Here at Portneuf Valley Dental, we believe that a smile tells a thousand words, and we are dedicated to giving our patients high-quality dental care. We offer a full range of dental services, so all of your family's needs are met under one roof.

Our goal is for you to leave our office with a memorable and enjoyable dental experience, which is why our welcoming and compassionate staff will do everything they can to make you feel right at home.

Dr. Tanner Higham was born and raised in Shelley, Idaho. He participated in many sports throughout his life and in high school was a member of state championship teams in basketball and golf for Shelley High School. He was an All-State athlete in both basketball and golf earning Player of the Year honors his senior year.

Combining his enthusiasm for sports with his passionate pursuit for education, Tanner accepted a golf scholarship at Utah State University where he began his college education. It was at Utah State University where Tanner turned his pursuit of dentistry through a bachelors degree in nutrition where he earned Summa Cum Laude honors.

After graduating from Utah State, Dr. Higham attended dental school at Roseman University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine. He excelled in his program being driven by his desire to help people. Tanner received his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree in April 2019 graduating at the top of his class.

Dr. Higham is excited to be a part of the Portneuf Valley Dental team! He is passionate about helping families with all their dental needs. Dr. Higham utilizes the most modern technology to help provide patients with the care and comfort they deserve.

It is a core value for Dr. Higham to continue to develop his own dental specialties. Since graduating from dental school, he has received additional training in implants, surgery, sleep apnea, and cosmetic dentistry. He is committed to continuing his education and attends courses to ensure he provides the highest quality care for his patients.

Dr. Higham and his wife, Ashtyn, whom he met while in dental school, are both from Southeast Idaho. They are excited to be back in Southeast Idaho where they can enjoy the outdoors and to be closer to family. They have twin girls, Scottie and Presley, and look forward to building their family in the area. When Dr. Higham isnt focused on dentistry or spending time with his family, he can be found golfing and enjoying the outdoors.

Dr. Jayson Bird was born and raised in Shelley, Idaho. He graduated from Shelley High school where he was a state champion in 3 sports, which earned him a football scholarship to the University of Idaho. Jayson graduated with a Bachelor of Science in biology in 2008.

After graduating from the University of Idaho, Jayson entered and graduated from Creighton University dental school in 2013, where he earned honors of Magna Cum Laude. Dr. Bird practiced dentistry in north Idaho where he grew his practice with a central focus on genuine patient care.

In 2018, Dr. Bird decided he wanted to move to Idaho Falls where he could be closer to family. Dr. Bird joined Dr. Michael McHugh in 2019 with hopes to combine the two practices. In his practice, Dr. Bird emphasizes optimal, straight forward care for his patients enabling them to achieve and maintain confidence in their smile. His utilization of the best, up to date dental technology, such as CEREC Same-Day Crowns and Cone Beam 3D X rays reflects his desire to best serve his patients.

Keeping up with the fast pace of dentistry, Dr. Bird is also active in his professional affiliations and continues to attend dental seminars to stay current with the latest modifications with CEREC crowns as well as other implant and cosmetic techniques. In fact, his specialty with implants has earned him the Excellence in Implant Placement award from the American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID).

Michael T McHugh DDS is a long time Pocatello resident. Soon after his birth, his family moved to Pocatello where, with his two older sisters, they were joined by a younger sister and two younger brothers.

Mike began his education at Emerson Elementary School and liked it so much he continued to Alameda Junior High School and then graduated from Highland High School. After serving an LDS mission in Ontario and Quebec, Canada for two years he returned to attend Idaho State University.

Not being sure what he wanted to do when he grew up, Mike started out with general studies. Dr. McHugh has always liked to work with his hands and make things. A friend suggested that dentistry might be a good match. After three years of pre-dental course work and with all the proper credits, he applied to dental school and to his delight was accepted without an undergraduate degree.

Since there was no dental school in Pocatello, his schooling had to be transplanted. University of the Pacific Dental School, in San Francisco, has a three-year doctoral program. Dr. McHugh lived in Oakland and commuted to San Francisco each day for those three years. It was more cost effective to live in Oakland.

After graduation in 1980, Dr. McHugh and his young family returned to Pocatello to practice dentistry full-time. However, he still didnt know what he wanted to do when he grew up, so he decided not to.

Dr. McHugh has always been an avid reader and has taken Mark Twains dictum to heart, Never let your schooling get in the way of your education. It has been a fantastic education working with the wonderful people of Pocatello and surrounding areas. Learning all the new dental techniques and materials has kept him and his curiosity quite busy. He especially enjoys studying the restoration of implants, from a single tooth to full arch. Practicing as a general dentist allows for multiple experiences.

When not fixing someones smile, Dr. McHugh can be found reading something interesting, doing some woodcarving, fixing his computer (he probably broke it) or spending time with family. Mike and his wife Debi have thirteen children, ten boys and three girls from combined families. With thirty-six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren it does keep them busy.