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Interested in a more personal glimpse into the
team at 21st Century Dental?
We have all taken a personality test to determine how we can best
interact with each other and provide the best environment for our
family of patients. If you would like to read a team member's own
personality profile, simply click the monkey underneath each of
their bios. |
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| B. Kent Smith
- DDS - married to Diana
since 1982, he is the father of 4 beautiful girls, who will be
allowed
to wed after his death. Much
of his spare time is spent supplying
continuing education information for professionals with his web
site, www.FindCE.com and opportunities
for speakers with www.Find-Speaker.com.
Frequently published, Dr. Smith is often asked to speak on topics such as sleep apnea, short term orthodontics, web site development and inter-office communication. An active member of the International Association for Comprehensive Aesthetics (Lamplighter Award for 2008), American Academy of Dental Practice Administration, the American Academy of Craniofacial Pain and the American Academy for Dental Sleep Medicine, he is also
on the Advisory Board for Sleep Healers, and the co-founder, co-director and chief operations officer for the Dental Organization for Sleep Apnea.
In 2006, he was appointed as the course director/instructor for Sleep Breathing Disorders at the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies, and teaches workshops there on a regular basis. In 2009, he was asked to be a clinical instructor for Six Month Smiles, which is a type of Short Term Orthodontics using clear braces.
He and the family enjoy scuba diving together, and are all rabid Dallas Maverick fans. An Eagle Scout, he annually works with his brother, a neuro-ophthalmologist and fellow Eagle Scout, in providing care to the less fortunate in and around Tampico, Mexico.
Dr. Smith established what is now 21st Century Dental in 1985,
and is excited to be practicing in this new era of dentistry. He
is
passionate about creating beautiful and functional smiles for his
patients, and to that end, he stays on the leading edge of research
and development of new materials and procedures. Truthfully, he's
the best darn dentist in the world. In his spare time, he writes
bios for web sites. See his full CV here. See his speaking schedule here.
*addendum - Daughter #1 is now married, and rumors of Dr. Smith's demise are greatly exaggerated - he now has a son, and is no longer the tallest family member!
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Jeff M. Roy - DDS – “Family first”, Dr. Roy shown with the love of his life and his pride and joy. Married to Alicia in June of 1996; he's incredibly proud of her heart of service and compassion through ALARM, and a multitude of other charitable avenues locally, and globally.
Hunter is focused on computers, video games, and is showing an affinity for the Dallas Mavs, like his dad. He is a voracious reader and loves to discuss and debate many topics, and has a great sense of humor! Hannah is fiery, passionate, and bursting at the seams with love, spirit and entertainment. The girl loves dogs! Burdened by how she’ll someday be a veterinarian, dentist, drummer, AND softball player, her Dad has suggested USA Olympic softball with drummer duties (at IBC) on weekends, all while becoming a dentist for animals…which of course means she’ll conversely end up being a third world country missionary, or anything unrelated to the aforementioned options.
Dr. Roy was awarded the prestigious Fellowship status in the Academy of General Dentistry in July of 2004. Dr. Roy was also honored as the 2007 Dentist of the Year of the Dallas Academy of General Dentistry by his peers, and represented Dallas at the Texas AGD Annual Meeting. He was selected as a Texas Monthly Super Dentist by his peers for 2008 and 2009 based on the following criteria. He feels especially honored to be chosen by his colleagues, and wants to humbly thank them for this recognition (yet must assure the web surfing world that he's not superior to any Texas Dentist)!
An active, sought after leader serving or logging past service on multiple boards and leadership committees within the dental profession, he is Past President and Board Director of the Dallas Academy of General Dentistry, a National Delegate, and current Board Director for the Texas Academy of General Dentistry. Most recently, Dr. Roy was named Editor for Texas GP, the official publication for Texas general dentists in the Texas AGD.
In his spare time, he fancies any manner of family fun, and (as time permits) internet dental forums, Twitter, and playing or following most sports activities.
Dr. Roy also *really* likes to run...very long distances for some peculiar reason. Breaking no records for speed, he best describes his style as one of a "finisher".
After conquering the White Rock Half-Marathon a couple of times and a Marathon (Cowtown) relay, he hinted at sanity by taking a sabbatical of sorts (and a multi-month tiramisu binge). Jumping back on (or should we say off?) the wagon in 2006, he trained for and conquered his first marathon, a leisurely stroll through the 5 NYC boroughs via the ING New York City Marathon 2006. Apparently hooked, he then logged the Marine Corps Marathon in October 2007, the Texas Independence Relay, and the 2008 Chicago Marathon as a charitable member of Team World Vision. For 2009, he stayed home for the Dallas White Rock Marathon and enjoys various fun runs around the metroplex. He’s now even lured his wife to the dark side of the running world and she has taken up the sport (“If you can’t beat them…”).
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| Ken White - DDS
- Hangs out with us on Mondays (since 1998), and with a hygienist
on a more regular basis. In fact, he married our Kristin in 2007 on a beautiful island in Iceland. He and Kristin enjoy scuba
diving, sailing, skiing, music, and bicycling. Performing root
canals exclusively has warped Dr. White to the point he prefers
Macs to
PCs.
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Monica Bazan - DDS - Periodontist - Dr. Bazan became
a part of our family in 2003. Here we see her disguised as a tourist,
but the paparazzi found her anyway, in the south of Italy. How Bazan;
how Bazan.
Originally from Houston, she attended the University of
Dallas, then Baylor College of Dentistry, but then spent five years
on the east coast unlearning that wonderful drawl. She is very happy
to be back in the Lone Star State, where she can train for marathons
on level and holy ground. She enjoys traveling, reading medical murder
thrillers, and collecting Italian cigars. How Monica; How Monica.
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| Jill Cruson- Chairside Assistant
- in her 21st year!... married for 16 years to Tommy, mom
to Justin Blake, and a "don't-forget-me-mommy!" to big
sis Aubree; She enjoys country music, country videos and country
cooking, so we caynt quite figger how she wined up hangin with us
city folk. Anyhow, once we lassoed her, she's been a harder worker
than Buford the bull in that pasture of ugly cows.
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| Kelly Habben - Practice
Administrator recently celebrated her 18th year with us...a diehard
Parrothead, she enjoys travel, movies, Las Vegas and Tom,
not necessarily
in that order. Actually, the way she talks about Tom, most of the
women here wish he was still available!
Kelly reads quite
a bit,
and has a special interest in mental illness education, which comes
in handy when dealing with the doctors. Seriously, though,
she’s
the rock around here. She punches no physical or mental clocks,
and if you've got a problem, whether patient or team member,
Kelly’s
office is always open….especially if Jimmy Buffet wanders
in.
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Christy Sturgeon - Recall manager with us since 1998; Christy actually began her career here as a chair side assistant for both Smith (take a kid fishing) and Roy (her favorite), then moved to the front where she tackles any and all hygiene appointments. She is the gal to go to if you need your teeth cleaned or just want to see your dental hygienist for any other reason…(ed. note - hygienists do not mow the lawn...ask me how I know)
Christy has two children ages 16 and 7, who are the love of her life. She enjoys watching movies (mostly comedy) and love stories (ick). The Notebook is her all time favorite (was that a real movie?). She also enjoys the outdoors, whether it be bike riding or just going to the park to watch Katie play.
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| Dovie Williams - Finance Coordinator
- Arriving here in 2001, Dovie (not Debbie) has worked in the field of dentistry for the last 25 years.
Born in
Grapevine, when she is not spending time with the boys, she enjoys
scrapbooks, cross-stitching, exercising and gardening, where she
specializes in roses and herbs. An animal lover, she has 2 cats
and a very active, puppy. Although you will not see her much (she says we all remind her of the animals at home, so she stays locked away in a back room), you will be glad she is a determined young lady. After all, she's the one who hassles your insurance company for your money.
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Kristi "Bailey" Horn -Schedule Coordinator
- Kristi (actually, she now goes by Bailey so she is not confused
with Christy, Kris Kringle or Crysanthemum) came to us in 2000 with plenty
of experience. Bailey will be the first smiling face you see when
you come in to see us, and we put her there because her big smile
will tell you she is genuinely glad to see you walk in that door!
A former chairside assistant for Dr. Roy, she is very knowledgeable
about clinical issues, so if you break a tooth, you can certainly
cry on her shoulder when you call.
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| Laurie Meyers-
Hygienist - with 21st Century Dental since 2001, Laurie is a native Texan and in her 9th
year of hygiene. Although cursed with a left-handed disposition,
she has overcome that fault by practicing right-handed. She would
use both hands, but she can't spell ambidextrous. She married the
love of her life in August, 2001.
Our "senior hygienist" (unrelated to age, she would like me to point out), Laurie is the one you can see if you want experience, if you are passionate about excellent oral health, and if you like ugly dogs. Heck, even if you don't like ugly dogs, just pretend like hers is cute.
She has recently taken up golf to keep Matt
close, and Tae-Bo to keep him off. Typical woman. Oh, and BTW, she is also our expert on orofacial myofunctional disorders, so be sure to check out that page on our web site. The biggest news, however, is the birth of Bransen! He's a little man in the photo here, but you can see him on our 21st Century Babes page in the fresh squid stage.
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Helen Brewer -
Hygienist - She brings a wealth of experience and maturity to our hygiene team all packaged in a sweet spirit and warm personality! Not to mention her smile, her teeth are perfect; we're so jealous!
When not detoxifying gingival sulci (fancy dental speak for showing gum bacteria who's boss), she spends time being a sports agent and manager for Dimitrian, her wonderful son, supervising the logistics as he shuffles to and from junior high football games and school. Proof of her astute mothering skills, she practices many of the technological advances that Robert Deniro utilized while watching his future son-n-law, Greg Focker, in the movie Meet the Parents. Born and reared in Odessa, it's no wonder her son Dimitrian is a "natural" football player...credit Friday Night Lights, it's in his blood!
When not entertaining, cooking, or hanging out by the pool, she does her fair share of "hard time" volunteering with the PTA, locally. A single mom, act fast fellas; she even likes watching football and fishing at her parents' lake house!!!!!
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Cameron Caywood
- Hygienist - Coming to 21st Century Dental in 2003 - When we hired
Cameron, we were not really looking to add a 4th hygienist, but
her magnetic and energizing personality left us no choice. When
you see her smile, you will understand. She and husband Tracy enjoy
sports and competition, illustrated by the fact they own their
own bowling balls. You can find her after hours using our hallway
for practice. They have gradually migrated to the links, however, because Cameron can drive her cart and not worry about getting pulled over.
Growing up on Lake Bridgeport, she has been skiing
her whole life, and enjoys liberally-defined water sports like
fishing and snow skiing. Other interests include softball, putt-putt
and spoiling her weenie dogs, Georgia and Daisy...with food scraps from the
table.
Cameron and Tracy have two wonderfully engaging children, Madeline and Samuel. As we have no photos to share here, we must assume a rather lackluster and ambivalent attitude towards her children, but rest assured, she cares for her patients, so come meet Cameron soon...and if you see any photos of the kids...sneak one to us!
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Avis Griffin
-Dental Assistant. When this sweet woman entered
our lives, we were lucky enough to tap into 23 years of dental
experience! She's happily married with a son Ketrick and daughter
Megan, the track stars of the family. Her children aren't the only
ones running...a busy body, she loves home improvement projects
and unwinds through hobbies such as drawing and painting. A triplet,
Avis has a sincere heart and loves helping people both inside and
outside the walls of this practice. Her most recent
charitable offerings involve donated laughter when Dr. Roy lofts
more of his sad joke attempts (opinion of the team of course, not
the author). For three times the compassion and sincerity, come
see this smile in person!
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April Casanova - Dental Assistant - a sweet and charming family member at 21st Century Dental...born in New York, raised in Orlando, she somehow couldn't shake the curse of being a New York Yankees fan#!%..well, she really just likes how Derek Jeter looks in his pins and stripes.
She has a special interest working with Dr. Smith and his snoring and sleep apnea patients, but for some reason will not let us call her the Sleep Expert.
The light of her life is her precious daughter Elizabeth, born in 2003. Do your best to make her smile...your payoff will be a glimpse at the cutest dimples.
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Lil Ortega -Dental Hygienist
Born in Southern Brazil, meet Maria Leopoldina Ortega ..um, yeah, so we
just call her "Lil". She's the newest smiling face in our office on the
dental hygiene team, and just your average Brazilian (thought that was a
big number, not a country, or now that we have the med spa and laser hair
removal..oh never mind) girl in the US working on the thing she loves most
- teeth (whatever). Dr. Roy (her favorite) met her on a mission trip in
Mexico, bragged about her to Dr. Smith and Kelly for two years, and "the
rest is history" as they say. Married to Michael, an IT consultant and
"computer genius" (sweet, he'll come in handy); they are raising 2 lovely
children (shhh, "They're actually dogs; don't tell Lil") named Bernard and
Socks. Lil loves to travel, save dogs, be with her family, and save dogs.
Lil has a BIG heart, and I'd say it's "one in a Brazilian"! (oh yeah,
country not number) She loves to help people and can't drive by a stray
dog w/o picking it up. Michael is pretty sure she'll open her own shelter
so "hollah" if you have some cheap land close enough to Irving for a
sensible commute. They now have a third child named "Girlie" (guessing
it's a male), but they can't find her owner. Sounds like a third addition
to me! In Texas, we say folks like Lil are "sweeter than Molasses", and
we could tell you a Brazilian (don't try and stop me) ways that's true for
her.
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Lisa Barrera - Patient Care and Financial Coordinator - Joined us in 2005, but it feels like she has been a part of the team forever. Born in California, but daughter of a Marine, she has moved so many times she started taking the house numbers with her so she wouldn't have to learn a new address. A college cheerleader, she attracted husband Nick, who was, and still is, playing baseball. Very family-oriented, she spends a great deal of time with her extended families, usually watching baseball and softball games with daughters Gabi and Alyssa. If we end up with ponytails, a 21st Century Dental mascot and the tendency to pull out a megaphone and yell out D-E-C-A-Y, you will know who to blame.
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Esther Adame - Dental Assistant - Born in Cuernavaca Morelos, Mexico, raised in Lynwood, CA where she lived for 10 years before moving to Irving. Married to Miguel, they were blessed with the most beautiful daughter, Karen Angelina.
She enjoys collecting inanimate replicas of anything from the jungle, like tigers, giraffes, and Tarzan statues. A movie and culinary buff, she loves to cook "new things" and spend quality time with her hubby and daughter! Sweet and calm, she has a smile to brighten anyone's day.
Venga Decir "Hola" a Esther!
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Kimberly Randle - Treatment Coordinator - New to 21st Century Dental in 2006, Kimberly brings yet another wonderful smile to our awesome team. When not spending time with her beautiful children, Kim enjoys spending time with other beautiful people, which is why she greets our beautiful patients every day.
Among her many traits , Kim has an unusual sense of propriety, a keen aptitude for civility, the mental acuity of a savant, and used to hold the high moral ground on toy weapons until Parker chewed his toast into the shape of a gun.
Let's give a big round of applause to the engaging and enigmatic Kimberly!
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Natalie Castillo - Dental Assistant – Where do we start here? Girl grows up in Dallas, marries boy, moves to Phoenix, then moves back home to Big D thinking she’s a Phoenix Suns fan, God forbid. How did that little nugget sneak past the Docs in the interviewing process?
First comes marriage to Stephen in 2005. It was a package deal…handsome young Chance was the bonus. Along comes two other beautiful children, Sophia and Nicholas; she will save the world (especially the animals!) and he plans to charm it…both love music! Dancing with the Stars is a way of life in the Castillo household, and there’s no need to wait until Saturday Night to catch the fever! An accomplished assistant, Dr. Roy is elated to have found her. She’s steady, calm, and more than able to handle the gale force winds of life and practice! Now back to those sports alliances…
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Sabrina Ehlers - Registered Dental Assistant - Sabrina doesn't actually work for us, but her boyfriend, Jeff, really wanted his picture on our web site, so we are just pretending like she's part of the team.
Continuing the tall tales, Sabrina is a blast to work with, is an engaging conversationalist, has a kind word to say about everyone and is close to six feet tall.
She's a raving Texas Rangers fan, loves to work out, and describes herself as outgoing and shy. We describe her as conflicted...no, indecisive. She named her dogs Kamri, Molly and Otis, which is why she is not allowed to make important decisions around the office.
Quite seriously, she is a great addition to Dr. Smith's team of assistants, and we are very fortunate she came our way. We all hope she is a long-timer here, and we know you will enjoy getting to know her.
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Mariah Allen - Invisalign Queen - Mariah and husband Rusty hail from Stillwater, Oklahoma, which explains why she gets a bit freaky around running water. She loves music - so much so that she named their first child Ruby Tuesday, but by the time their second daughter was born, they couldn't think of any more birth stones or days of the week, so they called her Chloe. That's what listening to the Stones will do to you.
They have lived in New York, Chicago and Destin, Florida, but still bleed Oklahoma State orange. If that doesn't make you go "Wow", consider this - Mariah and Ruby Tuesday have the same birthday - Halloween! (now that is freaky)
The smile she shows to the right is infectious, and rarely leaves her face. She has added an amazing personality to our office, and if you have yet to meet her, put it on your to-do list.
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| Dustin Kasischke - Dental Hygienist - Despite growing up in Redlands, CA, he's a Cowboys fan...'nuff said. Married to Beth - a Texas-reared dentist who was educated in Cali. The youngest of three boys paired with the youngest of three girls, odds are that they were spoiled rotten...sure turned out fine if you ask us.
While he was still on one knee, she persuaded him back to TX b/c, well, she could. He gave her a Pug named "Sam" when he proposed, and recently added a Pug named "Happy" to the family. Beth likes working out, and being with the puppies. Dustin prefers cycling, and fast enough that those short legged rascals can't catch him. They've decided that the Pug underbite adds character; besides, compliance with Invisalign aligners might be an issue.
When he's not fine tuning oral bling in Op 10, he puts that La Sierra U. art degree his parents paid for to use with black and white photos, and oil painting...never hurts to have an artist focused on your mouth. If your head mimicked a confused and curious Pug while pondering the Kasischke pronunciation, just call him "Dustin".
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Angie Ramsey - Registered Dental Assistant - Never one to say "no", we offered the job to Angie, and she took it. We like a bit more discernment in our team members, but her other qualities make up for that personality glitch.
She loves all things having to do with lake living, including wake boards, jet skis, camping, 4-wheeling and water mocassins...wait, no not water mocassins. She tells us she has no affinity for spiders or snakes, but in the same sentence, mentions her boyfriend Glenn, so we're not sure what to make of that. We think son Landin will teach her to get along better with reptiles and arachnids.
Regardless, we are excited to have Angie here, as she brings a great smile and infectious attitude that says "Get out of my way, cause I'm here to work!"
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Cheryl Gwartney, RN - Aesthetic Nurse - Cheryl brings to 21st Century Dental and Medical Spa what we have been lacking...the Medical Spa part of our new name. Her immeasurable talents and caring spirit will make your cosmetic makeover a rewarding and pleasurable experience.
Born and raised in Tulsa (where in Texas is Tulsa?), she met and married her highschool sweetheart, then developed 3 sons. (She swears it was in that order). She loves hanging with her family, excercising, reading, cooking, gardening when the weather is nice, traveling and music. They have a new addition to their family "Bella" a Bichon puppy, just 10 weeks old at this printing.
Cheryl is passionate about helping others to feel good about their exteriors as well as their interiors, as well as making them look good! She loves what she does! When asked about an embarassing moment, she produced the following example of her intellect:
"I once introduced myself to Garth Brooks, thinking he was Kevin Costner. I told him I loved his movie "Dances With Wolves", could I get his autograph? He said, "Just who do you think I am?" I said..."Well aren't you Kevin Costner?" He tipped his hat and said "No maam, my wife sure wishes I were. My name is Garth Brooks, would you still like my autograph?"
Welcome aboard, Cheryl!
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Tim Thomason, M.D. - Medical Director of 21st Century Medical Spa -
Dr. Thomason joined us in 2009 as we created the Medical Spa. A Dallas area native, he graduated summa cum laude from Texas A&M University before returning to the metroplex to attend UT Southwestern Medical School, where he also completed his residency training. He is board certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology. As an otolaryngologist, Dr. Thomason is trained in the medical and surgical treatment of a wide range of disorders affecting children and adults.
His professional interests include ear surgery, allergy and sinus problems, surgical management of sleep apnea, and rhinoplasty. He is on staff at Baylor-Irving, Las Colinas Medical Center, Las Colinas Surgery Center, the Surgery Center of Dallas, and Pine Creek Medical Center in Dallas.
Outside of work he enjoys spending time with his family and watching the Aggies and Dallas Cowboys. He is married and has two sons.
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