Terra Ziolkowski is a senior dental assistant based in Miami, Florida, who has built her career on discipline, detail, and preventive care. She grew up in Pembroke Pines in a bilingual household and developed an early interest in healthcare through school health fairs and community service. In high school, she focused on health sciences and completed a senior project on preventive oral hygiene and childhood health outcomes.
She earned an Associate of Science in Dental Assisting from Broward College, graduating with honors. From the start, she treated dental assisting as both a clinical and operational role. In her first position, she improved instrument turnover efficiency by 20 percent, helping the practice run smoother and serve more patients without added stress.
Over the years, she expanded her skills through certifications in radiography, expanded functions dental assisting, infection control, and compliance. She has worked on complex cases including implants and full-mouth restorations and now serves as a senior dental assistant at Brickell Advanced Dental Care. She oversees inventory, sterilization audits, and new hire training.
Outside the office, Terra invests in community outreach. She volunteers at free dental clinics, leads school workshops, and organized a charity 5K to support community dental care. Her long-term goal is to open a community-focused dental wellness clinic centered on prevention and education. For Terra, success is built through steady habits and consistent follow-through.
Q&A with Terra Ziolkowski on Success
When you think about success, what does it mean to you?
Success, for me, is consistency. It is not a big moment. It is doing the same small things well, every day, even when no one is watching.
In dental assisting, that means setting up trays the same way every time. It means double-checking sterilization logs. It means making sure a nervous patient feels seen before a procedure starts.
If the systems are strong, the results follow.
You improved instrument turnover efficiency by 20 percent early in your career. What did that teach you about growth?
That experience showed me that small operational changes can create real impact. I was working at Coral Springs Family Dentistry, and we were losing time between procedures. I studied the flow. I reorganized how instruments were processed and reset.
It was not glamorous. But it reduced delays and helped the whole team. That taught me that success often lives in the back end. The parts people do not notice are usually where the biggest improvements are made.
How did you transition from basic assisting to working on implants and full-mouth restorations?
I invested in certifications. I completed my Expanded Functions Dental Assistant training and advanced radiography courses. I stayed current with infection control and compliance.
When I joined Bayside Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry, I was ready for more complex cases. Those procedures require patience and preparation. You cannot rush them. I learned that calm energy matters as much as technical skill.
You mentor junior assistants now. What advice do you give them about building a strong career?
I tell them to treat this like a business role, not just a clinical one. Learn inventory. Learn compliance. Understand scheduling.
At Brickell Advanced Dental Care, I oversee sterilization audits and inventory management. Those tasks build leadership skills. If you understand operations, you become indispensable.
How has community work shaped your definition of success?
Volunteering with Remote Area Medical and Mission of Mercy changed me. You see patients who have waited years for care. You understand how access affects health.
I also lead workshops at public elementary schools in Miami-Dade. Teaching kids how to brush properly sounds simple, but it can change long-term outcomes.
Success is not just income or title. It is influence. It is helping someone avoid a problem before it starts.
What habits outside of work have helped you succeed?
Running has been huge for me. I completed the Miami Half Marathon in 2020 and 2022. Training taught me discipline. You cannot cram miles the night before a race.
Yoga helped me manage stress. I completed a 200-hour teacher training for personal growth. It improved my focus and patience, which I use every day with anxious patients.
I also practice digital detox Sundays. That reset helps me start the week with clarity.
What is your long-term vision?
I want to earn certification in Dental Practice Management and eventually open a community-focused dental wellness clinic. I see a space that blends clinical care with preventive education, especially for bilingual families in South Florida.
If I look back one day and see that I built systems that made preventive care easier and more accessible, that will be success to me.