Our practice was established in Denver, Colorado in 1962 by Dr. Joe Hakala. After practicing as a dental hygienist for three years, Dr. Kate Hakala went back to dental school and followed in her father’s footsteps, joining him in the practice in 1989. She has been named a 5280 “Top Dentist” for the past 12 years in a row. Dr. Kate and her experienced team strive to provide comfortable, relaxing dental visits.
We are monitoring the COVID-19 virus outbreak and are following recommendations as the situation evolves. Dr. Kate and her staff receive regular updates from the Colorado State Dental Board, the American Dental Association, and the CDC. We have invested in personal protective equipment (PPE) and have arranged the office to provide for personal distancing. Our dental hygienist, Suzi, teaches Infection Control and OSHA training and annually attends the national OSAP Dental Infection Control Boot Camp. We rely on her guidance for having proper supplies, sterilization, and instrument processing. The 2020 Boot Camp took place in Chicago, and in 2021 it will be in Atlanta, Georgia.
This is a concept we embrace. It entails treating the health of all of the dental tissues, including the gums, and doing as little tooth removal as possible. For instance, if it appears that a young person will have room for erupting wisdom teeth and therefore the teeth can be used for chewing in the future, we will discuss the options of extraction vs. waiting and re-evaluating in the future.
If we see a “borderline” cavity, we will let the patient know, and the patient can decide whether to proceed with a filling or try to prevent early decay from progressing. We believe that there are no teeth like your own, and we want to help keep as much natural tooth and supporting structure as possible.
We are located at 425 S. Cherry Street, #100, Glendale CO 80246. The office is on the first floor of The Forum Building and is just off the lobby, inside the front door. There is ample free parking at the building and a large handicapped accessible lot on the north side of the building. Our bright, sunny office has large treatment rooms with modern equipment and television monitors for people inclined to watch Netflix or other programs during dental treatment.
Dr. Joe Hakala is a woodcarver and has been carving bird figurines for many years. He is especially fond of carving hummingbirds, so it seemed natural that a hummingbird would be our logo. You can see several of Dr. Joe’s creations in our hall display case.
Hakala Family Dentistry is an established family practice committed to ethical, quality care for our patients. Our goal is to create an environment of comfort and trust so we can help our patients choose the treatment that bests suits their individual needs.
Dr. Kate is a member of the American Dental Association, Colorado Dental Association, Metro Denver Dental Society, and American Association of Women Dentists. She is also a part-time clinical faculty member at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine.
