Denise Robin Lyons was born in Oswego, NY, and raised in Hannibal, NY. It has been interesting to discover that many patients know her father, Dennis, from his workdays at both the Alcan plant in Oswego or the former Miller Brewery in Fulton. She comes from a hard-working family and credits her parents for her work ethic and determination. After high school, Denise went on to earn an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Dental Hygiene and completed a double major in Biological Sciences and Psychology from The University at Buffalo.
The University of Michigan School of Dentistry was home for Denise, and where she completed her Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree in 2004. She was inducted into the National Dental Honor Society (Omicron Kappa Upsilon), which is an honor bestowed only to the top 10% of all graduating dental classes. She has received many awards, including the Periodontal Prevention Proficiency Award, the American Academy of Oral Medicine Award for achievement, proficiency, and promise in the field of Oral Medicine, as well as the Louis C. Schultz Award in Operative Rehabilitation for outstanding achievement in clinical service.
Dr. Denise Lyons entered the United States Air Force as First Lieutenant in 2002 and became an enlisted active duty Captain in 2004. She was selected into the competitive and highly desired Advanced Education in Graduate Dentistry Residency, which allowed Dr. Lyons to continue her dental training with some of the top specialists in each area of dentistry. Dr. Lyons completed her active duty dental mission in 2007 and entered the Inactive Ready Reserve component of the USAF.
Working in several offices before taking over for Dr. Penoyer in Nov 2009 allowed Dr. Lyons the time to find the right niche for her to practice the type of dental service she has envisioned since she was a child. LYONS DENTISTRY was established on November 30, 2009. Currently, Dr. Lyons is a member of the National Dental Honor Society, the American Dental Association, the New York State Dental Association, and The Fifth District Dental Society. She will be completing her training with the American Academy of Facial Cosmetics on facial injectables (neurotoxins and facial fillers) in the next 2 years.
Somehow during all of this, she was able to find and marry a wonderful man, Kevin Seymour of Fulton, NY, who has a daughter, Kacey. Kevin and Denise actually met in 1996 and had a long term, long-distance relationship while she completed her dental training and finished her service with the USAF. They were married on Halloween of 2008 in Arizona (you should ask them about their wedding day if you want a different take on how to complete the nuptials!). They were blessed with their first child together on August 9, 2011. You will see pictures of Devin all over the office as he grows very quickly. Denise has proven to be an incredibly compassionate and giving woman when it comes to her family, staff, and patients; many of whom have become lifelong friends. She holds her responsibility as a dentist to the highest standard and never stops broadening her knowledge and skills so that she may provide the best care possible to her community.
DEANNA ( DEE ) joined our team in the summer of 2020 as one of our Dental Assistants. Dee has been living in the area for a couple of years with her husband, but she originally hails from Arizona and has spent much if her time living and working on the west coast. She has worked in dentistry for over 10 years and has the skills set and knowledge to be qualified as a 'mini-dentist.' She is a diligent and determined worker who is all about educating patients about proper dental care and treatment. With her time spent traveling cross country, Dee has many great stories to share and is excellent at engaging with our patients to help ensure we always have a friendly and welcoming office atmosphere. She is an avid animal lover and enjoys tending to her greenhouse where she grows a lot of her own produce for her home cooked meals. With 3 grown children who are just beginning their adult lives away from home, Dee and her husband spend time caring for their beloved animals. With her hard work and reliability, Dee has been an excellent asset to our team and we are incredibly grateful she has come to be with us!
TESSIE is a recent graduate of the Dental Assisting program offered at Cayuga Community College and has been part of our team and a Dental Assistant since September 2019. Although she is still new to dentistry, she is always enthusiastic to learn new techniques and skills to help improve patient care. Tessie has always lived locally but grew up in Sandy Creek, NY where she became well accustomed to Upstate NY's lake effect snow and busy salmon season. She now lives in a small northern town with her partner and their young children, 3 year old Hunter and their new arrival, Lillian, who is due to be born December 2nd, 2020. Apart from working in the dental office, Tessie is also a housekeeper, often working 7 days per week. She strives to be kind to everyone she meets, whether it be inside our office or out, and is always available to lend a helping hand to anyone in need. We are hoping to help build her skills and experience for many years to come!
CARA is one of our newest members of our team, having joined us in Fall of 2020 as our insurance coordinator and front desk receptionist. Cara has 5 years of experience working with different insurances and software programs and she is quickly learning the many ins and outs of our organized and meticulous record-keeping system. Within the last two years, she has moved to Upstate NY from Connecticut with her husband. They now live in a small town with their adorable 10 month old son. Cara is often the first friendly face our patients see when entering the office and we are excited to have all of our patients meet her!
ALICE is the newest member of our team and our full-time Dental Hygienist. She joined our team in October 2020 and has been incredibly important helping to get patient care back to normal. Alice's bubbly personality and willingness to work as a team player has proven that she is a great addition to our team. Alice has over 20 years of experience as a hygienist and always ensures her patients are greeted with enthusiasm and care. We look forward to getting to know her more and were excited for our patients to continue to meet her!