ALLEGANY — As a kid growing up in Cuba, Dr. Caleb J. Holmes loved to play hockey and other sports in the area.
Years later, Holmes has returned to his origins in the Southern Tier to begin his dental practice at Valley View Dental at 3065 Buffalo Road.
A 2012 graduate of Cuba-Rushford High School, Holmes trained at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine — also the alma mater of Dr. J. Nicholas Porcello, founder of Valley View Dental, and fellow dental associate, Dr. David C. Lamb.
Other dentists with the Valley View Dental team are Dr. John F. Williams and Dr. Ayman Mansour. Holmes’ wife, Ashley, also has joined the team as a dental assistant.
“I’m so happy; I couldn’t be happier to be back,” Holmes said of his new position.
In commenting on his work schedule, Holmes said he has been very busy and has acquired a number of new patients.
“I’m already booked out for a couple of weeks, it happened pretty quick,” he commented.
Holmes said he and his wife recently purchased a house in Allegany and are “fixing it up and making it our own.
“I always liked Allegany growing up, and this area in general,” he added, noting his parents live in Cuba. In addition, his wife’s family, and his younger brother, all live in the Rochester area.
“My (parents) are very happy, it’s nice to finally be back,” he continued. “It was a long time, maybe eight or nine years” away from the area.
Holmes said he completed four years of undergraduate work at Daemen College in Amherst where he played men’s soccer.
“And then I went to dental school at UB for four years and then did a year of residency at Rochester general,” he shared. “It was a long road and I’m glad it’s finally over.”
Holmes said he was somewhat familiar with Valley View Dental as he completed his “shadowing” requirements for dentistry at the practice as well as at Dr. Willard Simon’s office in Cuba.
In addition, Dr. Kelly Burch, who works at Simon’s office, also assisted him in gaining entry to dental school. Porcello and Lamb also provided professional advice and materials to him when he attended dental school.
Holmes noted he is well-rounded in all areas of dentistry, therefore can provide care for the various needs of a patient.
Porcello confirmed this, adding, “He is a perfect fit for us as we pride ourselves on delivering high-quality dental care, while being flexible with patients and tailoring each patient’s treatment to their desires, expectations and budget.”
Porcello said Holmes’ training at UB also has provided him with a degree of similarity to the team’s approach to dentistry, planning treatment for patients and treatment techniques.
“In addition we have an abundance of technology such as CBCT (3D X-rays) and CEREC machines that make crowns in one day (and) he is proficient in their use,” Porcello said. “Having multiple dentists helps us keep our overhead down, which we pass on to our patients.”
In addition to his accolades for the new associate, Porcello said Holmes’ wife “has already proven to be an extremely caring, competent and motivated dental assistant bringing even more compassion to our team.”
For more information on Valley View Dental, call 372-8400.
