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Office Visit: Welcome to Miami by Chelsea Knorr, Editor, Orthotown Magazine

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Categories: Restorative Dentistry;


by Chelsea Knorr, Editor, Orthotown Magazine

Ah, to have a successful orthodontic practice in a vibrant beach town with a small-town feel. That's Dr. Richard Mariani, Jr.'s life. Orthotown Magazine sits down with the active Townie to learn more about his relaxing, beachy practice in South Miami, Florida. Read on; and remember, envy is one of those sins in which they deem deadly.

What first drew you to orthodontics? What inspired your career decision?
Mariani: My father is a restorative general dentist and had a significant influence on my growing up and my involvement with dentistry. I have always enjoyed working with my hands and was enthusiastic about participating in some form of dentistry. As a result, I started working as a dental and orthodontic lab technician at age 12 and through college.

Tell me a little about your practice, how it is laid out? Describe a typical day.
Mariani: Our office is set up as nine semi-private operatories with left-hand delivery units. We have a separate records room and a separate new-patient exam room. A typical day begins at 8 a.m. with a one-hour block for adjustments followed by a two-hour block for banding. The morning ends with a one-hour block for adjustments from 11 a.m. to noon, prior to lunch. The afternoon begins with a one-and-a-half-hour block for debands followed by adjustments until 5 p.m. I do my own treatment plan presentations from 5:30 p.m. through 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, with Friday off.

OFFICE HIGHLIGHTS
Name: Richard C. Mariani, Jr.
Practice Name: Mariani Orthodontics
Graduate From: Georgetown University School of Dentistry 1983—Dept. of Orthodontics
Practice Location: outh Miami, Florida
Staff: 19
Web site: www.marianiorthodontics.com

Bonding Agents
  • 3M Unitek Transbond
  • Rocky Mountain Orthodontic (RMO) MonoLok self-cure

Brackets/Wires
  • Unitek Clarity brackets
  • RMO synergy brackets
  • Damon brackets and archwires
  • Ormco Attract brackets
  • Ortho­ Organizers archwires

Cements
  • Ketac cement

Class II Appliances
  • Carriere appliances
  • Herbst appliances

Class III Appliances
  • Rapid palatal expander with reversible headgear

Hygiene
  • Colgate brushes
  • GUM proxabrushes
  • Sulcular brushes
  • Glide floss

Patient Financing
  • In-house financing
  • CareCredit
  • Chase

Technology
  • iTero for Invisalign
  • Digital radiographs
  • Tops management software with Apple computers



Were you involved in the design of your office, which is not the typical dental office?
Mariani: Yes, my wife and I designed the office with a creative atmosphere that felt somewhat coastal and relaxing, with a very efficient layout based on our work flow.

What is Florida like as the setting?
Mariani: Miami, Florida, is very unique city because it is a Latin American/international hub with a tropical, but very current, global charisma. South Miami, on the other hand, is a nearby suburb, which enjoys a very local and almost small-town feel.

What is your practice philosophy?
Mariani: Our practice philosophy is one that focuses on the comfort and well-being of the patient. In addition, every patient is seen in a manner consistent with that of their restorative dentist.

Do you have partners or associates?
Mariani: Yes, I have one associate, Dr. Carmen Briceño. Dr. Briceño began working as an assistant at our office when she was an undergraduate student at the University of Miami and returned to our office seven years later to begin working as an associate orthodontist.

What do you do to set your practice apart from others?
Mariani: Once again, we place a huge emphasis on patient satisfaction and clinical results. Finishing cases on time, as well as wait time to schedule an appointment, are very important. I believe one thing that helps our scheduling efficiency is the way we perform our adjustments utilizing a four-handed technique. A patient treatment plan is obtained only after an initial exam appointment, which is followed by a complete full-records appointment, and finally an individual consultation by the doctor.




Life story—ready, set, go.
Mariani: I grew up in Miami as an only child. My father has been a general restorative dentist since 1962 with a private practice in South Miami. I went to a local parochial school followed by four years at the University of Miami for my undergraduate BS and BA degrees. In 1977 I was accepted and went to Emory University School of Dentistry and graduated with a DDS degree in 1981. Following that, I was accepted to Georgetown University School of Dentistry, Department of Orthodontics, where I received a Master's in Science degree in 1983. After graduation I moved back to Atlanta, Georgia, and worked as an associate for an orthodontic practice for approximately two years before moving back to Miami and beginning my own private practice in 1985. Upon returning to Miami, I met my wife and was married in 1993, and today we have a 17-year-old son, CJ, and a 16-year-old daughter, Vera. I began private practice in South Miami in a 700-square-foot space where I spent 10 years building a practice. In 1997 I purchased a 2,750-square-foot townhouse condominium in which I practiced for another 10 years, at which time I bought a piece of property approximately 100 yards from this location and built the existing office of today.

What are your concerns for the graduating orthodontist?
Mariani: My concerns for the graduating orthodontist are more related to economics in terms of how much debt one acquires upon graduating an orthodontic program, and how this will influence the way the young graduate practices; as well as the extent to which government may play a role in how we practice in the future. So many young graduates acquire so much debt after 11 years of school, they become more vulnerable to having to work for a corporate dental practice and sometimes never have the chance to establish themselves in a rewarding private practice.

What are your favorite marketing techniques and how do you get the word out about your practice?
Mariani: My favorite marketing techniques are more internal. I believe if you can establish yourself in somewhat of a different or unique, positive way, patients will then market your practice for you.

How did you learn about Orthotown?
Mariani: We discovered Orthotown through a subscription and enjoy reading the featured articles and other contents.

What has Orthotown done for your professional life and your social life? What is your favorite feature?
Mariani: Featured boards regarding difficult treatment cases and learning from and reading opinions from my colleagues has been a great benefit. Orthotown has given us some insight as to how other colleagues administer their office design and practice management philosophy. It also gives us an idea as to how others perceive the outlook of our profession in the future, which is very important.

What feature article would you recommend to a friend?
Mariani: "The 10 Most Important Practice Management Statistics Orthodontists Should Track," January 2014.

What is the greatest advancement or change you have seen in your tenure as an orthodontist?
Mariani: The greatest changes I have seen during my years of practice are related to the incorporation of the computer or digital technology in dentistry, from management software to digital imaging and what we are able to achieve clinically as a result.

What would you like to see orthodontics do in terms of the way it operates as a profession in the next ten years?
Mariani: I would like to see a continuation of technological advancements similar to the ones we have seen over the past 10 years. I would also like to see a strong ADA and AAO to support the structure and independence of our profession so that we may continue to deliver quality health care to our patients.

Who were some of your mentors?
Mariani: My mentors included Dr. Joseph Lundford, who was a local orthodontist who brought me into the profession as a 13-year-old and taught me how to bend wire and fabricate orthodontic appliances. He also shared his passion for clinical perfection. My other mentor through the years has been the one and only Dr. Frank Spear, for obvious reasons.

What is your favorite procedure?
Mariani: Delivering a Herbst appliance. This procedure is really about preparation before it is delivered. Each appliance is fabricated from a model after stainless steel crowns are individually fitted followed by an impression. I believe AOA makes the best Herbst appliance.

Describe the most successful experience in your professional life.
Mariani: The most successful experience in my professional life has been developing or designing and building the office we practice in today. This is a positive effect not only on our staff, but also the patients.

What do like to do for fun?
Mariani: I am somewhat simple when it comes to fun. After my long days at the office, I enjoy being home and having a simple barbeque with my family.

Tell me about your family.
Mariani: I have been married for 20 years to my wife, Kimber, whom I have known for 28 years. We have two children, CJ, 17, and Vera, 16. My father, Richard Mariani, Sr., continues to practice dentistry part-time, and my mother, Marlene, is an old-fashioned Italian stay-at-home cook and housewife.

DR. MARIANI'S TOP 4 PRODUCTS
Herbst Appliance
I started using it in 1998 to correct Class II occlusions and skeletal patterns without the need for compliance. We deliver approximately four to five of these appliances per week in Class II skeletal and occlusal patterns. I show the Class II pattern on a lateral cephalogram and inform the parents that this is the best chance of improving the profile and Class II occlusion. The Herbst Appliance has improved over the years with the telescoping arms, and now it is more comfortable and less visible. 		Carriere Distalizer
I started using it five years ago, and I am somewhat dependent upon it especially for Invisalign Class II cases where I can correct the Class II occlusion in approximately three to four months before initiating the Invisalign treatment. I inform the Invisalign patients that this appliance is virtually non-visible and a more predictable way of correcting the Class II bite. I would like to see the makers of the Carriere appliance release a reliable, clear version of the appliance in the future. 		iTero
I started using the iTero for Invisalign approximately two-and-a -half years ago and cannot ever imagine using impression material again for fabricating these appliances. We use the iTero for every Invisalign case and inform our patients of its accuracy, ease of use, and that it is a better fitting, less visible appliance. I'm waiting for a smaller wand for the iTero in the future. 		Attract Brackets
I started using these braces in 1984. We love this brace due to its small size, comfort, and ease of maintaining good oral hygiene. We use it whenever a patient choses the bracket. I market this bracket especially for young patients involved in contact sports as this brace has a smoother shape and form. I would not change anything about this brace.
Orthotown Magazine
October 2025
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