Dr. Andrew Monestero is an experienced and compassionate dentist that lives in Wildhorse Subdivision. He has been working for over 10 years at Premiers Dental Partners here in Chesterfield. Specifically, he is a periodontist, specializing in dental implants and gum surgery. Interestingly, Dr. Monestero’s journey to be a dentist wasn't a straight line. He went to Miami University (Ohio) for undergrad, where he was torn between a business or pre-med major. He ended up double majoring in Finance and Management Information Systems. After graduation, he worked with Pension Consulting for 3.5 years and while he was helping code and test systems that managed company benefits and pensions, he felt I could do more. 

After speaking to family friends who worked in the dental field and shadowing some dental practices, he found that the combination of clinical diagnosis and procedural nature of dentistry was where his passion truly lies. It was a long road, as a business major he had to go back and take undergraduate pre-dental coursework for over two years before applying to Dental School at the University of Illinois Chicago. While completing his four years of dental school and earning a DDS degree, he found himself drawn to dental surgery and implants and was accepted into a three-year residency in Periodontics and Implant dentistry at the University of Illinois Chicago. He also completed a Masters Degree in oral biology with a focus on wound healing. It was there that he truly found his love for the art and science of dentistry.  

Dr. Monestero thinks that the most rewarding thing as a dentist is seeing the smile on patient's faces when their teeth are fixed. He thinks the biggest challenge is dealing with dental complications. Some patients heal faster than others, and some may not heal as much as you hope. Always keep an open mind and not give up; determining the next best alternative to help those patients helps Dr. Monestero overcome less than ideal outcomes.

The principle that he has adopted is, "You have to be a continual lifelong learner and have a thirst for knowledge." After residency he earned his diplomate status of the American Board of Periodontics and Implant Dentistry and volunteers as a Board Member of the Greater Saint Louis Dental Society. Through continuing education and these organizations, he stays on top of current trends and technologies.

If you were to ever be a dentist, like Dr. Monestero, his advice is to be humble, persistent, work hard, and be confident. Push yourself and your limits and don’t be afraid to fail as some of your best lessons come from failure. Dr. Monestero says that caring for your teeth at home is most important, and all you need to do is brush for two minutes and floss! 

Beyond his professional life, Dr. Monestero is happily married to Dr. Andrea Monestero, and they have two kids, Dominic and Aiden, aged 6 and 4. They are thankful to be in this welcoming community, where they appreciate the stellar schools, excellent athletic clubs, kind neighbors, and the easy accessibility of Saint Louis. Dr. Monestero feels truly at home in this vibrant area and looks forward to many more years of living here.