At Vista Ridge Family Dentistry, we take great pride in offering high-quality care to patients in a relaxing, judgment-free environment. We want patients to feel totally at ease in our practice and confident in our ability to help them achieve a healthy, beautiful smile. Our knowledgeable and experienced team focuses on creating personal, one-on-one relationships with each patient to ensure that they feel comfortable sharing their concerns with us. Were happy that you are interested in learning more about our team, and we cant wait to get to know you and your family as well! Contact Us

After breaking his tooth during a football game, Dr. Kerrs childhood dentist met him at 11 oclock that evening to fix his tooth so that he wouldnt be in pain and could still smile at the girls. That extraordinary dental experience led him to attend the University of Texas Dental School in San Antonio and to become a dentist who provides superior care for Cedar Park families today. Dr. Kerr received his General Dentistry degree in 2007 and spent five years providing dental care for underserved children in San Antonio and Roswell, New Mexico. In May 2013, he decided to take a break from working in the corporate dental world, where he felt patients were treated more like numbers than people. He opened Vista Ridge Family Dentistry with the goal of creating strong relationships with his patients and the community. stevehacks.com

Dr. Kerr is an active member of the American Dental Association and is passionate about continuing education. Through his ongoing coursework, he has acquired a strong knowledge base in Level II Conscious Sedation, Six Month Smiles and comprehensive orthodontics. Outside of work, Dr. Kerr is passionate about personal growth through reading and exercise, but what he enjoys most of all is spending time with his supportive wife, Jeannie, and his adored daughter, Kiran.

After her first orthodontic visit at 12 years old, Dr. Patel discovered a new world that combined both her love for art and health care. She continued to volunteer at dental offices and community service events and developed a growing passion for dentistry. Dr. Patel went on to pursue a degree in Biology at the University of Texas at San Antonio and continued on to receive her Doctorate of Dental Surgery from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. In June of 2015, immediately after dental school, Dr. Patel completed a one year residency at the Olin E. Teague Veterans Center to pursue an Advanced Education in General Dentistry. Her experience provided her with the skills to treat more medically complex patients, perform conscious sedation and complete dental surgeries including extractions, place implants and perform minor periodontal surgeries. Dr. Patel is an active member of the ADA and AGD. She is passionate about community service and continuing education in fields including sleep medicine, sedation, and the treatment of periodontal disease. Outside of work, Dr. Patel enjoys spending time running, traveling and spending time with friends and family.

Dr. Dekow was born in Massachusetts and grew up just north of Boston. Growing up, his family was all about spending time outdoors, which is something he still loves to do. Before he decided to become a dentist, Dr. Dekow worked as a biomedical engineer for GE Healthcare. Although he enjoyed his job, he missed regularly interacting with people and felt like he wasnt contributing to his community as much as he wanted to. Dr. Dekow completed his undergraduate degree in engineering at Duke University in Durham, NC, and his Doctorate of Dental Medicine from Boston University. He completed his residency at Fort Hood and earned his masters degree in oral biology from the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences. He also has experience with forensic dentistry that came from serving in the U.S. Army. Dr. Dekow loves teaching others about dentistry, and he spent a year as a mentor and Assistant Director of a general dentistry residency program, which allowed him to teach residents. He also enjoys teaching patients about their own oral health, as well as teaching different tips and tricks to other providers. Helping others is what he loves to do and what motivates him every single day. In his free time, Dr. Dekow loves hiking, biking, and exploring different parks in the Austin area. He also loves to ski whenever he has a chance to travel up north, and skiing in the Alps is high up on his bucket list. Dr. Dekows wife, Amanda, grew up near a lake in Michigan, and they enjoy bringing their two children, Parker and Kate, to Lake Travis and other local lakes and rivers. The Dekow family also has a Wheaton Terrier named Gracie, who always enjoys joining their adventures whenever she can.

Dr. Ali was born in Pakistan and moved over to Houston at the age of 8. While she moved to Texas at a young age, Dr. Ali is no stranger to Austin as she completed her undergraduate degree in Public Health at the University of Texas. During her time at UT, she fell in love with dentistry due to the impact dentistry has in changing lives and smiles. After completing her undergraduate degree, Dr. Ali spent some time in California to complete dental school. She received her Doctorate of Dental Medicine from the Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, CA. Dr. Ali also proudly completed a residency through the Veteran Affairs in Palo Alto. After her time away, Dr. Ali has returned to Austin to serve the community that inspired her. Dr. Ali is thoughtful and passionate about helping others and loves to solve new challenges. She aims to educate her patients as much as possible in their health and advocates for their well-being. In her free time, Dr. Ali is just like her patients that enjoy Netflix and cooking. When Dr. Ali gets the chance, shed like to complete a 5k and then take on a half marathon or do something less physical like see lighthouses off the shore in Maine or relax in Greece.

Tatiana was born and raised in southwest Russia. She moved to the U.S. in 2002 and Austin in 2010. She attended Darton College in Albany, GA, for her dental hygiene degree. Tatiana chose to work in the dental field because she loves creating strong relationships with patients and helping them improve their quality of life. Tatiana believes that the best piece of advice she has ever received was to become a dental hygienist. Outside of the office, she enjoys dancing, live music, and walking nature trails.

Kisha was born in Fort Hood and grew up in Copperas Cove, where she still lives. She worked in the medical industry for six years before transitioning to the dental field. Kisha loves being surrounded by positive, supportive coworkers and always strives to greet patients in a positive and friendly manner to help ensure that they have great experiences in our office. When shes not at the office, Kisha enjoys spending time with her two children, Ayesha and Eric, relaxing, swimming, traveling, and enjoying life.

Kiley is from Austin originally and grew up in Burnet. She attended Burnet High School before earning her dental Registered Dental Assistant certification from Austin Dental Assistant School. Kiley knew she wanted to work in dentistry because a persons teeth are one of the first things she notices about them. While working with Kiley, you can expect her to strike up a fun conversation with you during every visit. Outside of the office, Kiley loves being outside, working out, hiking, swimming, roller skating, and playing basketball.

Kelley was born and raised in Muskegon, Michigan, and moved to Killeen when she was 19 years old. Once she found her way into the field of dentistry, she realized how much she enjoyed the work and decided to stay. Its always her hope that when patients walk through the door that they see the friendly, smiling faces in our office, and some of their anxiety is relieved. In her free time, Kelley enjoys going to the beach, reading historical fiction, and spending time in her backyard with her six chickens.

Heather was born in Austin, raised in Elgin, and currently resides in Hutto. She decided to pursue a career in dentistry after taking an aptitude test and following the results. As it turns out, Heather loves being a Registered Dental Assistant and providing quality care for her patients. Her favorite part of her job is making patients feel comfortable and happy while helping them maintain their oral health. In her spare time, Heather enjoys spending time with her husband, two children, and two dogs.

Brandon was born in Waco but grew up in Austin. He attended Manor Dental Assistant School for his Registered Dental Assisting certification. Brandon enjoys working in the dental field because he loves helping others and believes that having a healthy smile is incredibly important. He also makes sure to listen to each patients concerns carefully to provide them with the best care he possibly can. Outside of the office, Brandon enjoys playing basketball and working out.

Emily was born and raised in Round Rock and graduated from Austin Dental Assistant School in 2017. She always knew that she wanted to pursue a health-related profession and she loved going to the dentist, even as a kid. It was the dental team at the practice she went to for 15 years who ultimately encouraged her to give dentistry a try. Emily loves making patients laugh and believes that visiting the dentist doesnt have to be such a serious experience. In her free time, Emily enjoys cooking, country dancing, spending time with family, and going to dog parks with her two black labs, Luke and Tucker.

Jennifer is a born and raised Texan. Always keenly interested in understanding how things work, a love for biology and an interest in healthcare led to a career in dentistry. Jennifer loves explaining the why in the dental treatment process. If youve ever wondered why we recommend a particular treatment plan, Jen is the person to help you understand it! Outside of the practice, she loves spending time with her husband and two kids, Memphis and Phoenix, and catching up on much needed zzzs.

Kayla was born and raised in Lockhart and currently resides in Liberty Hill. She attended Dental Genius Assisting School in Liberty Hill for her dental education. Kayla chose a career in dentistry so she could help patients feel confident about their smiles, and she loves bonding with each patient and making their dental experiences as stress-free and pleasant as possible. In her free time, Kayla enjoys working on crafts and spending time with her friends, family, and her two Yorkies, Libby and Bently.

Aleysha is a Midwest girlshe grew up in a small town in Iowa and recently relocated from Minnesota. She graduated from Minnesota State University, Mankato in 2016 with a BS in Dental Hygiene and a minor in Food and Nutrition. Aleysha is continuously staying educated on the latest research and techniques concerning her patients oral health. She is certified in nitrous administration and CPR. For Aleysha, the best part of this job is getting to know her patients and caring for them as a whole person. She loves educating and seeing patients hard work pay off through improved oral and overall health. Aleysha is a proud wife and dog mom. Shes been married to her husband, Derek, for two years and they have a lab-collie mix named Chance, who is basically their first child. When shes not in the office, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, hiking, reading a good book by the pool, exploring Austin, and watching sports.

Sarah was born and raised in Texas and has been working with Vista Ridge Family Dentistry since 2013. She loves everything about her job, especially interacting with patients, caring for people, working with a great team, and learning new things every day! Sarah is married and has two amazing kids, Gracie and Alex.

Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Nicole considers herself a true Austinite. Nicole graduated from a small charter school where she walked with only 24 other people! From there she took a few college courses at ACC including psychology and math. She ended up at Austin Dental Assistant School and graduated in July 2016. Her favorite part of her job is seeing the patients who come in and are completely silent, hesitant and anxious, and eventually begin to smile, laugh, relax and start cutting their own jokes. She loves being a part of that break through transformation and building that trust and relationship. In her free time, Nicole considers herself an outdoor person. She loves being at the lake with her family and seeing her boys enjoy the hobbies she used to, like dirt bike riding and sports. Nicole cherishes family time and building memories as a family (with a little me time in between). Nicole is currently engaged, and her and her fianc have three boys one is 5 and two are 4. They also have a nutty Chihuahua mix named Milo.

Tara remembers that she loved going to the dentist as a child, and that led her to become a registered dental assistant as an adult. Tara embraces the Vista Ridge mission of making our patients feel like family, and we love having her on our team because of her joy for helping patients feel at ease. When Tara isnt hard at work helping our patients achieve healthy smiles, she loves spending time with her husband, son, and daughter.

Shelby, a born and raised Texan, loves her job! She chose to work in dentistry because she wanted to help people regain their confidence and love their smile. Every day, Shelby raises our patients spirits and helps them achieve their dream smile. When shes not promoting smiles, she enjoys the outdoors and her two young sons. Someday, she hopes to explore the world and maybe go to Jamaica. In the meantime, were happy to have her as a part of the Vista Ridge team!

Alice is from Lamesa, TX and currently lives in Lubbock. She is very detail-oriented and does her best every day to make sure that patients are able to get the most out of their dental benefits. Alice loves what she does and the people she gets to work with on a daily basis. Outside of the office, she enjoys spending time with family, cleaning, and painting. She also has a miniature Yorkie named Itsy and a Yorkshire Terrier named Trixie, both of whom she enjoys hanging out with in her free time.

Leah was born and raised in Seguin and lives in Killeen with her husband, Spencer, and their mouthy Schnauzer, Porter. Leah values having a stable career and securing her future, which is what led her to attend Texas States dental assistant training program. She loves seeing patients smile after their treatment is complete and feels it is important to maintain a positive attitude while explaining dental procedures. When shes not in the office, you can usually find Leah spending time with friends or laying on the couch and watching the Twilight Saga on repeat.

Valeria was born in Puerto Rico and lives in Harker Heights. She has always known she wanted to work in a health-related field and was inspired to pursue a career in dentistry because of her sister, who is a registered dental assistant. Valeria attended Harker Heights High School and Austin Dental Assistant Academy for her dental training. She loves everything about her job, especially helping patients and making their experiences fun, so they look forward to coming back. In her free time, Valeria enjoys playing with her son, Jayce, and spending time with her boyfriend, Jalen.