Mariliza always knew she wanted to go into medicine but also wanted to help people by using her hands and knowledge of the human body. This led her to dentistry where she could tap into her creativity and knowledge of biology and technology to create beautiful smiles for her patients. She was further motivated to start her own business because as the mother of 5 kids, she knew what she wanted in a dental practice.
The ideas she had were to create a practice,Smile More Dentistry that provided exceptional and comfortable care fo the entire family, run on time to avoid long wait times, have extended hours for working families, have payment options and be able to explain in simple terms the care that a patient requires. Sounds simple, right? Not so fast, Mariliza explains, “ I had a clear vision, but I had to figure out how to balance providing excellent clinical care with running a successful business. It was definitely a process with some stumbles along the way.”
Settling in the Northern Valley also helped Mariliza realize her vision. After living in Haworth for 4 years, she family moved to Old Tappan 23 years ago affording her a a quick commute which came in handy when the kids were younger, and she wanted to spend more time at home and focus on her kids. She also credits being able to hire other doctors to help with her scheduel with affording her the flexibility she needs.
Still she knows that achieving balance is tough and credits being organized and knowing that, “to everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-2. “We cannot do it all and we have to be content in knowing that we are doing our best and always becoming the best version of ourselves every day,” says Mariliza.
Mariliza loves the diversity of Northern Valley, the multitude of restaurants and many parks. She is a huge fan of the Palisades and proximity to New York City, but most of all she loves getting to know the people she treats and creating relationships with them.
Dr. LaCap is your Tappan Dentist and Bergenfield Dentist in the Northern Valley and Rockland area.