Meet Our Team

Dr. Krupa purchased Friendly Smiles in September of 2020 with her husband, Dr. Dheeren. She wanted a space where she could treat her patients the way they should always be treated: with the time, care, and the quality that she would expect from any health care provider for herself or for her loved ones. She enjoys the autonomy that practice ownership brings and being able to invest in quality materials and the latest technology to maintain the highest standard of care, which is a large part of the philosophy that drives the treatments for our patients.

Dr. Krupa earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia, where she majored in biology and minored in studio art. She later went on to graduate with her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the dental school at the University of Maryland. Dr. Krupa strives to take continuing education courses in the latest dental treatments and technologies in order to provide patients personalized treatment and the highest quality dental care.

She believes transparency is a key element to both a fruitful practice and a successful patient-doctor relationship. This facilitates a strong commitment to educating her patients about why certain dental treatments are necessary for good oral health and being clear about treatment options and alternatives. This goal is implemented in all aspects of the practice and at every level of interaction with our team as we strive to make patients comfortable and educated with the care they receive at our practice. Dr. Krupa prides herself in being able to provide quality care with a personal touch for all of her patients and enjoys creating an atmosphere that can hopefully make coming to the dental office a little less daunting. She enjoys being able to build a family-like atmosphere with not only our patients, but our staff, who all contribute greatly in their own ways.

Dr. Krupa grew up in Virginia Beach, VA, and moved around for school until making Philadelphia her home after meeting her husband. They enjoy spending time together, with the addition of their fur-baby, Luna. They have extended family that they are very close to and enjoy spending as much time with them as they can!

Outside of the office, Dr. Krupa loves traveling as often as possible, exploring the different food and art scenes in Philadelphia, and spending time with family and friends. She enjoys painting, being outdoors and leisure reading.

Dr. Dheeren is thrilled to be a part of Friendly Smiles! He and his wife, Dr. Krupa, are committed to creating a dental office that they are proud of — one that reflects their core values of education, transparency, and high-quality dental care. Dr. Dheeren is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, where he received his degree in 2017. As an undergraduate of the same university, he majored in biology, and he continues to further his education as often as possible. He has taken extensive courses in implant dentistry and other surgical procedures to allow for predictable outcomes with treatments such as All-on-4® implants or other implant procedures.

Dr. Dheeren strongly believes in high quality dentistry for our patients and knows that the biggest investment he can make for the future of our practice is in continuing his education so he can ensure that our patients are receiving the best quality and up-to-date treatment. He also believes in investing in the latest technology to keep up with the modernizing world, especially when this technology improves our patient’s education and treatment outcomes.

Dr. Dheeren grew up in Pottstown, just outside of Philly, and attended The Hill School. Dr. Dheeren and Dr. Krupa are newlyweds, and together they live in Philadelphia with their new pup, Luna (see her photo below!)

When not at the practice, Dr. Dheeren enjoys being outdoors, exploring Philadelphia’s trails on bike, experiencing new restaurants and traveling in a pre-2020 world.

Lori has been part of our practice since 2001, where she served under our former owner. She graduated in 1983 from the Delaware Technical and Community College Dental Assisting Program and worked for three years before pursuing a career in dental hygiene. She then graduated from the same college in 1989. In 2010, she received her certification from Camden County Community College Dental Hygiene School to administer local anesthesia for dental treatments.

Lori has worked in the same location for several years and has gotten to know our patients very well. She considers many of them like family and has enjoyed watching countless child patients grow up, get married and now bring their own children to the office. She believes that we have a strong team that all work hard to make everyone feel comfortable receiving dental care. Her goal is to provide the highest quality care for our patients, in a kind and gentle manner.

Lori and her husband have been married for over 20 years and have two daughters and a rescue dog. Right before the pandemic hit she learned how to knit, which has kept her busy during the colder months. She has enjoyed making things with her hands and giving them as gifts to friends and family. When the weather permits, Lori loves working outside, gardening and taking long walks.

Erin joined our practice in December of 2005. She graduated from Camden County College in 2003 with an associate degree in applied science and a license in dental hygiene. She later graduated from Rowan University in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in biology.

She thinks that best part about our practice is that we feel like a family. Erin believes our practice is successful because we listen to our patients and we listen to each other. We help one another and always strive to do our best for our patients.

Erin has been married to her wonderful husband, Patirick, for over 12 years. They have three beautiful and energetic kids and recently added a puppy, River, into their family. They are a family on the go, and through Erin enjoys jogging, most of her exercise comes from coaching all her kids on the soccer field. They love swimming and she will hop in the pool with her children any chance she gets. In the spring their family gearing up for Bike for MS. Erin enjoys any free time she can get with her family!

Brianna joined our practice in January of 2022. She graduated in 2014 from Brick Township High School in Brick, New Jersey. She also attended Toms River Vocational Technical School for dental assisting for two years. After graduating, Brianna attended a dental radiology course. Her favorite part of this practice is how is it very family orientated. Everyone is very friendly, and the office always feels warm.

Brianna is getting married to her fiancé, Kyle in August 2023. They have a fur baby, Fido, they rescued from Voorhees Animal Orphanage in 2019. Outside of the office, Brianna enjoys volunteering with local dog recuses in the area, going to the beach, being outside in nature and spending time with family and friends.

Michelle graduated from Rowan in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish, along with a minor in education and a concentration in international studies. She lived in Mexico to study, and she has traveled through Spain.

Prior to joining our team, Michelle worked in medical administration for approximately 2 1/2 years. She is excited to be working for a family practice, and the patients and team members have put a smile on her face every day since she started.

Michelle has been married to her husband, Zack, since 2020, and they adopted a Chihuahua named Autumn shortly after their marriage. She loves her little family. In her spare time, Michelle loves to cook. She sells cooking products and does live cooking shows, and experimenting and creating recipes is her favorite thing to do. Michelle also loves music. She plays guitar and drums and previously coached a high school drumline. In addition to being passionate about music and cooking, Michelle loves learning about other cultures and languages.

Lucas became a part of our practice in October of 2020. He studied physics as an undergraduate at SUNY Oneonta, where he also participated in many art classes and minored in jazz. Lucas enjoys the opportunity to connect with each patient and the versatility of his position (front desk, tech support, greeting/seating patients, checking insurance and other financial details so each patient has transparency with finances), which allows him to work in different fronts to ensure each patient has a great experience while at our practice. He contributes to our success by helping the office work in a cohesive manner, and his energetic attitude and upbeat energy help lighten the mood for a positive atmosphere.

Lucas grew up in upstate New York near the Catskails and used to work in an emergency room. He would love to eventually go to nursing school to be an emergency room nurse, even though Dr. Krupa will never let him leave our practice!

When not at the office, Lucas loves art and expressing himself through creative means. He has a side business where he makes and sells art, including acrylic on canvas and digital design.

Our lovely little Luna is a Bernedoodle (Bernese Mountain Dog/Poodle), which makes her hypoallergenic. She is our new office dog and will be trained to be a service dog catering to patient’s with dental anxiety. We are excited to have her as part of our team!