Dr. Onkar Dadiala has been in Dracut for just over two years, but his dental practice is already a valued member of the community.
Dr. Dadiala joined Dr. Ian Barwick’s practice in 2021 and, upon the latter’s retirement in 2022 after more than 40 years in Dracut, he took over the practice.
Dr. Barwick knew retirement was in his future when he took on a partner to smooth the transition and keep his community-driven practice going.
“A friend of mine told me Dr. Barwick was planning to retire and was looking for a partner to take on,” Onkar said. “He wanted someone with the same philosophy of a family dentist. He didn’t want to franchise the practice. He wanted to keep it as a family practice. I got lucky and he chose me.”
Dadiala Family Dentistry, 1345 Lakeview Avenue (the same plaza as the Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union branch), is Dracut Economic Development’s August 2023 Business of the Month.
The practice hasn’t wasted any time in giving back to its new community. In the first six months of 2023 alone, the folks at Dadiala have:
- Taught kindergartners and first-graders at Brookside Elementary School about dental hygiene.
- Contributed to the Dracut Scholarship Foundation’s Dollars for Scholars.
- Held a second-birthday party at the office to celebrate with patients and the community.
- Participated in the One Mission: Buzz-Off. (More on that later.)
- Delivered cookies to schools, the library and emergency services.
- Donated to Ohana Food for Life.
- Donated to End 68 Hours of Hunger Dracut’s efforts in honor of Dr. Dadiala’s birthday.
- Donated to St. Marguerite D’Youville.
- Donated to the New England Sikh Study Circle.
- Raised money for the Dracut Food Pantry.
- Donated to Dracut Girls Softball.
“I love Dracut,” Dr. Dadiala said. “It’s a small town, and we get families, kids, grandkids.”
“Dadiala Family Dentistry is all about giving back to the community and helping the next generation of families,” added Hardeep, who manages her husband’s practice. “Once we become part of the family, we stay part of the family. People walk in and they say, ‘Oh my God, I feel like I’m home.’”
Part of that homey feeling may be due to the fact that two of Dr. Barwick’s longtime employees -- each with more than 40 years in, from when Dr. Barwick was originally located up the road at Tennis Plaza -- transitioned over to Dadiala Family Dentistry.
Michelle Stauble has been a dental hygienist for 40 years. And Marie Coolidge, the business coordinator and longtime Dracut resident, originally retired but came back to work once a week for Dadiala Family Dentistry. She has been with the practice for 43 years combined.
“They can’t keep me out,” Marie said. “It’s like family. That’s what this place is to me – family.”
Hardeep is glad Marie chose to come back.
“She’s like the mayor. Everyone in town knows her. In fact, if she ran for mayor, I’d vote for her,” Hardeep said of Marie.
If you have an upcoming appointment at Dadiala, don’t be surprised to see Marie with a very short hairstyle. She shaved her head on Father’s Day, along with two of her grandsons, as part of Rob Gronkowski’s One Mission: Buzz-Off.
“They’ve been trying to get me to do it for a few years now, and I kept saying next year, next year,” Marie said. “Well, I guess this was the year.”
The Dadialas came to Dracut from Arizona, after a stint at a practice in Rhode Island. They’re happy to be back on the East Coast.
“We love having four seasons,” said Hardeep, who was a senior manager for quality and validation at Amgen before leaving to help her husband with his practice.
They and their two children, ages 14 and 11, live in Chelmsford.
For more information, call Dadiala Family Dentistry at 978-957-5511, or check them out at https://www.dadialafamilydentistry.com.