AOH Team
Peter A. Tzendzalian, DDS
Training
Dr. Peter A. Tzendzalian, DDS is a graduate of the University of North Carolina, School of Dentistry Class of 2000. Upon completing his doctorate, Dr. Tzendzalian entered a 2-year post-doctoral residency in Oral Medicine* at UNC Hospitals. During this residency period, Dr. Tzendzalian perfected his skills in every aspect of General Dentistry including sedation, operating room dentistry, special needs children and adults, elderly, veterans, and those with complex medical histories. Dr. Tzendzalian then worked with a dentist in Selma, NC for a year before opening his practice in Woodcroft Shopping Center in June 2004.
Dentistry
Dr. Tzendzalian's dual passions for dentistry and excellence have translated into a state-of-the-art dental office where he creates and maintains Durham's most confident and beautiful smiles! He is committed to making your dental experience comfortable and satisfying as well as educational, taking as much time as necessary to answer all your questions. Dr. Tzendzalian can provide treatment for people of all ages and all types of general dental needs. However, he understands that each patient is unique and if a referral is required, he uses only specialists that are in the top of their field.
Community Service
Dr. Tzendzalian not only cares for and educates the people of Durham and North Carolina, but has committed to serve The Lord on dental mission trips around the world. He has performed dentistry in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Armenia, and Haiti as well as presented dental lectures to dentists in The Peoples Republic of China. He also volunteers on the NC Baptist Men's Dental Bus which travels to local health fairs and NC's underserved areas. Dr. Tzendzalian serves as a deacon at First Baptist Church in Durham, NC and is an active leader in the local UNC-Duke Chapter of the Christian Medical and Dental Association.
Interesting Facts/Hobbies
Prior to his doctorate in dentistry, Dr. Tzendzalian performed research and has been published on brain and spinal cord injury and kidney physiology. He received his Bachelor of Science in Philosophy and Bachelor of Arts in Physiology from the University of California, Davis. He also spent 2½ years studying Epidemiology at SUNY Buffalo.
Many people ask "what is your ethnicity?". Dr. Tzendzalian is Armenian and his name literally means "exhuberant joy"! English is his fourth language, Armenian and French are among his repertoire. He loves reading Dostoevsky, cycling, and Golden Retrievers. Ask him about his 200-mile bike rides!
*Oral Medicine - a specialty area of dentistry based upon a sound understanding of pathophysiology of oral disease and medical-dental relationships.
Kristin Tzendzalian,
Practice Administrator
Kristin is a graduate of the School of Pharmacy at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill where she received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree. She, then, pursued pharmacy residency training at the Durham VA in geriatric pharmacy. After her one-year residency, Kristin moved out of the Triangle and back to the beach only this time to Jacksonville, Florida (she grew up on the NC coast). She worked as an ambulatory pharmacist at SHANDS Jacksonville for a year and a half before getting married to Dr. Peter Tzendzalian. Before having their first child, she worked with Senior PharmAssist, a non-profit pharmacy organization which helps seniors in Durham County afford their prescription medications. Since, she has enjoyed helping run the office and raise their beautiful daughter, Trinity.
Julie Ferguson,
Dental Assistant II
Julie has worked with Dr. Tzendzalian for over 5 years, initially as the scheduling coordinator and currently as a clinical dental assistant. She is ready to make you comfortable and explain any dental procedure. Julie is a graduate of the University of North Carolina of Chapel Hill. She was a nanny before joining the Aesthetic Oral Health team. She is an active member of First Baptist Church (FBC) in Durham. She enjoys playing the flute in the FBC Orchestra, playing handbells, and singing. She has started learning the penny whistle and other hobbies include watching movies, reading and travelling to new places. Julie's latest mission trip was to Belgium with the Global Missions Project where she worked in a refugee center, had a great time and made many new friends.
Virgina "Ginny" Johnson,
Dental Assistant II
Ginny has worked with Dr. Tzendzalian as a clinical dental assistant since July 2009. She enjoys the unique office environment where she can listen to gospel music while she works alongside Dr. Tzendzalian. She also shares his practice philosophy for providing excellent service and high quality dentistry to our patients because of an ultimate accountability to our creator, Jesus Christ. She is part of a big family and loves children and dentistry. She is thankful to be working in a great Christian environment and doing what she loves everyday!
Milton Ordonez,
Dental Assistant I
Milton has worked with Dr. Tzendzalian since April 2008. Milton is a native of Guatemala and is bilingual, he speaks English and Spanish fluently. He assists Dr. Tzendzalian with clinical dental procedures and is a great team player. He stands ready to make your dental experience a comfortable and enjoyable one.
Maria Raleigh, RDH
Dental Hygienist