Dr. Hannah grew up in a small town in Washington state and is a Pacific Northwest native. She was a collegiate swimmer throughout undergrad, where she met her husband who was also on the team. After graduating together, they moved to Portland for their doctorate studies, Hannah graduating from OHSU School of Dentistry, and Ilya from University of Western States as a Chiropractor.

Dr. Hannah is thrilled to have taken over a long standing dental office that has been serving the local community for over 60 years. She and her team take pride in making patients feel at ease in the dental chair while listening wholeheartedly to their desires and needs concerning their teeth, smile, and overall wellness.

Outside of dentistry, Dr. Hannah enjoys spending time with her husband, cats, and family. She is also interested in all aspects of health & fitness, practicing yoga, running, hiking, skiing, and exploring beautiful places!

Sherry started in the dental field with her dad, Dr. Dalton Cooley when she was 16 years old after school and summers. Then in 1979, she started full time at this very practice. She is married and has two grown daughters. When not working, she enjoys spending time with her family and pets.

Kris is a long time Albany resident that graduated from LBCC. After 20 plus years assisting at this office, she expanded her career to the front office. Kris is attached to Albany and the long-time patients in the office and enjoys seeing them in the community. When Kris isnt greeting you at the office, you may see her frequenting local business, going to bazaars and antiquing.

Jeanne has worked as a dental hygienist since 1993, and most of those years have been right here at this office! She enjoys getting to know her patients and seeing them year after year. Out of the office, Jeanne enjoys family time with her husband and two kids (one of which is in college). She lives on a small farm and loves riding her horses, gardening, hiking, and kayaking.

Liz has been a dental assistant for 21 years. She loves hunting, fishing, camping and anything outdoors. She has two amazing kids, one son and one daughter. She has been a Linn County resident her whole life!

Judy grew up in Canada and graduated dental hygiene from the University of Alberta. Most of her hygiene career has been in private practices in Colorado and Montana. Prior to moving to Albany, she worked as a dental hygiene clinical instructor at Oregon Institute of Technology. She prides herself in her gentle, yet thorough approach. Most importantly she appreciates the lasting relationships she makes with her patients and their families. Outside of work, Judy enjoys baking and sewing as well as spending time hiking, biking, and traveling with her husband.

Nicole is the newest member of our practice and has been with us since Dr. Hannah took over earlier this year. She was born and raised in Illinois and has called Oregon home since 2017. She graduated from Practical Dental Assisting in Corvallis with an Expanded Functions Dental Assistant (EFDA) certificate in 2020. Nicole has many years of customer service experience prior to assisting and has now found a love for helping patients with their oral health needs.

She works hard to ensure every patient receives the highest level of care possible throughout their time at our office. Outside of the office, Nicole and her husband enjoy hiking, kayaking, camping, and snowboarding. Her bucket list dream is to one day scuba dive in the Galapagos.

A family dentist serves patients of most ages, addressing their different oral health needs as they grow older. Patients can keep seeing the same family dentist or the same group of family dentists for decades. Family dentist practices function as primary care dentists and treat family members such as parents, children, and grandparents.

Family dentists work with both children and adults to care for these patients as they grow and change. These dentists emphasize patient involvement by providing accessible, continuous, patient-centered, and comprehensive care. The hallmarks of many family dentistry practices include services that benefit patients at all stages of life, such as:

Family dentists make a point of getting to know their patients. They encourage regular checkups and catch emerging issues such as cavities. They provide continuity of care even if patients do not see the same professional on each visit. Information such as medical histories, diagnoses, and treatment plans are less likely to fall through any cracks. Centralized paperwork and familiarity with medical history also help dentists pinpoint and treat various oral health issues.

A family dentist can practice alone, but some partner with other dentists. Whatever the case, a family dentist treats various needs. Patients often turn to their family dental practice for checkups, cleanings, cavity prevention and treatment, tooth decay deterrence, and gum disease prevention. Some practices may even provide orthodontic services, cosmetic dentistry, pediatric dentistry, and other types of specialized dentistry. When necessary, family dentists refer patients to specialized dentists for other types of treatment.

A patient's first visit to a family dentist will consist of a thorough physical examination to assess their needs and current dental health. This will involve a dental exam and updated X-rays. X-rays are particularly essential as they can diagnose and evaluate any potential issues that an exam cannot detect. West Albany Dental will also perform a thorough dental cleaning as part of the first visit. Then, once completed, our team will discuss any X-ray results and devise a customized treatment plan to meet each patient's unique needs.

A. Family dentists treat most ages, caring for both children and senior citizens. If the practice includes a pediatric dentist, it might accept infant patients. Otherwise, a family dentist tends to see children once they are in kindergarten.

A. Most likely, yes. However, if the cavity is severe enough, family dentists may need to refer patients elsewhere for more specialized care. Regular checkups with your family dentist can help prevent cavities.

A. In general, each patient should visit once or twice a year. Dentists prefer to see children every six months. Meanwhile, adults with teeth in excellent condition might visit only once a year. People who are pregnant, undergoing chemotherapy, or dealing with serious health issues may need to visit their dentist more frequently than twice a year. We can help determine your unique risk profile.

By visiting us as soon as possible, our team can help get you the professional treatment you need. Instead of waiting around and allowing the symptoms to get worse, we can provide you with treatment options.

If you have recently been diagnosed with TMJ disorder, a dentist might recommend getting a bite guard to ease the symptoms. TMJ disorder causes symptoms such as earaches, headaches and facial pain. Since the symptoms worsen gradually and appear unrelated, the condition can go undiagnosed and untreated, and it affects a patient's quality of life.Several

A general dentist is a professional in a position of enormous trust. A dentist's duties include diagnosing and sometimes treating conditions of the mouth to relieve oral pain, as well as performing prophylactic treatment to prevent dental conditions. Becoming a dentist involves meeting requirements set by the state to obtain a dental license. To get

Despite what many people think, a general dentist wants to see strong, healthy teeth when patients come into the office. Dentists are, in fact, the most prominent champions of clean and cavity-free teeth; they work to educate patients and community members about proper oral care techniques and cleaning practices. With the right level of care,

Suffering a broken tooth can be scary. However, there are several effective ways that dentists can promptly treat a broken tooth and restore its health and appearance. It is important to know the proper way to handle a broken tooth once it occurs, as well as the available treatment options to consider from your dentist.The