Starfish Dental’s Dag Zapatero on Lifelong Learning and Giving Back 

Dagoberto “Dag” Zapatero, DDS, has a creed that he lives by: To whom much is given, much is expected. “ My parents told me that and I really believe that if you’ve been given a lot, you have to step up and give back to the community. And I think TowneBank shares that value.”  

Born in Cuba in 1962, Dag says his grandparents were able to gain safe passage for 13 family members out of Communist Cuba into Spain. The family then emigrated to the U.S. in search of a better life, settling in Freeport, NY, on Long Island when Dag was 4. 

Dag grew up poor, but he had a rich family life. He embraced his parent’s strong work ethic. He was the first in his family to graduate from college. “My family always stressed education and hard work,” Dag says. “I grew up believing that the American dream was possible, and it motivated me to work hard and to chase excellence.” 

Dag met his wife, Leslie, a Norfolk native, while earning a master’s degree in physiology at Emory University in Atlanta. They were both accepted to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he into dentistry, and she for a Ph.D. in neuroscience. Dag graduated from UNC’s Adams School of Dentistry in 1990, and in 2004, established a scholarship to honor his grandparents. The Miguel and Carolina Hernandez Memorial Endowment has helped students of Hispanic descent or from Virginia with tuition assistance for 20 years.  

During this time, Dag has also served as a UNC adjunct faculty member, frequently traveling to his alma mater to inspire and mentor students. Dag is among the top one percent of general dentists who have earned their Fellowship, Mastership, and two Lifelong Learning and Service Recognition Awards from the Academy of General Dentistry. He also is an LD Pankey scholar and Fellow of the American College of Dentists. 

After dental school, the couple moved to Hampton Roads and Dag entered into practice with his father-in-law, also a dentist, before opening Starfish Dental Care in Virginia Beach. Now celebrating 33 years, Starfish Dental is known for cosmetic, restorative, occlusion, TMD (temporomandibular disorders causing jaw pain and dysfunction), and general dentistry. “I love what I do and it’s an honor to care for people. I’m a dentist, but I’m in the relationship business. I want to know who is in my chair before I really start taking care of them,” he says.  

Dr. Dag Zapatero (right), who founded Starfish Dental Care in Virginia Beach 33 years ago, testified before the Virginia Senate Health and Education Subcommittee.  

Having served on the TowneBank Virginia Beach Board for nine years, Dag draws an effortless parallel between his life’s philosophy and that of TowneBank. “Nothing says a bank has to contribute to a community, but part of Towne’s mission is to be great to their people, to establish relationships with the community, and then give back. Those guiding principles are very much the same principles I hold in my practice and with my patients.” 

For more information on Starfish Dental, visit DagZapatero-DDS.com.