Dr. Fitterling, Dr. Kirk, and our Joplin Family Dental team are passionate about dentistry and our goal is to help patients be comfortable and have healthy, beautiful smiles. We will be sensitive to your feelings, answer your questions and take good care of you and your family. You will receive exceptional and personalized care.
Dr. Fitterling, Dr. Kirk, and our entire team have attended numerous continuing education courses to assure we are using the most up-to-date techniques and advances in dental treatment including sedation dentistry and implants. Education about dentistry and your dental health is a priority and an essential part of long-term successful dentistry. Each member of our experienced team is dedicated to ensuring our patients are well-informed.
Technology has made a big difference in patient comfort. Digital x-rays and a Dental Cone Beam (CT scan of your teeth, jaws and sinuses) provide important diagnostic information. Digital iTero scans of your teeth dont require messy or goopy impressions and gagging is reduced or eliminated.
One of our experienced treatment coordinators will visit with you, answer your questions and explain recommendations, options and solutions to develop your personalized plan. YOU are the most important part of treatment decisions.
Dr. Kirk grew up in Grain Valley Missouri where he learned at a young age that hard work is the only way to achieve your goals. He always knew that he wanted to work in a profession that helped people in the community. After a trip to the dentist as a child with a broken tooth, he learned first-hand the confidence a great smile can bring to a person. This experience showed him that he wanted to be able to give people that same confidence and decided to pursue a career in Dentistry. Dr. Kirk enrolled in Northwest Missouri State University where he earned his Bachelors degree in Biology with a minor in Biochemistry graduating Suma Cum Lauda. He then went on to attend the University Of Missouri Kansas City School Of Dentistry where he graduated Suma Cum Lauda.
Dr. Kirk and his family moved to Joplin in 2015 to work at Access Family Care where he provided high quality dental care to the underserved of Joplin. Shortly after moving to Joplin he and his wife fell in love with town and knew that they wanted to make Joplin their permanent home.
Dr. Kirk and his wife Lauren were married in 2012 and have three very active boys Jackson, Chase, & Aiden. They are excited to welcome a daughter into the family late 2019. Dr. Kirk is active at his Church (Hope City) and enjoys sports, music, exercise, and spends his free time with his family.
In the 4th grade, Dr. Fitterlings teacher asked her students to write about what they wanted to be when they grew up. He wrote he wanted to be a dentist and he never changed his mind. He continued his education to achieve that goal.
In dentistry, nothing has remained the same over the years. Technology has completely changed everything. Dr. Fitterling has attended many hours of continuing education and continually reads articles and listens to webinars to provide his patients the best dental care possible from fillings to complex dentistry.
