Dr. David followed in his father's footsteps and graduated from the University of Minnesota. After completing his pediatric residency, he participated in a rotation through the Gillette Specialty Children's Hospital in their outpatient and inpatient areas. This provided the opportunity to spend additional time with the cleft palate and craniofacial team, and Dr. David has since joined their team as a staff clinician.
When Dr. David is not working at K.O.A.L.A Dental Care or Gillette Children's Hospital, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three children, two daughters and one son. They also enjoy their two dogs. He combines family life with his other passion, sports. Together they attend Gopher games, ski and enjoy the outdoors.
Dr. Rao is a Golden Gopher for life! She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Minnesota. She then received a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry. Her love for working with children led to an Advanced Education Program in Pediatric Dentistry at the Children's Hospital of Buffalo and at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine in Buffalo, New York. Dr. Rao received extensive experience in hospital dentistry, IV and conscious sedation. She is a Board-Certified Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. Dr. Rao believes in the mission of organized dentistry and its role in advocating for the public and those who serve them. She serves as current Chair of the New Dentist Committee and represents the upper Midwest on the American Dental Association's (ADA) Council on Membership. She was selected for the 2018-2019 class of the ADA's Institute of Diversity in Leadership and is working closely to bring the Mission of Mercy to West Central Minnesota.Her passion for teaching led to her becoming clinical adjunct faculty at the UofM School of Dentistry in 2015.
A Midwesterner at heart, she enjoys spending time with her husband and son (and pet rabbit, Pierre), being outdoors, Twins baseball, Gopher hockey and football! She's always on the hunt for the best pizza and tacos!
Dr. Emma is originally from St. Cloud, Minnesota. She attended the University of Minnesota for her undergraduate studies where she received a B.S. in Biology. Dr. Emma then spent one year teaching 4th-8th grade students math at Kennedy Elementary in St. Joseph, Minnesota. Dental school brought her all the way to Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts, earning her Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry degree. She then returned to the University of Minnesota to complete a specialty program in pediatric dentistry.
Outside of dentistry, Dr. Emma enjoys spending time on the lakes, with family and friends, and with her Australian Shepherd, Alfonso. Dr. Emma is excited to begin her career at K.O.A.L.A. Dental Care alongside her lifelong mentors, Dr. John Collier and Dr. David Collier. She looks forward to serving the community in which she grew up.
Payment for professional services is due at the time dental treatment is provided. This includes deductibles and co-insurance. We accept cash, personal checks, and most major credit cards. We also take Care Credit.
For patients that require dental treatment, we will customize a treatment plan unique to your child. Our treatment coordinator will review the recommended treatment and the estimation of your dental insurance reimbursement.
Our mission is through education, informed decisions and mutual respect, to provide the highest quality of pediatric dental care in the most enjoyable atmosphere. We are dedicated to excellence through improving our skills, furthering our education and building relationships.
Our pediatric dental office has the latest state-of-the-art equipment to make sure your child has access to everything he or she needs at their visits. We have desinged our offices with children in mind- offering a fun, comfortable environment which helps ensure
We pride ourselves in practicing ethically and honestly, always taking the time to explain our findings. We always consider all appropriate treatment options and try to present the most conservative plans, when possible. It is important for us to be helpful to our patients and answer any questions you might have regarding your childs dental care.
Starting early with prevention and good habits will help build a life-long smile and relationship with your pediatric dentist. Thank you for trusting us with one of the most joyful gifts a child has to offer, their smile!
We are here for you and your child. From the time your child grows their first tooth until they are ready to move on to an adult dentist, our doctors and their team will help care for and protect your childs smile. Because children are so different from adults, we take a unique approach to every patient. We treat our patients as if they were our own and we want each visit to be a fun, educational visit.