Dr. Patty Merkley, known as Dr. Patty by the kiddos she treats, began her career in helping others in the field of nursing. She found immediate joy and fulfillment in the ability to put people at ease in moments of stress. She quickly realized that this gift would be maximized in the area of dentistry. Being a big kid herself, she was drawn to the opportunity to laugh and play while utilizing her gift of calmly caring for little ones at the same time! Since discovering this she feels like she never goes to work, instead she sees each day as a chance to meet new kids, treat them and educate them through playful distraction and many laughs!
Professionally, she excelled in both her undergraduate and graduate degrees, graduating at the top of her class. Post-graduation, Dr. Patty was accepted into the prestigious Oregon Health and Sciences University-Doernbecher Childrens Hospital Pediatric Dental Residency program. During her residency, Dr. Patty developed and headed a research project studying the area of dental treatment under general anesthesia. This project continued after she graduated from the program, noting the value of the results and the impact it has on providing the best patient care. Dr. Patty also served as Chief Resident working alongside some of the leading pediatric dental and medical doctors, obtaining the knowledge passed on by their experience.
Her level of commitment to her education and training extends to her daily practice in pediatric dentistry. Not only does she provide exceptional dental care to children of all ages and levels of health, but she also treats each child with the tenderness and compassion necessary to create a positive experience.
Dr. Patty loves spending time with family and friends. She has a 12-year-old daughter, Chloe Reese, an energetic cheerleader attending Central Junior High School. In her time away from work you can find her exercising, hanging out with Chloe (watching Princess and the Frog and singing like Tiana), traveling or just relaxing. No matter where you cross her path, you can be sure you will probably catch her singing and enjoying a giant laugh!
Dr. Schoolmans love of dentistry began when she was a youthful 8 years of age. It was then that her pediatric dentist inspired her with his kindness, humor and above all his love for his profession. Her enthusiasm for dentistry grew as she worked as a dental assistant for an orthodontist while obtaining her undergraduate degree from New Mexico State University. After finishing her Doctor of Pharmacy in 2000 in New Mexico, she moved to Missouri to attend the University of Missouri Kansas City School of Dentistry. Dr. Schoolman obtained her Doctor of Dental Surgery in 2004. During her years in Kansas City she met her husband, Steve. Dr. Schoolman has served proudly in the Southeast Missouri area for a little over 7 years.
Hello! My name is Trinity, I am the Front Camp Leader here at Camp Merkley. I am married to the funniest man ever, Justin. I graduated from Southeast Missouri State in 2016 with a Bachelors degree in education. From a young age I always I loved going to the dentist and have been lucky enough to work in the dental field since 2018. I can be found in the front at Camp Registration, answering questions and helping anyway I can. I love everything Disney. When I am not working I love spending time with my family and my sweet little puppy, Leonard or exploring outside!
Hello everybody! My name is Elizabeth and I am the Camp Activities Coordinator. I am a fun loving mom to a charming 3 y/o boy Eli. Here at Camp, you can find me talking with your mom and dad about your visits. I am the one to arrange your stay at Sleep Away Camp and answer any questions that your parents may have about insurance or accounts. Im a bit shy sometimes, but when nobodys looking I do get into the music quite a bit! My favorite movie to see playing at camp is Despicable Me 3, my son and I have seen it more than 20 times. When I am away from Camp, you can find me helping my husband Mike on projects or with our son Eli, who keeps us very busy.
Hi everyone! My name is Cambreigh. I am one of the bright faces you first see when you check into camp. I will be at the front with Camp Registration here to help you as much as I can! I am a cat mom to the sweetest kitty named Liu. I attend Southeast Missouri State University and plan on becoming a teacher! I love Disney and exploring the outdoors as much as possible. I am so lucky to have an adorable niece and two adorable nephews. When I am away from camp, you can see me outside with my brother or reading my favorite books!
Hey yall. I am one of your Camp Counselors, Amy. I have an energetic, sweet, sassy 4-year-old daughter named Ella Sophia as well as my husband, Clay at home. I absolutely LOVE meeting all the kids at Camp. Their sweet smiles are my favorite! My favorite Disney movie is The Aristocats, an oldie, but goody! Everybody, everybody wants to be a cat! Here at Camp Smiles Kids Dental you can find me assisting Dr.Patty with kiddos with their Starry Camp Out experience and Sleep Away Camp, new campers exams, and taking x-rays. I am whole-heartedly devoted to making any Camp experience enjoyable and fun for every child. Alongside Dr. Patty I am highly committed to helping educate parents, guardians, and children on proper dental hygiene. When I am away from Camp I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, hanging by the pool during summertime, and shopping! Campers may catch me busting some dance moves down the hallway, I must say I like some good music, especially anything from the Descendants movies! I cannot wait to meet you and your camper very soon!
Hey guys! I 'm Patti. I am married to my husband Darren, have a son and a daughter as well as 6 grands!! l started in dentistry back in 1988. Here at the office you will find me on the hygiene side making your teeth sparkle and shine, on the treatment side helping assist chasing those cavities away, making all the appliances for our campers, and even at 'Sleep Away Camp' occasionally. I 'm a busy bee but love every second here at Camp!! When I 'm not at the office you can find me outdoors and spend time with my favorite people in the world, my family! I look forward to seeing your smiling faces!
Hi Campers! Its your Camp Counselor Elainna. I love to smile! I also really enjoy helping you keep your smile happy and healthy! When Im not here at Camp Merkley being your counselor Im busy being a wife to my husband Curt, Mom to my two kids Lauren and Doug and Nana to my grandkids Gus and Adi! My favorite movies to watch with them are Up and Zootopia ! I like the positive message of helping others in those movies. When Im not here at Camp Merkley helping you with your smile I enjoy helping others that are not physically able to win races and triathlons through an organization My Team Triumph. Never ever give up!! I look forward to meeting all of you campers here at Camp Merkley!
Hello there, Happy Campers! I'm Amanda. I took a sudden interest in Dental Assisting not long after High School and decided to seek a career in it, happily leading me to Camp Merkley! Here at the office you will find me on the hygiene side making your pearly whites shimmer and shine! Hopefully soon enough you will catch me on the treatment side assisting Doc in chasing away those cavities! I was born and raised here in Cape Girardeau, Missouri and I have always loved taking strolls along the Mississippi River and casting out a line off the river bank. I enjoy being outdoors and most importantly, spending time with my family in my free time! I can not wait to find your smiling faces here at camp! Seen you soon!
To all of you campers out there I would like to introduce myself. Im Mike, I am the Camp Operations Leader. I may never meet you because I am a guy behind the scenes. Here at Camp, I help out with all the things needed to keep our Camp compliant with all rules and regulations. A couple of things about me, I married my high school sweetheart about a year before man first set foot on the moon. I have two grown, beautiful daughters, Laura and Patty. As it turns out my youngest, Patty goes by Dr. Patty here at Camp! ;) I also have four energetic grandchildren, whom I adore, Cambreigh, Haley, Connor, and Chloe. But enough about me, lets hear all about you! I look forward to assisting the staff of counselors and of course, our leader, the Camp Director, in making your camping experience as best we can!
Reviews
Rating 4.4 out of 5 based on 46 reviews
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newest oldest highest lowestHayley Cathey
a year ago
I have shared a review before, but we just had another appointment and I can't get over how GREAT the staff is! They make it so enjoyable for my kids. They answer all my questions and take my concerns seriously. Absolutely recommend this office for your kiddos!!
bethany Bennett
a year ago
Let me say this the staff is nice the office is nice. But the office never told me or informed me at anytime that they no longer took our insurance and that we were out of net work they let my 2 kid go back and need x-rays and and a few other thing and then billed me $635.00 for a teeth cleaning. i thought they had it wrong cause i normally payed $194. So now i have a bill that is crazy high tryed to call and talk with a office manager she wont take my call or call me back. They should of told me before the kids were seen that they were out of network with our insurance so i could of made the decision of letting them be seen.. i will never recommend them again.
Brittany Staggs
2 years ago
Everything here is so well organized. the office staff is very kind and went out of their way to work with my schedule. Dr. Merkley is the best there is!! The office is unique and makes my nieces and nephews feel more comfortable than any place! I highly recommend!!
Yani's Playroom
2 years ago
My kids are HUGE fans of Camp Merkley which says a lot because what kids look forward to going to the dentist?! The staff is very friendly and informative and Dr.Merkley is hands down the best. She gives honest and straight forward opinions on what is best for my children, every visit! I've had other experiences with general dentists but a specialist is always the way to go!! 10/10 recommend!
Cindy Dysom
2 years ago
I can't believe these few posts I've read about Camp Merkley and Dr Patty...I have been taking my three boys there for about 8 yrs and love her and her whole crew..I have one aging out soon and I hate it..I will never find another provider like her..we followed her from the other place and would never change...we love you Dr Patty and crew
Morgan Hessenkemper
2 years ago
My little sister loves going to Camp Merkley! Their office maintains a very friendly, cleanly, and welcoming environment!
Shauna Freeman
2 years ago
Dr Merkley and her staff are very rude and not nice at all. They don't have a care in this world for these children or their dental health! They scheduled my AUTISTIC son for surgery at 3:00 in the afternoon and my child could not eat the whole day. How do you explain to a autistic child that they can not eat until a certain time. They are very DUMB people who schedules KIDS appt for afternoon knowing that the child cannot eat Anything after 12 midnight! A real surgeon would know to only to schedule MORNING appts when you can't eat after 12. Like I said they're unprofessional, unorganized and they don't have a care in the world for these children. They are only in it for the money they don't care. My children experience there was HORRIBLE and they will not be going back and NO I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS DENTIST.!!! TERRIBLE DENTIST
Bailee Rister
2 years ago
Camp Merkley is the best! I've gone with my youngest brother and I have several family members who take their children there. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. They were very quick to getting us called back and to seeing Dr.Merkley. They were able to get me in last minute and worked around my schedule. My brother absolutely loved the camping theme and his goodie bag he got to take home. He is very excited to come back to see his new friend Dr. Patty
Kollin Lippert
2 years ago
My wife made an appointment but it got canceled due to not confirming...even though she never got a phone call or text message. She waited an hour to "try" to get an appointment, but they couldn't get her in. They claimed they called her Monday, and canceled it yesterday, but magically they were too booked today now to get her in. Left my family with lost work hours, and a distressed wife. The office workers basically told her "not their problem" even though my wife showed that she never got a call or text that they claimed she did.
Lorena Ramos
2 years ago
Dr.Merkley is the best pediatric dentist around. Her office staff is always willing to help and you can feel the positive evironment as soon as you walk in everyone is welcoming and friendly.Dr.Merkley is very good at answering all your questions and explaining what will be done to your child. All of the office staff are great with children also.Hands down the best in the area .
Mandi Pirtle
2 years ago
Camp Merkley is a wonderful place to take your kids to the dentist!!!! Dr. Merkley is always so sweet and friendly and bubbly!!! They help the kids forget they are at the dentist office. I would 100% recommend Camp Merkley to anyone!!!!!
Ashley S
2 years ago
The baby loved the place and the people! We are a little off put by their plan in care, so I do feel like we will be getting a second opinion. You have to wait in the vehicle until they are ready for you, it took 15 mins past our appointment time. Make sure you bring a mask and only one person is allowed to go in with the child, ( none of this was discussed over the phone with us prior to driving 2 hours for the appointment). They have tvs above the chairs to make the kids feel more comfortable and they also send the kids out with a nice goody bag!
Candice Davis
2 years ago
UPDATE: A woman representing herself as Dr. Merkley has reached out to me on social media. She claims that she was in surgery the day of my son's appointment and that the Dr. that saw us was the other ped dentist in the office. She says documentation proves she was not present. I have not seen the documentation. However, either way, it was not a positive experience and I retain that the tactics used by whomever treated us that day were unethical. **** Original Review: After our regular dentist discovered our 6 year old had ONE cavity, they instructed us to take him to a pediatric dentist to get it filled. I took him to Camp Merkley because we have only two ped dentists in our area. Before they even brought him back in the room from x-rays, the hygienist (not the dentist) handed me a consent for surgery and told me he had SIX cavities! She then brought in Dr. Merkley and the high pressure sales pitch began where they said very manipulative things to convince me that he would need all 6 filled under complete sedation and we should not delay. We left. I've received THREE additional opinions from other dentists now who have all said they have no idea where Merkley came up with 6 cavities! He has had the original cavity filled in St Louis now and the dentist even complimented him on his teeth! I don't know what Camp Merkley is up to but what they did seemed like a blatant CON. Not a place we will ever trust for our kid's care!
Joseph McClarty
2 years ago
We were referred here because our son has special needs. The first few visits went great. They put him to sleep to give him a great cleaning and x-rays which we were grateful for. My wife and I thought we had found the best dentist for our son. Unfortunately we were wrong. Visits became shorter and the attention to detail was lacking. This past summer we were informed that our son had graduated from them because he had lost all his baby teeth. We were a little skeptical of this assessment and was referred to The Dental Anesthesia Center in Clayton, Mo. Our son is having 8 BABY TEETH removed. The lack of honesty from Camp Merkley is extremely disappointing. Our son is a tough case and we understand this. If Camp Merkley wasn't able to provide the service anymore because of his special needs then be honest so we can find the best dental solution for our son. This may be a great place for kids without special needs but they are not equipped enough to handle children with special needs.
Amanda Biskup
2 years ago
Dr. Merkley and staff are wonderful with their young patients. I'm continually impressed with how quickly the appointments go and how each staff member manages the challenges that come with child dental procedures. Can't recommend them enough!
Amanda Biskup
3 years ago
Dr. Merkley and staff are wonderful with their young patients. I'm continually impressed with how quickly the appointments go and how each staff member manages the challenges that come with child dental procedures. Can't recommend them enough!
Ashley S
3 years ago
The baby loved the place and the people! We are a little off put by their plan in care, so I do feel like we will be getting a second opinion. You have to wait in the vehicle until they are ready for you, it took 15 mins past our appointment time. Make sure you bring a mask and only one person is allowed to go in with the child, ( none of this was discussed over the phone with us prior to driving 2 hours for the appointment). They have tvs above the chairs to make the kids feel more comfortable and they also send the kids out with a nice goody bag!
Candice Davis
3 years ago
UPDATE: A woman representing herself as Dr. Merkley has reached out to me on social media. She claims that she was in surgery the day of my son's appointment and that the Dr. that saw us was the other ped dentist in the office. She says documentation proves she was not present. I have not seen the documentation. However, either way, it was not a positive experience and I retain that the tactics used by whomever treated us that day were unethical. **** Original Review: After our regular dentist discovered our 6 year old had ONE cavity, they instructed us to take him to a pediatric dentist to get it filled. I took him to Camp Merkley because we have only two ped dentists in our area. Before they even brought him back in the room from x-rays, the hygienist (not the dentist) handed me a consent for surgery and told me he had SIX cavities! She then brought in Dr. Merkley and the high pressure sales pitch began where they said very manipulative things to convince me that he would need all 6 filled under complete sedation and we should not delay. We left. I've received THREE additional opinions from other dentists now who have all said they have no idea where Merkley came up with 6 cavities! He has had the original cavity filled in St Louis now and the dentist even complimented him on his teeth! I don't know what Camp Merkley is up to but what they did seemed like a blatant CON. Not a place we will ever trust for our kid's care!
Joseph McClarty
3 years ago
We were referred here because our son has special needs. The first few visits went great. They put him to sleep to give him a great cleaning and x-rays which we were grateful for. My wife and I thought we had found the best dentist for our son. Unfortunately we were wrong. Visits became shorter and the attention to detail was lacking. This past summer we were informed that our son had graduated from them because he had lost all his baby teeth. We were a little skeptical of this assessment and was referred to The Dental Anesthesia Center in Clayton, Mo. Our son is having 8 BABY TEETH removed. The lack of honesty from Camp Merkley is extremely disappointing. Our son is a tough case and we understand this. If Camp Merkley wasn't able to provide the service anymore because of his special needs then be honest so we can find the best dental solution for our son. This may be a great place for kids without special needs but they are not equipped enough to handle children with special needs.
Teresa Lewis
3 years ago
As a foster parent I never know when I'm going to need a visit. This team always makes it happen super fast they are all so good with the kiddos. Doesn't matter if it's a 1 year old or a 7 year old. I love this team!
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