Takin' Care of Teeth CVF 2019

Taking Care

eeth T

f

Healthy smiles for the whole family in the Chippewa Valley

Taking Care

T

f

CONTENT

PARTNER

F

a s c k t

S t o s

Menomonie StreeT

h d u p t b T h

Dental

Walking

into the lobby of Menomonie Street Dental, one would never know that they were in the midst of a grand transformation. Business proceeds as usual at the dental practice while just down the hall, out of earshot, is the clatter and whir of construction from contractors at work to renovate offices and workstations.

After serving the Chippewa Valley for generations, this dental practice is taking steps to give customers the same great service in an updated, modern environment complete with modern amenities. Over the course of the next eight months, the building will be remodeled in five stages. The metamorphosis will be inside and out, from new dental chairs, fresh paint, increased privacy for procedures, and new, state-ofthe art equipment to an entirely refreshed exterior complete with huge windows out into the office’s serene, wooded acreage. All the while, patients can expect uninterrupted dental service.

“Menomonie Street Dental is a monument for our community,” Dr. Eric Carlson, who joined the practice in 2011 and has since taken it over with Dr. Derek Rognlien, said. “It has served thousands and thousands of people over four, almost five decades.”

While it may have been easier to move to a new site or build from scratch, Carlson and Rognlien knew that maintaining residence on Menomonie Street was the best way to continue serving their patients. The choice to take on the renovation was made to preserve the trust the practice has built with people over the years.

“With all the action that’s coming into this region, with the history that this place has, with the staple that it’s become in the community, it would be very difficult to let that go,” Carlson said.

Honesty is Carlson’s No. 1 priority when caring

The Menomonie Street Dental remodel will feature wall-to-wall windows and a sleek, modern exterior to match their updated offices and equipment.

for his patients. “We always say the truth,” he said.

“You go to your cardiologist, you want them to tell you exactly what’s going on with your heart, and how you can be impacted by that. You go to your dentist, you want them to tell you exactly what’s going on with their mouth, and their oral health.” Whether he is providing care for a new young patient, their mother, or their grandmother, he focuses on giving patients every piece of information he can so that they can proceed with confidence.

Along with Drs. Brittany Huiras and Kari Peper, Menomonie Street Dental is moving into a new era of care. Every update will allow the crew of local dentists and hygienists to provide an even better level of service to their community, ensuring the next generation of healthy teeth.

M E N O M O N I E ST R E E T D E N TA L • 1 0 2 0 M E N O M O N I E ST, E A U C L A I R E • ( 7 1 5 ) 8 3 4 - 8 1 6 1 W W W. M S D S M I L E . CO M • @ M E N O M O N I E ST R E E T D E N TA L

D TA K I N ’ C A R E O F T E E T H 2 0 1 9

24

C H I P P E W AVA L L E Y F A M I LY. O R G

kristo

Orthodontics

For 60 years,

Kristo Orthodontics has been creating smiles – literally and figuratively – across the Chippewa Valley. While the technology of straightening teeth and correcting bites has changed dramatically over the course of six decades, the goals of Kristo Orthodontics haven’t: Ensuring kids and adults have a positive experience that results in teeth that function and look better.

“Me and my staff, day in and day out, get a great feeling from patients,” Dr. Steve Kristo said during an interview in his office at one of Kristo Orthodontics’ bustling clinics, 3902 Oakwood Hills Parkway. “We’ve got a great energy at our clinic.” Their days are filled with positive outcomes as Kristo and his staff see how improved smiles can boost the self-esteem of children and adults.

Dr. Kristo has been practicing orthodontics in Eau Claire since 1988, when he joined the business his father, Dr. Andrew Kristo, began in 1959. Orthodontics was a fairly new field in the late 1950s. Getting braces meant having uncomfortable stainless steel bands wrapped around your teeth. While the physiology of moving teeth hasn’t changed, the methods have. Now, braces typically involve brackets which are securely bonded to teeth and connected by nickel-titanium wires that retain their shape and require fewer office visits.

Today, Dr. Kristo said, he rarely extracts teeth and never uses hated external headgears, instead relying on less cumbersome methods to correct bites.

Another major change in orthodontic treatment has been the invention

Taking Care

T

f

PARTNER

CONTENT

of Invisalign, which uses clear, plastic trays to to move teeth incrementally.

“Invisalign makes it acceptable for adult patients to do orthodontics in an inconspicuous and more comfortable way,” Dr. Kristo said. Invisalign has also become more common for younger patients as well. In fact, Dr. Kristo explained, his favorite demographic for Invisalign is teenage boys, who are prone to break traditional braces and less likely to brush well. “Hygiene’s not on top of a 13-year-old’s list yet,” he said with a grin.

Within a few years, Dr. Kristo said, about half of his patients will be wearing Invisalign. And while in some circumstances traditional braces are necessary, when it comes to cost, timeframe, and quality of outcome, in most cases Invisalign is preferable. “If you’re hearing from an orthodontist that Invisalign can’t do the trick, I’d get a second opinion,” he said.

In recent years, Kristo Orthodontics has opened offices in five regions across the Upper Midwest, including Green Bay, La Crosse, Wausau, the St. Croix Valley, and Minneapolis.

And while the business has grown, Dr. Kristo says his professional staff has allowed him to continue focusing on what he really loves: his clinical practice and helping families make the right decisions for their teeth. “We want to be the orthodontist of choice because we do it the best,” he says.

K R I ST O O R T H O D O N T I C S • 3 9 0 2 OA KW O O D H I L L S PA R KWAY, E A U C L A I R E • ( 7 1 5 ) 8 3 5 - 5 1 8 2 • W W W. K R I ST O O R T H O D O N T I C S . CO M • @ K R I ST O O R T H O D O N T I C S

Dr. Steve Kristo has been practicing orthodontics since 1988. In 1992, he took over the practice his father, Dr. Andrew Kristo, opened in 1959. “I’m focused on being the best orthodontist in Eau Claire,” he says. “That’s my No. 1 job.”

TA K I N ’ C A R E O F T E E T H 2 0 1 9

25

C H I P P E W AVA L L E Y F A M I LY. O R G

Taking Care

T

f

PARTNER

CONTENT

REGIS COURT

Dental Associates

No matter your age,

going to the dentist can get the nerves going. You need a team of dentists that can put you at ease to show – not just tell – you that you’re in good hands and you’re going to get the absolute best care. And here in Eau Claire at Regis Court Dental Associates, their four dentists have decades of combined experience in all aspects of the field and a whole horde of multi-generational families that keep coming back year after year. That should tell you something.

Regis Court Dental Associates was founded in 1978

by Dr. Joe Theisen, a leader in the community who quickly became known as one of the finest dentists in Eau Claire during his 40-year tenure. “I saw firsthand what a committed, caring, and quality dentist he was.

He was always innovative and ahead of the curve and was one of the first dentists in the area to embrace digital technology,” said Dr. Lisa Henson, who took over the practice when Dr. Theisen retired in 2014. Dr. Henson said she and her team are fully committed to carrying on his legacy of family dentistry that has an undeniable emphasis on compassionate, individualized care.

And that “individualized” part is really important. Dr.

Henson said getting to know families – really know them – and understand precisely what their needs are is one of Regis Court Dental Associates’ strongest assets and something they really take pride in. Especially given that their age range of patients is 1 to 102, the team needs to adapt to each individual patient to give them all they’ve got. “We do not believe in a one-size-fits-all model for our patients and our patients are never a number,” she said. “It is an amazing feeling to know that any patient, no matter their age, had a great dental experience.”

In the last few years, Regis Court Dental Associates has gone through some remarkable growth as well, which should also tell you something. In 2016, Dr. Henson brought on Dr. Casey Newton, a dentist who’s worked all over Minnesota and has a steadfast passion for continuing his education to adapt to new technologies and developments in the field. Then in 2018, while expanding their offices, Regis Court Dental Associates

Left to right: Dr. Randy Shook, Dr. Casey Newton, Dr. Lisa Henson, and Dr. Steve Mahler make up a well-rounded and fully experienced team of dentists that can tackle any appointment at Regis Court Dental Associates in Eau Claire.

brought on two part-time associates Dr. Randy Shook and Dr. Steve Mahler – both of whom have 35+ years of experience in family dentistry in the area. “After so many years as a practicing dentist – what inspires me is the patients and the people I work with,” Dr. Shook said.

Says Dr. Mahler: “This is where they will receive the finest, most respectable, and adherent to the standard of care, service in the health care industry.”

And the same goes for their kid patients as well.

As Dr. Newton put it: “Creating a positive experience for a young patient is a spectacular feeling. It is a ton of fun to lay the foundation for how amazing a dental experience can be.”

Growing the team and updating their facilities is all in the name of getting more local patients of all walks of life in the door so they can see the very special thing they have going at Regis Court Dental Associates. So, when are you going to find out for yourself?

R E G I S CO U R T D E N TA L A S S O C I AT E S • 1 1 0 2 R E G I S CO U R T, E A U C L A I R E • ( 7 1 5 ) 8 3 4 - 2 0 3 2 W W W. R E G I S CO U R T D E N TA L . CO M • @ R E G I S CO U R T D E N TA L A S S O C I AT E S

SUMMER CAMP COUNTDOWN 2019

26

C H I P P E W AVA L L E Y F A M I LY. O R G

Cedar ORTHODONTICS Orthodontics

isn’t just about “fixing” teeth, according to Dr. Brieanna Lise Newton of Cedar Orthodontic Specialists . It’s about inspiring and restoring the confidence to speak, to smile, and to walk tall.

“Encouraging people to be their authentic self is what truly motivates me,” Newton said. And giving people the confidence to smile without fear is how she does it. “Nothing breaks my heart more than hearing someone say they can’t smile, or won’t smile” she said.

A lack of confidence in one’s smile can deeply affect their feeling of self-worth, and how they conduct themselves with their family members and with the world in general, according to Dr. Newton. She and Dr. Alan Ostertag look at the whole individual when crafting a smile. What will make their mouth the healthiest? What will allow for a functional, comfortable bite?

And how can they consider each person’s unique personality and appearance in the orthodontic process?

Dr. Newton has worked with patients to preserve signature looks while ensuring a healthy smile. “Everybody has their own shape of teeth, their own facial features: It’s all about enhancing the natural features that someone has,” she said.

The members of the Cedar Orthodontic Specialists team also pride themselves on their consideration of patients’ lives and schedules. They work around busy timetables in what Newton describes as a schedul-

Above: When Dr. Ostertag (left) and Dr. Newton (right) aren’t providing specialized orthadontic care, they can often be found on a hunt or a hike, respectively, making the most of the beautiful Chippewa Valley outdoors.

Below: The passionate team at Cedar Orthodontic Specialists.

Taking Care

T

f

PARTNER

CONTENT

ing “ballet,” ensuring that everyone receives the care they need on a timeline that works for them. Flexible payment plans make the financial element easy and manageable.

Cedar Orthodontics goes above and beyond to provide comfortable care to their patients. The recommended age for a child’s first orthodontic exam is age seven, however, they provide braces and Invisalign treatments to patients of all ages. Their attention to individual needs makes them a great choice for orthodontic care.

It’s their shared philosophies that make Drs. Newton and Ostertag an orthodontic dream team. With their shared love for nature and its effortless beauty, and for helping others, it was an easy fit when Newton joined the practice about three years ago. They quickly decided to become partners, adding Newton’s outgoing perfectionism to Ostertag’s calm, friendly nature and decades of experience. Together, they chose the new name “Cedar Orthodontic Specialists.”

“There is some meaning behind the name” Dr. Newton said. Cedar trees are symbols of natural beauty, of stability and strength, and also of resiliency – something the pair strived to achieve with a building remodel and with the re-brand. “If you look at the bark on a cedar tree,” Newton said, “you can see that it twists and turns with the weather, revealing a unique and beautiful story of what it has endured over time.”

C E DA R O R T H O D O N T I C S • 4 9 0 7 K E YST O N E C R O S S I N G A , E A U C L A I R E • ( 7 1 5 ) 8 5 5 - 5 0 5 1 W W W. C E DA R O R T H O D O N T I C S . CO M • @ C E DA R O R T H O D O N T C S

SUMMER CAMP COUNTDOWN 2019

27

C H I P P E W AVA L L E Y F A M I LY. O R G