Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ariel McConnell. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Ariel, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Coming up with the idea for Single Fin Dental and the in-home anesthesia-free dental cleanings was a bit easier than most people would think. My background is as a veterinary technician for the last 13 years so seeing the behavior and potential boundaries patients may face with having the dental cleanings done in the hospital, I see that dogs and cats have a strong possibility to benefit from in-home services instead of creating more stress. Our babies for the most part are more comfortable in their own homes. With the added foreign smells and tools that I bring into the home, it’s much easier for them to accept that than to reintroduce the place where they have all their vaccinations, surgeries, and other treatments done. This dental cleaning is very simple and straightforward. There is just the unfortunate factor of the patient not understanding that the cleaning is completely pain and stress-free. With introducing the patient to the tools and process, we take it one step at a time. After understanding that they’re in good hands, we scale and polish the teeth as we document each tooth on a report card for the owners at the end of the appointment. As well as providing the owners with before and after photos to document any visual changes over time.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Single Fin Dental was founded by Ariel McConnell in July of 2021. With a long history and passion for animals, our founder Ariel started SFD in the hopes of positively impacting as many animals’ lives as I can. My love for animals started at a very young age with dogs, cats, ferrets, and snakes. In my teenage years, volunteered at different animal rescues and shelters. As well as venturing into marine biology by volunteering at IGFA with over 800 plus hours of helping educate kids on Florida regulations and conservation efforts for all marine life. Out of high school, I started my first job in the veterinary field as a kennel technician. From high school to adulthood, I continued to work in the veterinary field in many different roles including receptionist, surgery technician, and veterinary technician. After learning very different roles and skills in the vet field, I wanted to expand my education to veterinary dentistry. I lost my job. After being unemployed for a duration, I decided to start SFD and use my skills and knowledge to assist these sweet babies and educate owners on the importance of oral health. On July 28th I started Single Fin Dental with a lot of heart and passion. I solely continue this company in the hopes to educate more pet owners on the importance of oral health for our animals and the need for anesthesia-free dental cleanings when anesthesia is not needed. SFD currently offers house calls in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties. Anesthesia-free dental cleanings can be done with cats and dogs of all ages. Over 80% of dogs over the age of three have active dental disease. This service is usually more utilized by patients with heart conditions, seizures, and other health conditions but is available for all patients. The dental cleanings are painless and stress-free.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

After being in the veterinary industry for 13 years, I stand by the rule of being honest and straightforward with every single owner. I am there to be the voice for the babies when they need it and provide the care they require. If a patient needs more extensive work, we do not continue cleanings. The safety of our patients is number one.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

I’ve met a lot of new clients mostly by word of mouth between my amazing clients as well as attending reoccurring pop-up events for our babies such as the Yappy Hour held at the Bohemian Latin Grill on Commerical Blvd. every last Friday of the month. It’s a good way for other animal-related small businesses to get involved and help educate owners while having fun!

Contact Info:

• Website: singlfindental.com
• Instagram: @singlefindental
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/singlefindental
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arielsfd/

Image Credits
Professional photography credit goes to Abe and Jen of Abasiliophotography. Before and Afters from Ariel of Single Fin Dental.