Gokulan Thiagarajah brings over two and a half decades of business management experience to Dental Support Group. With his entrepreneurial spirit, Mr. Thiagarajah has made dental management a career specialty.

As Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Thiagarajah has created a vision through hands-on experience that helps him to continuously keep Dental Support Group up to par with the ever-changing technological advancements. Recognized industry-wide as one consistently at least one decade ahead of the times, Mr. Thiagarajah built New England Dental Group to the premier dental care provider in the Northeast, bringing to the practice next-level excellence in terms of care, systems, and processes. Now he offers this valuable experience to our client practices.

A respected practitioner for over 25 years, Margarita Panajoti earned her Doctorate of Dental Medicine from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. Her memberships include the American Dental Association, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, and the CEREC Study Club. As Chief Dental Director of Dental Support Group, Dr. Panajoti imbues her philosophy to the professionals of our client practices. As she explains:

“It’s our job to help each patient make the right decisions by educating them and carefully explaining all their options…including the pros and cons of each.” At the same time, she adds: “Self-education must be a continual activity. It is vital to keep up with the ever-improving technological innovations and treatment methodologies.”

Among her many “make a difference” commitments is her active support of the NGO Médecins Sans Frontières (also known as Doctors Without Borders).

A professional in the field since 2002, Mike Anastasi joined us in 2022. After finishing Saint John’s Prep in Danvers, MA, he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Communication from Waltham’s Bentley University.

“I love the people and the culture here,” he says. It’s a great group that feels like an extended family…and family that most definitely includes our patients.”

Mike’s main role is expanding the orthodontic business segment across all of Dental Support Group’s current and future locations. A major motivation for him is patient satisfaction. “I enjoy seeing how a beautiful smile can — and does — transform a patient’s life.”

He, like his co-workers and our patients, appreciate the latest dental and orthodontic technology we use to provide the best treatment possible.

In addition to spending time with his family and friends, and golfing, Mike is active in his family’s foundation: Spectrum for Hope/Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation, which helps families affected by autism.

Veena Reddy brings over two decades of financial management experience to the company, helping our client practices manage financials, budgets, payroll, and human resources.

Cheryl Demelo ought to know how great our team members are …she’s the one who’s in charge of keeping them happy!

After more than thirty years in the long-term care field, Cheryl joined us in 2022.

Among her many tasks are employee recruitment, performance appraisal, and reward management. “My main focus is to make our practice successful through our people,” she says. “I enjoy the people I work with very much!”

In addition to her admiration for our team members, Cheryl appreciates — and believes our patients do, too — our clean and beautiful offices and convenient locations.

When not working, Cheryl enjoys spending time with friends and family. And here’s a fun fact: she’s a Justice of the Peace and loves officiating at weddings in her free time.

Alicia LaClair uses her experience as a trained and certified dental assistant to help our client practices seamlessly integrate the necessary doctor and clinical team support by helping both new and existing assistants learn the correct processes of, in part: doctor and clinical team support in deploying new technologies such as 3D printing, “behind the scenes” clinical team support, clinical team education on the newest technologies & techniques and correcting (if necessary) any technical issues with dental equipment and communicating with all clinical team members to keep protocols consistent.

After studying business administration at High Point University, Emily joined us in 2022.

Emily’s busy day includes providing administrative and operational assistance to the management team. She communicates with each office on a regular basis, keeping protocols consistent, while implementing new business systems and fielding questions from various sources practice-wide.

“It’s my job — and my pleasure — to communicate to the public this vital message: that our extremely qualified staff will make sure that each patient’s needs are not only satisfied, but done so with care and the utmost respect,” she says.

During her non-working time, Emily enjoys reading, watching movies, trying new restaurants, and spending time with family and friends.

Treatment Coordinator Kathleen Gurney brings over 30 years of experience in the dental field to our practice. Kathleen graduated from Becker College with a Bachelor of Science. She attended Dental Assistant School at Springfield Tech. She is certified in CPR and OSHA.

Nahara Collazo joined us in 2018 after training at the Porter and Chester Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts.

“I care about my patients and like letting them know it. We treat them like family here,” she says. “I want our patients to relax in their chairs, knowing they are in good hands. And they do!”

Nahara’s daily activities include welcoming patients into the operatory, preparing them for their procedures, assisting the doctors, and maintaining sterilization.

About Dental Support Group, she says: “The environment here is amazing…I love being a part of the warm and caring interaction between the staff and our patients. It’s a delight to help people change their opinions about visiting the dentist!”

When not working, Nahara enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

Tricia Demac boasts over twenty-five years in the field and joined us in 2010 as a Dental Hygienist. Her certifications include: local anesthesia, Advanced Non-Surgical Periodontal Therapy, and Zoom!^® teeth whitening.

“It’s my job — and my pleasure! — to listen to my patients, understand their needs and desires, educate them, and provide them with the best dental care possible,” she says.

About the practice, she continues: “The team at Dental Support Group is not only top-notch in education, skills and technology…we are warm, caring people with a simple goal: to make our patients happy and healthy!

Tricia currently resides in Shrewsbury with her two daughters and enjoys home remodeling projects, traveling, reading and exercising in her spare time.

Top insurance specialist Elizandra Diaz helps our client practices navigate the sometimes challenging waters inherent in the field, making sure the practices receive compensation while simultaneously achieving the optimal coverage for patients.

Having worked in the insurance industry in various capacities since 2012, Kerry Durkin is well-versed in the “tricks of the trade”…and uses her knowledge to help our patients get the most out of their coverage. A graduate of Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York, she joined our practice in 2021. “The best thing about working here? My colleagues share a common philosophy: that quality will always supersede quantity,” she says.

Kerry devotes her time to communicating with dental insurance companies, posting payments, adjusting accounts, running reports, and reworking insurance claims to push for proper coverage for our patients.

“The state of the art facilities here are amazing,” she says. “We offer the latest and best in technology.”

After office hours, you’re likely to find Kerry involved in outdoor activities, like running, biking, hiking, and skiing.