2024 was the biggest year yet for us at Pike Lake Dental Center. We saw a lot of changes happen this year, some bittersweet, all exciting. We added more jobs and moved some people around to different jobs within the office.
In January, Dr. Ben Larson joined our practice. He came to us from the Duluth area with nearly 10 years of experience and seamlessly transitioned to our office. At work he is a steady and trustworthy dentist with amazing communication skills with his patients. Yet, there’s a very adventurous side to him that might surprise you away from the office. Dr. Ben enjoys mountain biking and wind surfing along with other outdoor activities.
Jessie joined our team in January too. She jumped into the hygiene department with years of experience and a fantastic attitude. It’s funny, I almost missed that she’s only been with us for a year because she’s fit in so well.
We hosted our office holiday party in January at Blacklist Brewing which featured axe throwing and loads of fun with most of the team bringing their significant others. We are a large group! Nayda and her husband, Chuck, along with Cassie and her boyfriend, Ryan, were the big tournament winners. Axe throwing is actually harder than it looks!
Dr. Casey Newton joined Pike Lake Dental in April. It is totally fitting that he started with us on April 1st, as his fun and boisterous personality compliment his happy spirit. Insider Tip: If you happen to pass by while he’s working in an operatory, check out his socks. Dr. Casey is a family man and thoroughly enjoys every moment with his wife and two young daughters. Their family enjoys skiing and biking throughout the year. They even went out West skiing after little Juniper was born. Also in April, some of the staff went down to the Twin Cities for the annual Star of the North dental meeting. They attended classes and had fun hanging out together for the weekend.
The solar eclipse in April had Dr. Matt, Dr. Ben and Cara heading south and east to see it. They ended up in Indiana, Arkansas and Texas respectively. The photos they shared from their adventures were fun to see! Everyone agreed the eclipse was incredible to witness. If you get a chance in the future to see an eclipse, take it!
Sandy retired in May after spending nearly 22 years with us at Pike Lake Dental. We celebrated her with a party and a wonderful lunch at the office. There were tears of joy and a few of sadness to see her off onto her new journey. The outpouring of love from coworkers and patients was a true testament to Sandy’s impact at Pike Lake Dental and our community. We still miss you, Sandy!
Natalee came back to us full time in May, when her hygiene school took a break for the summer. It was so nice having her back with us on a regular basis. Everyone feels happier when she is at the office. Not only does she help so much with sterilization and keeping the office flowing smoothly, she also brings her bubbly and fun personality with her to work. May also brought one of Natalee’s classmates and Dr. Ben’s former assistant, Alyssa, to the office. Alyssa jumped right back into dental assisting and added another layer of fun and professionalism to the office. Love was in the air this summer with Alyssa’s engagement to her long-time boyfriend. We are excited for their wedding in 2026!
Kaitlyn joined our team in June. She took over Sandy’s job and is acclimating well to the office and our patients. Fun Fact: Kaitlyn is also a dental hygienist so she is very familiar with the dental world. Liz also joined our office in June as an assistant before taking on a hygiene role with us. She enjoys working both positions and you’ll most likely see her on both sides of the office in the future.
Mickie started with us in July as a dental hygienist. She graduated with Liz this summer from Lake Superior College’s Dental Hygiene program. She’s added a fun spirit to the office and is filling Michelle’s shoes nicely in our Hygiene 1 room.
Michelle transitioned out of hygiene this summer and moved to the front desk team. She brings years of hygiene and treatment knowledge along with her incredible work ethic. She jumped right in to working at the front desk and has become our go-to for welcoming new patients to the office. She’s still able to cover a hygiene schedule, so you may see her in a hygiene room too, although her new team might not want to give her up for much time.
July also brought us Dr. Jenny Perrault. She came to us from western Minnesota with nearly 10 years of experience. Dr. Jenny’s down to Earth personality and can-do attitude has won over both staff and patients. She has been a perfect addition to our team and our community with her husband, Ed, teaching math at a local Duluth school. Fun Fact: Dr. Jenny and Dr. Ben were classmates in dental school at the U of MN.
Nancy and her husband, Ward, hosted an incredible office party at their beautiful home on Island Lake in July. The food and hospitality were incredible, along with the storm that chased us off the lake and cut the pontoon ride short. Everyone enjoyed themselves and each other’s company. It was another reminder that we truly are a work family. The party definitely was a highlight of the year!
The staff threw a surprise bridal shower during this summer for Rachel, one of our dental assistants. Everyone was excited to celebrate the bride-to-be. The fact it was a total surprise just added to the joy of the day. Rachel’s face when she realized what was going on was priceless! We love any reason to celebrate and Rachel’s upcoming wedding was a great excuse!
Natalee got married in August! Fun Fact: She married Michelle’s youngest son, Matt. Double Fun Fact: BreAnna, one of our favorite hygienists, and Campbell, Dr. Matt’s oldest daughter, were honored to be two of Natalee’s bridesmaids. Triple Fun Fact: Michelle and her husband hosted the wedding and reception at their farm. The entire day was absolutely perfect, even with a downpour of rain. We were all thrilled to celebrate the new Mr and Mrs! Since Natalee started with us as a sweet and shy 17 year old, we all feel we have some parental or sibling pride in her. Sorry, Nat, that’s just part of being a family!
September was filled with happiness! BreAnna and her husband, Zach, welcomed their first child, a perfect baby daughter, into the world. Sweet Carmen has made an appearance at the office a few times already. BreAnna is sorely missed at the office, but Tracie and Laura have been amazing to help cover Bre’s schedule while she’s home with Carmen. Rachel married her sweetheart in September! They had a beautiful wedding in southern Minnesota. Also in September, Natalee and Alyssa started back for their last year of hygiene school. We hated to see them go, but are happy to have them at the office during the school year as their schedules allow. As usual, we celebrated Back To School in September. This year our doctors shared some fun Back To School photos of themselves too!
Dr. Ben went to Antigua in October and spent time volunteering in a dental clinic there. He came home with some fun stories and great memories with a heart full from sharing his time and talents with others in need. We are really proud of Dr. Ben! Cara, Nayda and Dr. Jenny participated in the Fairway to Scareway at the Pike Lake Golf Course in October. They hosted a hole sponsorship and handed out candy (brilliant job security for us) to local trick or treaters. The gals dressed up as pirates and carried that theme over into Halloween at the office.
Also in October we purchased a Primescan 2 from Dentsply Sirona. This piece of equipment is the latest and greatest in image capturing technology to aid in creating Ceres crowns. It allows for increased workflow and ease doing one of the things we do best – making teeth.
All four doctors went to Scottsdale, AZ in November for an implant course. They enjoyed some down time together along with a couple long days in class. Dr. Ben and Dr. Casey climbed Camelback Mountain while they were there, while Dr. Matt and Dr. Jenny opted for a walk to Starbucks. The doctors received some great training and came back to MN excited about the future of the practice.
The Christmas lights outside the office came back on at the end of November. Dr. Matt spent many hours setting the display of lights and trees up again this year. There are also 39 poinsettias displayed throughout the office. It’s a holiday tradition our office enjoys, along with our patients and everyone that passes by the office in the dark.
2024 marked our 4th annual PLDC Beer Advent Calendar exchange and the participants did not disappoint again this year. The Tuesday before Thanksgiving is the day the exchange happens and it’s always fun to see the cans wrapped up in festive packaging. It’s a great way to count down to Christmas Eve and add a little excitement into the dark December evenings.
Throughout the year, we were happy to give back to the community in many ways. From supporting local school athletics and art boosters, to fishing tournaments and our local food shelf, we answered every donation request we received from our patients. You can find a full list of this year’s donations on our Community Involvement page on our website. Dr. Matt also spent some of his Friday mornings at the Lake Superior Hygiene School participating in clinic and nitrous days. Giving back to our community is important to us!
All in all, it was another incredible year at Pike Lake Dental Center. As we look back at all our blessings over this past year, we are especially thankful for the amazing team we have assembled to provide the top-notch service you expect from our office. Thank you for being part of it!
We look forward to seeing you in 2025!
