Dr. Andre Baptiste, the founder of Baptiste Orthodontics and Baptiste Dentistry for Kids also known as #AndreTheFarmer, gives patients many reasons to smile.

His job title may be orthodontist, but Andre Baptiste, D.D.S., sees himself in other terms—among them, an educator, a community pillar, and a relationship builder.

“Some people think all I do is look in people’s mouths all day,” says Dr. Baptiste, the founder of Baptiste Orthodontics. “To be honest, that’s a small part of my work. I’d say 95 percent of what I do is building relationships.”

His knack for earning the community’s trust has helped Baptiste Orthodontics expand to three offices—Orlando, Windermere, and Apopka, the last of which also offers pediatric dentistry through Baptiste Dentistry for Kids. Children account for as much as 60 percent of his orthodontic patients, though his oldest patient was 83 years old when his braces came off. The practice provides multiple treatment options, from traditional wire-and-bracket braces to Invisalign.

“We can now do most cases better with aligners than braces,” he says. “Really, there are just two reasons to choose braces: first, if you absolutely love braces; and second, if you don’t think you will wear your aligners on a reliable basis.”

Dr. Tran

As the practice has evolved, so too has Dr. Baptiste’s clinical team. Orthodontist Giau Tran, D.M.D., and pediatric dentist Alyssa Pinnock, D.M.D., joined the staff in January and June, respectively.

“Dr. Tran is amazing,” Dr. Baptiste says. “She joined us after her orthodontic residency and shadowed me for a while until she felt comfortable. Her patients love her personality and her youthful energy. When she started here she was learning from me, but in many ways I’m learning from her now. 

“With Dr. Pinnock, she is not only experienced in her profession, but she also has a genuine ability to relate to kids,” he continues. “She’s empathetic and has a wonderful chairside manner, which is really important because pediatric dentistry is not always butterfly kisses. She has a gift for making kids feel like they are in very good hands.”

Dr. Tran received her bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences from University of Central Florida, and then earned her dental degree from Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine in Ft. Lauderdale. Her profound desire to specialize in orthodontics led her to Saint Louis University, where she received her certificate of orthodontics and a master’s in dentistry.  

Dr. Pinnock attended the University of Michigan for her undergraduate degree and later moved to South Florida to attend Nova Southeastern for her dental degree. After many years of working as a general dentist, she decided to pursue her passion of working with children and obtained her certificate in pediatric dentistry from Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami. 

Dr. Pinnock

Drs. Tran and Pinnock will further reinforce what has always been a core priority for Dr. Baptiste: a strong connection to the surrounding community. In addition to providing support to more than 40 Orange County public schools through the Partners in Education program, Dr. Baptiste maintains a community garden at Oak Hill Elementary School in Orlando. Also, through his work on the board of directors for MAN UP Mentoring Inc., he will likely soon take another community garden under his wing. 

Gardening has become something of a passion project for Dr. Baptiste. TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram abound with educational yet entertaining videos featuring his alter ego, #AndreTheFarmer, in which he shares gardening tips, harvests fruits and vegetables, and interacts with wildlife visiting his garden. He says with a laugh, “I’d probably be doing a live [stream] right now if I weren’t talking to you.” 

“Andre the Farmer started as another way to connect with patients,” he adds. “When you’re trying to find an orthodontist, you want someone you can talk to, someone who listens to you, and someone you trust—because this is someone you’re going to be spending a lot of time with.”

While Dr. Baptiste happily opens up to patients about other important parts of his life—his family, playing basketball, fishing and bowhunting, and otherwise spending time outdoors—he also enjoys learning about patients and the things they are passionate about.

“Usually I can find a common thread with my patients,” he says. “If you come across one thing you have in common with a patient, you see this amazing transformation. The patient becomes someone who is not just tolerating you, but who is invested in you. Now you’re friends. When people see you as a real person, it changes the interaction.”