As talented as they are, our dentists can’t do it alone. They rely on assistance from a highly-qualified and compassionate team to provide dental treatment in Phoenix with a difference – the difference is a winning attitude.
Dental Hygienists
Kelli, Registered Dental Hygienist
Kelli says she feels privileged to work with the highly-skilled doctors at Life Smiles Dental Care because she is part of a team
who truly care about their patients. Their integrity, passion for the craft, and level of personal attention is an inspiration for Kelli. She brings a wealth of experience and skill to the treatment room, as well. Kelli has been a practicing dental hygienist for more than a decade and she loves the profession. As a firm believer in preventive care and education, Kelli shares her knowledge to help patients enjoy healthy, attractive smiles.
When she is not caring for patients, Kelli is usually enjoying family time with two daughters and a yellow lab dog. She loves to laugh, and enjoys the outdoors, road trips, swimming, and treats.
Maryellen, Registered Dental Hygienist
Maryellen is a graduate of Rio Salado College, and has been a dental hygienist for over 14 years. She knows that many people are not aware of the mouth-body connection, influencing their oral health and overall wellness. She takes special interest in educating patients in the areas of prevention and oral diseases, and answering questions. Why? Because those patients are friends and neighbors and she wants to see them live long, happy, healthy lives.
If you ask Maryellen what she likes about Life Smiles Dental Care, she will tell you about being part of a unique team that that genuinely enjoys serving others with enthusiasm and commitment to excellence.
Maryellen lives in Phoenix, but frequently travels to Florida and New York City to spend time with her family – many of whom are fire fighters. She cites swimming, snorkeling, and fishing in the Florida Keys as some of her favorite pastimes and treasured memories. She has two grown children and some wonderful close friends. Maryellen enjoys dining out, daily walks at Phoenix Mountain Preserve, yoga, and reading.
Jackie, Registered Dental Hygienist
Jackie’s career with Life Smiles Dental Care began when she was in high school! Shadowing the hygienists a few days a week and watching the dentists work stimulated her interest in the field, sparking a passion for dental hygiene. She earned a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene at Northern Arizona University, and was excited to fill an opening on the Life Smiles roster. Jackie says she absolutely loves her daily work, as well as opportunities to attend continuing education and dental conferences. Most of all, though, she enjoys getting to know patients to help them feel comfortable in the chair.
As an Arizona native, she is naturally into hiking (with her two energetic dogs), rock climbing, skiing, yoga, and spending time with family
Hilary, Registered Dental Hygienist
With a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University in Provo, UT and an RDH degree earned at Clark College in Vancouver, WA, Hilary was a natural addition to the Life Smiles Dental Care team. Hilary has been practicing dental hygiene for more than 15 years and enjoys the work immensely. She says, “The best part of my day is getting to be with a different person each hour.” She loves to learn about patient’s lives and families, knowing that they will see one another again soon. Her enthusiasm for being part of the Life Smiles team stems from confidence in the quality of care the dentists provide.
Outside the office, Hilary is a wife and a mother to four children. She has been a contestant on two televised game shows! She loves Neil Diamond and has seen him and the tribute band Super Diamond in concert many times. Her hobbies include running and international travel.
Dental Assistant
Heide, Dental Assistant
Heide has nearly 25 years of experience in dentistry and joined the Life Smiles Dental Care team in 2007. Her duties include assisting the dentists, inventory control, and coordinating care with dental laboratories. At Life Smiles, she is known as the whitening expert – a role she embraces because of the joy patients feel when they see their smiles gleam. She likes to answer questions about products and services offered at the office, and to help anxious patients relax for treatment.
Born in Germany, Heide moved to the US in 1985. She is married, and the couple have an adult son and two dogs. Her spare time is spent watching mystery and game shows, and reading.
Mayra, Dental Assistant
Mayra takes her role seriously, in assisting the dentists with a broad range of procedures, and in overall organization and cleanliness of the office setting. What does Mayra enjoy most about the position? Learning about the lives of patients! Her workplace passion stems from seeing the impact that effective dental treatment has on the lives of patients. She is excited to be part of the Life Smiles Dental Care team.
Mayra has a daughter and says that the experience of raising a child has been life-changing in the best possible way. When motherhood duties allow time, Mayra likes to hike, go to the gym, and watch movies.
Tori, Dental Assistant
Tori joined Life Smiles Dental Care in 2015 and couldn’t be happier in this setting. She is part of a team unified in their passion for the wellbeing and overall health of patients. As a dental assistant, Tori works at the elbow of experienced, dedicated dentists, expanding her own knowledge of the science of dentistry, daily. What is Tori’s favorite aspect of the job? Helping patients feel better and achieve the beautiful smiles they’ve always wanted.
When she is not at the office, Tori and her husband enjoy working out, cooking, walking their dogs, and DIY projects.
Erin, Dental Assistant
Erin got her start in the dental world as an intern here at Life Smiles. She spent countless hours shadowing our talented team while attending My Dental Assisting Institute. She attended the institute’s hands-on program where she learned both the technical skills and communication skills to provide assistance to our doctors and comfortable, quality care to our patients. You may also find Erin working as part of our front office team. She has over 10 years of customer service experience and her favorite part of her work day is interacting with our smiling patients and getting to know them on a personal level.
Erin is a Midwest girl from Kansas. She moved to Arizona in 2017. She is a big foodie, so if she’s not at work, she’s usually eating. If she’s not eating, she’s shopping and if she’s not shopping she is at the pool enjoying the amazing year-round weather- You can’t do that in Kansas!
Treatment Coordinators
Mari, Treatment Coordinator
In her role as patient coordinator, Janie schedules appointments, verifies insurance information, welcomes patients, answers their questions, and helps them check out efficiently. While she embraces technical characteristics of the position, helping people is the most important part of her job. She makes new and loyal patients feel equally valued from the moment they walk through the door.
Janie feels blessed to be part of the Life Smiles Dental Care team – a group of talented, hard-working individuals that make office time enjoyable.
Janie and her husband of over 40 years have two children and three grandchildren. She loves family time with them on weekends, as well as traveling and golfing.
Patient Coordinators
Karle, Patient Coordinator
Karle is a vital element of smooth workflows in the office. As our patient coordinator she answers calls and schedules appointments. You might find Karle giving a tour of the office to a new patient or assisting the dentists with initial examinations. She verifies insurance information and follows up on outstanding claims to help patients maximize benefits. She thoroughly enjoys being part of this hard-working team that knows how to have fun, too.
The most rewarding aspect of her role, though, is getting to know patients and ensuring they feel welcome and comfortable. She works hard to make each visit pleasant.
Karle is close to her large family, though most live in Illinois, while she and her husband and their black lab call Arizona home. In her free time, Karle likes to travel, experience different cultures, and sample exotic foods.
Janie, Patient Coordinator
In her role as patient coordinator, Janie schedules appointments, verifies insurance information, welcomes patients, answers their questions, and helps them check out efficiently. While she embraces technical characteristics of the position, helping people is the most important part of her job. She makes new and loyal patients feel equally valued from the moment they walk through the door.
Janie feels blessed to be part of the Life Smiles Dental Care team – a group of talented, hard-working individuals that make office time enjoyable.
Janie and her husband of over 40 years have two children and three grandchildren. She loves family time with them on weekends, as well as traveling and golfing.
