dental treatment if they need it," Saif said. "If they're like, superanxious, they're superyoung, they have a lot of dental care needs in the hospital system. We'll be doing cases."
 
Saif has focused on innovative treatments for children and patients with special needs in his practice. He said he does his best to accommodate everyone and wants children to feel safe in his care.
 
"We're here to make sure that your child keeps smiling and has good oral care," the dentist said.
 
The practice is currently accepting patients, including walk-ins and emergencies. 
 
Hours will be every Monday and every other Saturday, with plans to expand later this summer. The office is located at 35 Canal St.
 
You can book appointments through the website.
 
Editor's note: an earlier version of this article mischaracterized the use of nitrous oxide, which is a safe and commonly used sedative used in pediatric dentistry.

Tags: new business,   dentist,   

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Wisdom & Cinncinatus Lodges Donate to Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

WEST STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — Two local Grand Lodges of Massachusetts selected the Berkshire Humane Society for their charity donation. 

Cincinnatus Lodge and Wisdom Lodge AF&AM hosted a golf and cornhole tournament last year, raising $2,500. Members of each lodge presented the check to Berkshire Humane Executive Director John Perreault last week.

The Wisdom Lodge does a golf tournament every year to benefit local charities or schools, and is locally sponsored, but last year's tournament was special to them.

"Personally, this year, because my father passed away, we changed the name of the tournament to represent him, so it's now called the RW Lawrence D. Tonini Memorial Golf Tournament," said Christopher Tonini.

"And because my father loved the animals, we thought that we would change course this first year of the name change and do something he would love to have happened."

Tonini is the master of the Cincinnatus Lodge and the treasurer of Wisdom Lodge.

He said they are also looking at a surprise donation to be given to the Humane Society on top of the $2,500.

Joint member Nicholas Oleen said their lodges are always looking to benefit the community.

"We're a non-profit organization, and our teachings are basically about building character and helping out people in the community and charity."

They've donated to many other organizations in the past, including Soldier On and Food Bank of Western Mass.

Perreault was able to make the trip to receive the checks from the two lodges and give his thanks

"At the Berkshire Humane Society it’s more than just helping animals, it's helping people as well," he said. "And every time we help a companion, we're actually helping the owner as well. And part of our programming is really pet retention.

"So our goal is, rather than have animals coming into our shelter, is to keep it in their homes. So a lot of the funding that you're providing here tonight will go to help keep animals in their homes and not in shelter."

He said the money will go toward the shelter's pet food bank and wellness clinic. 

"I can tell you that many, many, many animals will be helped, which will make many, many people happy," he said. "And if you have pets at home, you know that they are part of your family, and they certainly help you out in good times and in the bad so we can't thank you enough for what you guys have done, so thank you."

The lodges have many events coming up and you can find out more information on their Facebook or Instagram.

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