Upon graduation from St. Olaf College, I spent two years in Mali, West Africa as a health care volunteer for the Peace Corps. It was during this impressionable journey that I decided to pursue a career in dentistry.
My dental degree is from the University of Minnesota. I also earned a Masters of Science degree while completing my pediatric dental residency at the University of Minnesota. This past fall I became a board certified pediatric dentist.
Loving children, from Mali to Mankato, is the foundation of my decision to become a pediatric dentist. I aspire to inspire young lives, making a difference with potential lasting effects. I enjoy being not only a dentist, but a teacher, a coach, and a mentor of oral health care and prevention of disease.
I studied dentistry at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry and spent a year practicing Hospital Dentistry in Chicago where I finished a General Practice Residency. I returned to Minnesota and completed a Pediatric Dentistry Residency in my home state. Before dental school, I graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College and looked forward to returning to Southern Minnesota. I am a Board Certified Diplomate with the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and a member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.
I chose pediatric dentistry because working with kids and patients with special health care needs is fun and rewarding. Dental caries, or cavities, is the most common chronic disease of childhood and adolescence. I want to help decrease the problems that come with cavities and dental pain and infections through education, prevention and treatment. Parents, children and the dental team all work together to develop proper hygiene and care that will last a lifetime.
I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for the trust you have given me over the years. As some of you may be aware, I have retired from active practice on December 31st, 2020. I am writing to let you know so you will have a smooth transition to one of my outstanding colleagues, Drs. Ovalle, Bothun and Solie. I have the utmost confidence that they will continue to provide compassionate care for your children. It has been a great honor and privilege to be part of a dedicated group of pediatric dentists and team members for 27 years.
There has been no greater reward for me than to have learned and benefitted from the strength, wisdom and enthusiasm of my patients and their families. I leave you with the best wishes for your future dental health. Keep smiling!