best of swfl dr verwest

Easy-To-Make Desserts (Tooth-Friendly Edition)

Can’t seem to stay away from the sweets? Obviously, sugar isn’t that great for you and eating too much of it can lead to tooth decay. But it makes everything taste so good! *Sigh* If you enjoy a nice dessert after dinner, try one of these five favorite low-sugar recipes.

Grilled Stone Fruit

Pick your favorite stone fruit (any fruit that has a large “stone,” or seed inside). Peaches, apricots, plums, and nectarines all work great. Grilling these fruits bring out the juicy flavors so there is no need to add any sugar. Serve with Greek yogurt and berries.

Dark Chocolate Dipped Fruit

Dark chocolate is a great substitute for milk chocolate, which contains more sugar. Melt your chocolate by heating and stirring in short intervals in the microwave or by stove top. Pick your favorite fruit and dip it in the melted dark chocolate for the perfect treat. Yum!

Date Shake Popsicle

You only need four ingredients: 2 cups of low-fat plain Greek yogurt, 12 chopped, pitted dates, ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and ¾ cup of low-fat milk. Mix them together to make this dessert sweet without any added sugar. Use a blender to mix ingredients and an ice tray with popsicle sticks to freeze. Mix it up with some of your favorite fruits instead of dates.

Tropical Parfait

Plain, low-fat yogurt goes great with any tropical fruit. We love to add kiwi, pineapple, and mangos to ours, but it really doesn’t matter which ones you choose. We guarantee it will be delicious. Layer fruits and yogurt, and top it off with almonds or coconut. Mmmm.

Banana Ice Cream

All you need is one ingredient – 2 ripe frozen bananas. That’s it! Blend bananas in a food processor and serve. You can add coconut milk for a creamier texture if you like. For a firmer ice cream, put it in a airtight container and freeze to your liking. Don’t hesitate to add other, fruits, nuts, and honey for extra enjoyment!

Crystal Harrington Employee Spotlight!

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Crystal Harrington continues to learn many valuable career skills in arguably the busiest pediatric dentist practice in Fort Myers. As most senior in her position, Crystal quickly found herself in a leadership role for the ever-growing team of five detail oriented front office staffers. She credits Pediatric Dentistry of Fort Myers for allowing her the opportunity to develop leadership, customer service, and billing expertise.

Look no further than Orlando Business Journal’s 2016 Rising 50’s: Anna Bond, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Rifle Paper Co., someone Ms. Harrington admires as a model of success. The stationary and gift brand is represented in over 4,000 stores around the world.

Crystal owns an Etsy shop where she sells her own original acrylic paintings.  She always had a taste for the arts employed at an art studio before joining the practice. She would have loved to see the completion of the Taj Mahal especially with her boyfriend Brian.

The biggest enjoyment of her day comes when a parent provides positive remarks regarding their child’s experience while at the practice. Within the last three years Dr. Verwest and the staff of Pediatric Dentistry of Fort Myers has received over 1,200 reviews of 4.8 or higher on websites such as, Healthgrades, Google and Facebook.

“Kindness goes a long way,” Crystal says in regards to the quality of patient care and responsibility of each family as if it was their own.

Next time your visiting this pediatric dentist practice ask Crystal about her day, perhaps even the Etsy shop, or her dream of someday riding a dirt bike.

Pediatric Dentistry of Ft. Myers voted “Best of Southwest Florida”

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Pediatric Dentistry of Ft. Myers, Dr. Tim M. Verwest, DMD has been voted best pediatric dentist of Southwest Florida 2015 by the Ft. Myers News-Press readers. The News-Press 25th annual best of Southwest Florida awards recognizes the top businesses in the community selected by their readers. Earlier this year Dr. Verwest was named for inclusion in the Consumer Research Council of America 2015 Guide to America’s Top Dentists.

Best of SWFL Dr Tim Verwest

His professional affiliations include The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American and Florida Dental Associations and West Coast Dental Association, the Florida Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, and the Lee County Dental Association.  He is often a guest lecturer for various organizations and has taught classes at Florida Southwestern State College.

Dr. Verwest is a board certified Diplomat of the National Board of Pediatric Dentistry with professional interests in the areas of pediatric pharmacology, biomaterials, and pediatric anesthesia.  He believes in lifelong learning and continues his education by taking courses in pediatric sedation, pediatric oncology, sealants, prosthetics, pediatric cosmetic dentistry, pediatric materials, childhood growth and development, and more.

Pediatric Dentistry of Ft Myers, Dr. Tim Verwest, DMD, continues to provide pediatric dental care to children for the last 25 years. Areas of service include comprehensive dental exams, cleanings, composite fillings, dental hygiene education, extractions, fluoride treatments, sealants, sedation dentistry, space maintainers, x-rays and tooth nerve treatment. For more information, visit www.DrVerwest.com or (239) 482-2722.