Hello, I am Dr. Chris Koechner, I grew up in Marion, Illinois and attended college at Murray State University in Murray, KY. After college I went to dental school at Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine. After dental school I obtained further training at University of Louisville in a one year general practice residency. In 2019 my wife, Katie, and I returned to Saint Louis and upon returning I met Dr. Oberkfell. We realized that we had very similar practice philosophies as well as laid-back personalities and this has allowed a great transition for me at Festus Smile Center! My wife and I love to hang out and play with our beagle, Elmer. In my spare time I enjoy playing golf with friends and also eating good food with friends and family.
Since starting in this profession I have had a thirst for learning about the latest techniques and technology to best serve my patients. I love utilizing technology to better assist in planning and delivering the best care possible. My goal is to exceed expectations from patients every day from visits as simple as a cleaning to full mouth restorations. I look forward to helping the people of our community and the surrounding areas improve and maintain their oral health!
Hi, Im Dr. Michelle Ogonowski. I grew up in Creve Coeur, Missouri and completed my undergraduate degree at Mizzou. After college, I attended the University of Missouri- Kansas City for dental school, where I graduated from in 2014. Immediately after graduation I began working with Dr. Oberkfell and have been here ever since. My husband and I are so happy to live and work near the city we both grew up in and raise our two young daughters here. We are a bit obsessed with St. Louis sports teams and love taking our kids to see the Cardinals and Blues play!
What I absolutely love the most about dentistry is the impact it helps make on others lives, whether it be getting a patient out of pain or giving someone back the confidence to smile again. I love that I get to work with young children as well as the elderly and everyone in between. It is always my mission to make each person I treat feel comfortable, and make an experience that most people dread as enjoyable and painless as possible.
My name is Jason Oberkfell and I grew up in Festus. I attended DeSoto High School and Jefferson College before going to dental school at University of Kansas City School of Dentistry. I graduated dental school in May 1999 and began work on opening an office in my hometown of Festus. As the first new dentist in the Festus area in over 18 years, I started my practice on September 7th, 1999. Since then I have moved, expanded and added amazing staff that share the same standards as me. In July 2014 I was able to bring in Dr. Michelle Ogonowski. She is an amazing, caring dentist and has been such a wonderful asset to our practice and our patients. Dr. Christopher Koechner joined our practice in July 2019. His level of care, compassion and skill has complimented the vision of the office and how we want patients to feel when they enter the door. I unfortunately have always had a dental fear and understand what it is like to not want to be in the chair, therefore we have always strived to make everyone feel welcome and comfortable.
After dental school I moved back to Festus which is where I still live with my wife, son, and two dogs. When I am not doing dentistry my true passion, as many know, is riding my dirt bike. I have been riding since the age of 8 years old and still have the same excitement (if not more) every time I get to throw a leg over my bike.