Roderick Place was named COO of InterDent in 2017 and assumed Co-Leadership as Chief Executive Officer in 2018. Mr. Place has extensive experience transforming private equity backed healthcare companies through his strategic leadership, focus on operational excellence, clinical leadership collaboration, and structuring of field operations and corporate support teams. Mr. Place is also accomplished in leading boards and executive teams through expansive growth in mergers & acquisitions, DeNovo, due diligence and market consolidation. Before joining InterDent, Mr. Place served in executive level operations roles with Western Dental, MedQuest Associates and Alliance Healthcare. Mr. Place is also the Managing Director and Co-Founder of MedSummit Solutions, LLC. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting from Grand Valley State University.
Matthew Wickesberg joined InterDent as EVP/CFO in 2016 and assumed Co-Leadership as Executive Vice Chairman two years later. In 2019, he was further elevated to Co-Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Wickesberg is an experienced board member, executive officer, and lender with a deep background in multi-site hospitality and healthcare industries. He is also experienced working with lending institutions and private equity firms through structuring capital, due diligence, mergers & acquisitions, and uncovering portfolio synergies. Prior to joining InterDent, Mr. Wickesberg served in various senior finance roles with HOA Restaurant Group, ZTejas, Inc., and GE Capital. Mr. Wickesberg received his Bachelor of Science in Finance from Oklahoma State University and his MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Dr. Heather Hawkins has committed her career to patient care while understanding current healthcare trends and value-based comprehensive care. Dr. Hawkins has an expansive clinical, academic and operational background, including leading medical-dental integration as well as quality and risk management for multi-site healthcare organizations. After 12 years of practicing general dentistry, she expanded her skills with several key roles in academia. In 2012 she joined the team at Adventist Health in Northern California, a multi-site health care organization with over 5,000 medical and dental staff physicians, as the Director of Quality. In her leadership role there, Dr. Hawkins led expansion and integration across the health system with medical and dental clinic management and an emphasis on comprehensive care models addressing patient risk factors, active disease and preventative measures. Dr. Hawkins earned her Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry (DMD) from Nova Southeastern University in Florida and her Advanced Education in General Dentistry Certification from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Dr. Manu Chaudhry has dedicated his career in the pursuit of dental health care, improving clinical quality and access to care, and transforming delivery of care to improve overall health outcomes. He is a dynamic and mission-driven leader with extensive leadership experience over multi-region dental practices, and has also founded multiple collaborative organizations that reduce oral and overall health disparities. Dr. Chaudhry is a board member of Healthier Kids Foundation and holds a Masters of Science in Biomedical Engineering from the University of California, San Diego and earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery from University of the Pacific.
Sandra Lau is a seasoned legal adviser with over fourteen years experience acting as General Counsel of multiple dental healthcare corporations. Ms. Laus responsibilities include advising executive management, supporting strategic growth initiatives, overseeing all aspects of the corporate legal function including HIPAA, state and federal regulatory compliance, corporate transactions and governance, mergers and acquisitions, and risk and litigation management. Before Joining InterDent, Ms. Lau served as General Counsel at Western Dental. Ms. Lau holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Juris Doctor from Loyola Marymount University.
Bernard Piccione has extensive experience across a wide range of industries delivering complex enterprise-scale information technology solutions to achieve major global business value and objectives. Mr. Piccione excels at driving sustainable business growth through IT modernization, solution development, and global transformation initiatives while building strong partnerships to better leverage technology solutions. Prior to joining InterDent, Mr. Piccione served as CIO for Ingenuity Advisory Partners, Inc., Complex Care Solutions, Inc., and MagnaCare. Mr. Piccione holds a Bachelors and Masters in Computer Science from Boston University.
Darrin Kellaris is a senior marketing executive with over 20 years experience specializing in digital marketing, social media, and brand strategy. Mr. Kellaris offers a record of success in creating and driving marketing strategies that strengthen revenue, margins, and market share by elevating brand authenticity and relevance. At InterDent, he leads all aspects of marketing including digital and social media, brand positioning, and performance analytics. Prior to joining InterDent, he led marketing efforts at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and IHOP. Mr. Kellaris holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing from San Diego State University.
Diane Stern brings almost 20 years of dental services organizational experience specializing in organizational design and strategic partnering. Ms. Stern is responsible for Human Resources planning and strategy for recruiting, retention, benefits and performance management. She built her HR leadership experience through roles at Coast Dental, PrimeCo Wireless Communications and LabCorp where she focused on employee programs to increase engagement and satisfaction along with operational efficiencies. Ms. Stern holds a Bachelors degree in English Literature, Education, and Business from the University of Tampa and volunteers at KMR Group Foundation.
Reviews
Rating 4.0 out of 5 based on 80 reviews
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a year ago
I do not recommend this dentist office. After I made an emergency visit for a hurting tooth that the filling had fell out of. They examined me,did x-rays and all and said I need a root canal and schedule me over a month out (close to 2mnths out).I inquired about it being so far out as my tooth is hurting(why I made the appointment in 1st place) the receptionist said the procedure (root canal)takes 2hrs and to make an appointment if it gets worse and the dr.will help.(again this is why I made this appointment) so about 2wks ago I made another emergency visit.(root canal still scheduled) I arrive at 745a , I sit there til 825a then receptionist says " did someone let you know they dr.wont be in until 9a? I said no,and walked out upset. I came back at 905a to be pull back at 915a by assistant to tell me the Dr.is at HER Dr. Appointment and didn't know when she will be in but I can wait. At that point I was done and walked out..in tears.. since I had my root canal already scheduled I figured I'd wait til after procedure to switch dentists since Im still in need of this root canal. They canceled the root canal without reason 4dys prior to appointment.They said they canceled for the 'Dr.to DISCUSS further and do a limited examine'. Which I asked what that was and was told it's x-rays and an exam... I ALREADY DID THE 1ST TIME coming to this office, that's why they said I needed a root canal. This place is very unprofessional.
Misty Ramsay-Gonzales
2 years ago
Highly recommend!!! All 3 of my kids had cleaning appointments today. The staff and dentist were so friendly and kind. The office is clean and brand new.
Bulldog Drummond
2 years ago
My first appointment l was given medicine that l had a bad reaction to, l called and told them about it, l waited two weeks for a response, then l called them, they don't want to check out what's going on. They say that it is a under-laying problem, but I had the area x-rayed so I know better. I will deal with my dental issues myself before I go back to gentle dental. I would have given no stars but l could not have given a review.
Jennifer Pierce
2 years ago
If I could give 0 zero stars I would. I had two cracked teeth that are throbbing and causing me continual pain. I made an emergency appointment had to wait ove 8 days and be there at 745. Dentist did absolutely nothing. Worst experience at a dentist ever, no antibiotics nothing to help told me to wait two or three weeks for a referral. All she did was make excuses and dance around pulling teeth. Go somewhere else that cares about there patients and tries to help them.
Theresa Wiebe
2 years ago
I always have great service at West Salem Gentle Dental. I get right in to my appointment, and the cleaning is quick. So glad I switched dentists a year and a half ago.
Russell Campbell
2 years ago
I just had 3 visits to Gentle Dental West Salem in the last week due to some luck in scheduling. I can definitely say these were the best experiences I've ever had at the Dentist. During two of these appointments I was treated by Dr. Ta who was very kind, professional, and happy to answer my innumerable questions about the procedures. But everyone else was fantastic as well. The front desk, hygienist, and those assisting with the dental work of Dr. Ta all made each visit a comfortable experience. I highly recommend Gentle Dental West Salem.
Cristina Torres
2 years ago
I had to wait for a while until being called. And the Receptionist had a racist attitude she attended a lady that got there after me first and gave me her back, totally ignoring me. The only reason I come here is because it's only 2 minutes away from my home.
Jason Wright
2 years ago
A lot has changed in the dental industry over the past 15 yrs. This clinic did a great job, and most importantly, treated my wife with white gloves.
Marie B
2 years ago
If you want a clinic that tries to get money out of you, doesn't answer their phones, and won't release your medical records until you call 3 times, go here
Linda Waite
2 years ago
Very welcoming, professional, responsive, pleasant, efficient and knowledgeable staff. I am a new patient yet was given a same day appointment for a broken tooth. They documented my medical history in order to know how to best care for my dental needs. I was fortunate to be seen by the R. Means, DDS was thorough, informative and provided me with a care plan and treatment alternatives. I look forward to continuing this most positive relationship with Gentle Dental.
Anna Ozerova
2 years ago
I switched to Gentle Dental a couple months ago... and what can I say? This has been by far my best dental experience. I've got a couple fillings and extractions done by Dr.Means. The best dentist ever. Both filling and extractions process was quick, easy and absolutely painless. Definitely recommend this clinic!
Elyse Wigginton
2 years ago
I love how gentle they are. They have amazing stuff. Very clean
Stephanie Stintzi
2 years ago
They were excellent with my daughter and so helpful with her...even going over how to properly brush her teeth. Also, very thorough. Great experience; once again!
Kari Velez
2 years ago
Kind and compassionate. Worked to calm my anxiety about a procedure that had been a bad experience elsewhere . Couldn't recommend them more
Melissa Gutierrez
2 years ago
Let me start off by saying I'm one of those weird people that loves going to the dentist. I feel zero anxiety or nervousness visiting a dentist. When I called last year to schedule an appointment for an exam AND cleaning, they scheduled it. When I showed up to my appointment, which my husband had to take the day off work for because we're a one-car family, I found out my 11 AM appointment was ONLY an exam even though that's not what I booked. We finished the exam around 11:15 or 11:20 AM and it seemed that should've been enough time to do a cleaning before lunch, but I guess not. The receptionists told me that they've been having issues with their call center folks only booking exams and not clarifying to guests the lunch hour thing. Needless to say, that was disappointing and something they should iron out with their call center and be more clear about upon booking. Everybody working at the office was nice enough. When I was finally able to book a cleaning months later, I was really disappointed by how rough and NOT gentle the hygienist was. I'm a regular at the dentist for cleanings. I take great care of my teeth and always receive compliments about how clean they are. Even this hygienist kept talking about how she was amazed that I had zero buildup and was asking what I did to keep my teeth so clean. If my teeth are so clean, why was she so rough? In my 30 years, I've never had my gums or jaw ache for days after a cleaning, but it sure ached a ton after this cleaning. She was nice, but perhaps could use a bit more training in being gentle. I had a third appointment booked to redo some fillings. I didn't have any cavities, but these were old fillings that needed to be redone. By this point, I'm feeling really anxious and frustrated about this dental office by my previous experiences. It's also been a long time since I've had fillings done. The dentist was nice, but also not the most gentle. She had to poke me in the gums more than once for the same spot because she couldn't get it in the right place the first time and it was extremely uncomfortable. The right side was numbed well enough, but the left side could've been numbed a tad bit more. I'm definitely not going back there, which is a bummer because it's pretty convenient location-wise. Everybody working there is nice, but they need to iron out their scheduling issues and also learn to be more gentle. My teeth and gums are not sensitive. I have another friend in the area who RECENTLY experienced the same scheduling issues; she took the day off for an exam and cleaning only to learn she'd only been scheduled for the exam when she got there. It seems they haven't ironed out their scheduling issues. I'd be hyper aware and double confirm that you're being scheduled for an exam AND cleaning if that's what you're hoping for. And be aware that they apparently don't do exams and cleanings together at 11 AM due to lunch (it'd be nice if they told you that when booking). Update: Cheryl from Gentle Dental called and we talked about my experiences here. She listened and took note, didn't try to argue or anything. I appreciated the call. She also mentioned she talked to the call center about the scheduling issues they've been having, so that's good. I hope future guests will have seamless, gentle experiences here. (Note: My review was referring to three appointments I had in 2021.)
Roger Walker
2 years ago
I really like gentle dental the nurses there are really nice
ManSlaughter Molly
2 years ago
Showed up to an appointment that they told me was canceled. I showed them the confirmation that I screenshotted for the address, and she told me it never made it "to their system" and they canceled my appointment. I would never reschedule here.
Alisa Brown
2 years ago
This was my first visit to this office. Everyone was respectful and courteous. When I had concerns or questions they were answered in depth. They made my comfort a priority and focused on preventative care. I am so glad I switched to this office.
Rachel Rondini
2 years ago
They are always very kind here. I feel like they do all they can do to keep patients safe during these time. I only wish it didn't take so long to get an appointment. I don't remember what the female dentist name is but she is wonderful.
Anchanan Heedrit
2 years ago
I have had such a terrible experience at this place. I'm not a patient there but I am a patient at the one in Dallas. Yesterday was my day of the appointment I understand that there's nothing that the dentist can do but I figured if you can't do the one she could look at the other one that was bothering me since I'm already there. What I don't get is that the nurse just yelled from behind and said ohhh she can't look at it for you you got to talk to your dentist. Even after I told them that my dentist will be done until January and I'm sure that they're well aware as well because there part of the same business. Today experience it's no better my mother has an appointment at the same time because I booked it the same day. We went in 20 minutes before her appointment time. We filled out the paperwork's nobody was in there. Then 3 people showed up for there appointment they all got in and here's my poor mother waiting for at least 45 minutes. Until I had to see what was going on and the front desk just said that my mother is scheduled for a sit and wait. Um as far as I could recalled I remember making a normal appointment for her because if I didn't how can they give us a specific time to go in. I don't have any bad things to say I'm just writing my experience there. I mean if they're not willing give us any treatment or respect then don't accept me in the first place so I could find other provider there will do so.
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