Dentistry is going digital with apparent benefits for patient and dentist.

Those innovations were on display when Sherry Dental PC held a grand opening at a 2,700-sq.-ft. dental complex in the heart of Tamaqua.Located at 41 West Broad St., the facilities are a showpiece of adaptive reuse, occupying what was, at one time, the eastern half of the J.J. Newberry store, a popular five-and-dime of the 1950s and 60s.The former retail space has given way to an ultra-modern, state-of-the-art dental practice utilizing digital approaches to traditional tools of the trade, including low-dose radiation x-rays and upgraded patient education.Dentists at that location are Ronald Sherry, DDS, and his son, Dr. Kile Sherry, DMD.Ronald, a graduate of Bucknell and Temple universities, grew up on Dutch Hill, Tamaqua."I've wanted to come back to Tamaqua for 10 or 15 years," said Ronald, whose father was Charles "Fireball" Sherry, a 1950 All-Star pitcher in the Tri-County Baseball League.Ronald lives in Lehighton where he's practiced for the past 31 years. He also operates Dental Sherry at 757 Fredericks Grove Road.Kile, a resident of Hometown, is a former pro tennis player who entered dental school after completing education at the University of South Florida and the University of Florida.In Tamaqua, Kile will staff the office four days a week and Ronald, one day a week.Others working the Tamaqua facility include dental assistant Sara Genther and hygienist Nora Tappan, both of Lehighton, and office manager Tatiana Sherry, Hometown.Also lending a hand is Ronald's daughter, Sasha Sherry, a Princeton grad and former All-American ice hockey star. Sasha is entering dental school and will assist with duties such as front desk, X-rays and insurance.Sherry Dental prides itself in an advanced approach to dental care."We're all digital," said Ronald, explaining, for example, that the digital Orthrophos XG panoramic x-ray machine dramatically reduces medical radiation exposure.Similarly, the practice's CAESY Education System puts the patient at the center of the dental visit. CAESY is the most comprehensive patient education program in dentistry, featuring a suite of DVD programs viewed by the patient on a wide-screen.It's designed to help relieve anxiety, and to educate and assist in answering patients' questions, according to the staff at Sherry Dental."We have a lot of experience with kids," said Ronald. "We developed a technology they can handle."In fact, the entire Sherry Dental operation is geared toward patient care and ease of access. For example, the Tamaqua and Lehighton locations accept walk-ins and emergencies. The practice is child-friendly and is open evenings, and Sherry Dental will work with all insurances.The practice's slogan is "Smile makeover is our business."The full-service dental practice includes extractions, immediate dentures, cosmetic dentistry, crowns, bridges, veneers, tooth-colored fillings, root canal treatment, TMJ treatment and the availability of nitrous oxide sedation."I couldn't be happier with how the people have been," said Ronald of the arrival in Tamaqua.The facility started operations July 10.More information is available at 570-668-6200.