Dr. Dustin Kruse was born in Oakley, Kansas and moved to Salina early in his childhood. He graduated from Southeast of Saline High School in 2001, and received his Bachelors Degree in Microbiology from Kansas State University in 2005. While attending Kansas State University, he was very involved on campus and was an active leader in organizations such as American Red Cross, Mortar Board, and Phi Gamma Delta. He was also an active research associate in the Terry C. Johnson Cancer Center, and his research was published in the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Biology.

After graduating from K-State, Dr. Kruse attended the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry. Receiving his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 2010, Dr. Kruse was a recipient of numerous scholastic awards as well as the Martin Dewey Award for Outstanding Volunteerism within the Psi Omega Dental Fraternity. Along with fulfilling his degree requirements, hevolunteered in numerous community and rural health settings, and pursued his passion for research. He presented his research at a number of conferences in the Midwest, and some of his work was published in the American Journal of Dentistry.

In his free time, Dr. Kruse enjoys tournament walleye fishing across the United States, all kinds of hunting, camping, helping children in the community, cheering on K-State athletics, and spending time with friends and family. He has been blessed to become part of Clay Center Family Dental Care, and looks forward to serving our patients and community for many years to come.

Alicia was born and raised in western Kansas and graduated with a degree in dental hygiene from Central Community College in Hastings, NE. She has been a part of our team since 1999. She currently lives in Riley, KS with her husband John and two daughters Lela and Mina. Alicias hobbies include gardening, carpentry, singing and playing the piano.

Emily was born in Manhattan and raised in Clay Center, KS. She has been in the dental field for 4 years and has recently joined our team. In September 2011 she married her husband Kelsey and in June 2013 the welcomed their daughter Blakee. Emily is an avid deer hunter and enjoys cheering on the Jayhawks.

Kelli was born and raised in Garden City, KS. In addition to her dental hygiene degree, she also has a degree in Biology from Kansas State University and Colby Community College dental hygiene program. Kelli joined our team in July 2007. Kelli, along with her husband Jason, live on their family farm south of Greenleaf. Together they have two daughters Grace and Norah. She enjoys hunting, fishing, gardening, and spending time with family.

Linda is a Clay Center native and has been with the practice since 1994! She has completed the requirements for scaling assistant at Flint Hills Technical College. Linda is married to Ralph and together they have two daughters Michelle and Melissa. She is also a grandmother to Beylee, Lauren, and Drew. She is the owner of Idle Hour and enjoys playing golf and spending time with family.

Nicky was born and raised in Clay Center, KS. She joined our team in 1999 and later continued her education at Flint Hills Technical College where she received a certification for a scaling assistant. Nicky is married and has one daughter. She enjoys golfing and spending time with her family.

Shelly grew up on a farm near Green, KS and graduated from Clay Center High School. She has been a member of our team since 1990. She is married to Steve and together they have a daughter Michaela and a son Kyle, and a sweet granddaughter Sophia. In her spare time she enjoys biking, running, spending time with family, and cheering on the Wildcats!

Terra was raised in Minneapolis, KS and graduated from Kansas State University with a Bachelors Degree. She has been in the dental field for 7 years and enjoys working as an assistant and front office. Terra and Casey married in 2009 and currently have two boys Conrad and Crosby. In her spare time she loves running, crafting, and exploring nature with her boys.

Honesty: We treat our patients and each other with respect and communicate openly. Patients are able to make their own choices for their dentistry based on what they themselves can see with the intraoral camera and digital x-rays.

Teamwork: We encourage the best ideas to surface and desire and encourage everyone's input. We do what we say and we say what we do - we can be counted on. When there is a problem we actively look for solutions.

Kindness: We treat each other and our patients as we wish to be treated realizing that everyone is fighting a battle that we can't always see. We don't make judgments about people when we don't have a full or complete understanding of situations. Therefore, we follow the Golden Rule here with each other and with our patients. This is a place of solace from the world and we treat our patients as if they were honored guests in our home.

Excellence: We aspire to flawless dentistry and we will not take shortcuts on quality. We seek and promote the best talent and buy the best materials and equipment. We are all committed and excited about learning and implementing new techniques. Patients can rest assured therefore, that they will be getting the very best dentistry available.

People First: We respect our patients above all else and never forget that they come to us by choice. We ALL share a personal responsibility to maintain our patients' loyalty and trust. We listen and respond to our patients and seek to exceed their expectations. We work with people not teeth which means we try to help people improve themselves within their desire, lifestyle, budget and time restraints. We work with our patients and each other in a helpful, not begrudging manner.

Family & Community: We honor our commitments to our families first. Our second family is here. We are a team which means none of us can work without each other; we are dependent on each other and our patients. We treasure and support each other through good times and bad. We are also members of a larger community and we share our enthusiasm for what we can offer with the people we meet.

Leadership: We are all the leaders of the practice realizing that when we are with the patients it is our responsibility to make that patient feel good about themselves and the decision they have made to choose our practice when they are in our presence.

Fun: We believe fun is essential. We celebrate achievement and do not take ourselves too seriously. We smile and laugh every day knowing that 'a merry heart doeth good like medicine.' EVERYONE is committed to lightening the load with humor.