ANISSA RODRIGUEZ OTTLEY

A beautiful smile is the best fashion accessory

By Magi Thomley Williams

Photos by Kate Treick Photography

Anissa Ottley, a general/family dentist and owner of Avalon Dental, loves developing longterm relationships with her patients.

“The best part of my job is watching my patients grow up and return with their kids,” Ottley said. “I have many multigenerational families in my practice, and it is just the best. We offer general dentistry, crowns completed in one day and for funsies Botox and filler to lips and lower face. Our motto is ‘A Healthy Smile Changes Everything’ and it really does. When your mouth is healthy you feel good and have a beautiful smile and there is no simpler, truer form of communication than a sincere smile.”

Ottley believes that her business success wouldn’t be possible without the support of her team.

“The ladies I work with are incredible and most of them have been with me for over a decade. We have grown up together and really done life alongside one another. It feels great to work with women that you admire and really know, and that have your back.”

Her hygienist, Hailey Nevels, even did Ottley’s makeup for the Bella personal style fashion shoot.

While Ottley wears a conservative suit or scrubs for her workdays, she says that loving fashion and style runs in her family.

“I still remember great outfits and shoes my grandmother wore when I was little.”

As a first-generation American girl, the quinceañera years were especially important for Ottley and her family. Latinas are celebrated on their 15th birthday with a quinceañera or coming of age party which she compares to an American wedding reception.

“There were ’lots and ’lots of formal parties,” she explained. “It was very common for my sister and I to imagine a dress, pick out a fabric at the fabric store downtown, then have our seamstress, Magaly, make us a dress.”

Ottley also has fond memories of shopping with her mom and sister.

“The shopping gene runs strong in my family as well. My mom instilled a love of shopping very young in me and she loved to take me and my little sister to the mall on Thursdays after school. My mom, sister, two daughters and two Goddaughters have no problem making a day of it when I visit them in Miami. My sister and I have very similar tastes and it is not uncommon for us to have the same item in our closets that we did not purchase together.”

When asked to define her personal style, Ottley replied that she likes to find special items online and locally.

“I tend to like clothes with special details, beautiful fabrics. I love to shop online for brands like WHBM, Banana Republic, Anthropologie and Athleta, and I enjoy shopping locally at boutiques like Bluetique and Scout.”

About Anissa Ottley

Ottley graduated from the University of Florida College of Dentistry in 1999, one year after her husband started practicing dentistry in Milton, where he was born and raised. Ottley moved to Pace and started a family in 2000 while working for Dr. Nathan Williams and she bought the practice in 2005.

Ottley and her husband, Jeff, have three adult children: Alessandra, 23, is in her first year of medical school at Nova Southeastern; Christian, 21, is majoring in microbiology at the University of Florida and he also wants to be a dentist; Gabrielle,19, is at Auburn majoring in psychology with a minor in counseling. With the extra time that comes with being a happy empty nester, Ottley has an opportunity to do more to give back to the community. She is an active member at St Paul Catholic Church. She has been a member of IMPACT100 for 12 years and is serving her second year on the board. She has also participated in many dental volunteer services with Give Kids a Smile, Florida Baptist Dental Bus, Mission of Mercy and will be seeing patients at the Health and Hope Clinic this year.

Hair & Makeup