Dr. Carlos J. Huerta describes his “14-pound mutt” Luna with affection.

“I took one look at her and she was mine. We fell in love with each other.”

The @TheIncisalEdge #40Under40 honoree said his patients at The Dental Boutique NYC, in Manhattan, jumped on the bandwagon from the moment he introduced Luna at the practice in December, 2014.

“It was kind of a novelty at first. I brought her in because with all her abandonment, I didn’t want her, after being rescued, to be abandoned again.”

As a rescue dog, she arrived with her name – Luna, which is derived from the Latin word for moon; Luna was the Roman mythological goddess of the moon.

Judging by Dr. Huerta’s patients’ reaction, that description fits her accurately.

“One nervous patient walked in the door and she said ‘I was about to walk out. I’ve walked out of four dental offices this year and I heard the little paws and I stayed.’ So, from that moment on it’s just one of those things,” said the Manhattan dentist.

“I brought her in from time to time, and more and more people would actually start calling and saying ‘We heard you have this really sweet dog and she sits in your lap.'”

Dr. Carlos J. Huerta received his DMD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in Philadelphia in 2004 and completed a post-graduate advanced residency in general dentistry at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia in 2005, advancing his skills in restorative and cosmetic dentistry, as well as in surgical procedures and endodontics.

Luna’s presence aligns with the doctor’s vision for his boutique practice: “I wanted it to be small and just have a really intimate environment for all of my patients. The design of my office is based on having it feel comfortable, relaxed. (Luna offers) a level of comfort management we have in addition to everything else.”

He gives a nod to the amenities at The Dental Boutique, 151 West 30th Street
Suite 602, NYC. including an iPad bar, brush bar, refreshment center, concierge check-in and comfort-focused treatment rooms.

Dr. Huerta jokes that Luna started a year after he did. “I opened in 2013 of November and she came along in December the following year.”

The two share a certain synergy.

“People love to have her around. She loves to play, she’s a little clown, but when it’s time to work she sits in people’s laps and she gets petted.”

With a background and continued hobby in the arts, Dr. Huerta’s talent adds to his creative approaches to cosmetic dental treatment. His ingenuity in using light and shadow and other nuances create the illusion of ideal aesthetics with minimal alteration to healthy tooth structure.

Learn more, or visit Dr. Huerta and Luna in person: https://www.dentalboutiquenyc.com/#discover