Dr. Steven Polevoy

We are very excited to introduce a new feature on our website – Getting to Know Your Dental Team.

Over the next several months, we will profile each member of our team – who they are, where they are from, what they like.

We begin this week with Dr. Steven Polevoy.

Dr. Polevoy was born in Kiev, what is now Ukraine, but was the Soviet Union at the time. When he was 15, in 1988, his family decided to move to the US. As this was still during Communist times, it wasn’t very easy to emigrate. It took many months to get a permission to leave, and many more months until they arrived in New York. The journey took them from Kiev to Vienna to Rome, it was long and difficult, and perhaps we might tell you more about it in a different post.

Arriving in the US in 1989, Dr. Polevoy’s family settled in Brooklyn. Parents were learning English, he and his younger sister started school.

Many of our patients ask him if he always wanted to be a dentist. Actually, if anyone told him in 1989 he would be one, he wouldn’t have believed them. He was always good at math and sciences, and so that was the plan. But in the late eighties/early nineties, there was no need for mathematicians or scientists. As most recent immigrants, Dr. Polevoy’s family just wanted to get up on their feet as quickly as possible, and for the children to have careers in the most stable fields they could have.

Healthcare was one of those fields. Originally eyeing physical therapy, Dr. Polevoy went to Long Island University in Brooklyn. As he near perfect grades, he thought he’d be a shoe-in for a spot in the PT program. But his youthful arrogance and cocky attitude caused him to flunk the interview at the only physical therapy program he applied for. “Come back next year – you’ve got some growing up to do” – they told him.

But he didn’t want go back to next year. He decided to try dental school instead – and very soon he was receiving acceptance letters from many schools he applied to.

At the time, his family lived in Staten Island, and going to University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) in Newark meant he could continue living at home. 4 years later, he was graduating near the top of his class, and moving on to a prestigious residency program at Staten Island University Hospital.

While in school, he met his future wife, Inna.   By coincidence, she was also born in Kiev, and came to the US around the same time. They were married while Dr. Polevoy was a resident, and their first daughter, Erica, was born a year later.

Dr. Polevoy’s first jobs were in Brooklyn and Staten Island. After gaining experience, he was ready to strike out on his own – but where? He knew he didn’t want to stay in Brooklyn or Staten Island, but didn’t want to move too far away from where his and his wife’s family lived. He finally found a practice in Rye Brook where the leaving dentist’s philosophy was very close to his own. Treat patients right, deliver exceptional dental care – and have a true family dental practice that many generations of the same family call their dental home – that was his goal. Dr. Louis Maro shared the same vision. He had been in the Rye Brook location for many years, but was looking to move to Arizona.

In January of 2002, Dr. Maro moved to Scottsdale and Dr. Polevoy replaced him as the dentist in the practice. He maintained the highest standards of dental care the practice was known for, and within a few years, the practice had grown so much that the small Rye Brook office was not big enough to accommodate it.

In May of 2007, Dr. Polevoy moved the practice to Harrison, where he is practicing now. As he built the office from scratch, he was able to design it in the style that fit his vision best. An inviting, family – friendly atmosphere greets you from the moment you come through the door. From a spacious, airy reception area (where you will spend very little time waiting), to comfortable rooms, soothing music, and even aromatherapy machine – all is designed to make your experience as pleasant as possible.

For the first 4 ½ years of his practice, Dr. Polevoy continued living in Brooklyn and commuting to Westchester. Obviously , the commute was getting to him, and in 2006 he finally became Westchester resident. He and his growing family – their second daughter, Nicole, was born in 2002 – made Briarcliff Manor their home. After nearly 10 years there, he can’t imagine living anywhere else.

Dr. Polevoy has many interests, but his chief passion is travel. He’s always been a travel junkie, and even on his honeymoon he and his wife roamed all over Spain. Since then, he’s used every possible moment to explore many corners of the world. Having been to many places in the Americas and Europe, he now has his sights on Asia and Africa!

As an avid DIY traveler, he spends countless hours planning every trip. He loves to share his travel stories, and if you need any guidance for an upcoming trip – ask him if he’s been there. Chances are, you’ll leave with lots of useful information, including names of guides and local contacts, best places to stay and eat, and out of the way attractions that you may overlook.

He gave the travel bug to his kids too – and now they love travel almost as much he does!

Dr. Polevoy’s other passion is educating other dentists. He has been an active participant in an online message board for dentists for the last 15 years. In that time, he’s helped many of his colleagues, and his lectures have earned him respect of his peers from all over the world.