Meet The Staff
Meet Your Trusted Rochester Dental Team
Our team’s warm and friendly smiles will help you feel right at home starting at your very first visit. Every member of our staff is dedicated to giving you the most stress-free patient experience imaginable, and whether you’re scheduling a visit or have questions about your insurance, they’re ready to meet all of your needs with unmatched speed and expertise. They’re a big reason why so many Rochester families trust us with their smiles! Read on below to start getting to know our fantastic team.
Kristie
Dental Assistant
Kristie’s career in dentistry covers over 20 years so far. In addition to completing her education at Rochester Community and Technical College, she has also attended the Dawson Dental Assistant and Spear Dental Assistant Courses. Today, she loves interacting so closely with patients and getting to know them very well over time, as well as hanging out with such a great group of coworkers!
Originally from here in Rochester, Kristie and her husband Keith have two sons named Keyan and Tayte and two dogs named Khloe and Bruno. In her free time, she enjoys going on walks, reading, and fishing with her family.
Melissa
Dental Assistant
Melissa has been working in the dental field for nearly two decades so far. She attended both Concordia University and Rochester Community and Technical College for her oral healthcare education. She’s also attended advanced training courses through Spear and the Pankey Institute. Her favorite part of this job is changing people’s lives with making better smiles.
Originally from Alden, Melissa is married, has a son, a daughter, and two grandchildren. When she isn’t busy at work, she enjoys going to breweries, practicing CrossFit, and being a proud grandma. Something you wouldn’t know about Melissa is that she was on The Price is Right “In it to Win it”.
Sue
Dental Assistant
Sue’s career in the oral healthcare field spans nearly 40 years so far! Originally from Austin, MN, she studied at Rochester Vocational Technical School. What she enjoys most about her job is being able to touch a patient’s life in positive ways, not only giving them new reasons to smile but actually enhancing the quality of their life as well through dentistry.
Sue is married and has two grown children, as well as two wonderful granddaughters. When she isn’t busy at work, she enjoys spending quality time with her family, playing with her two cats Jimmy and Eddie, canoeing, and hunting for vintage fishing lures. She also loves Monarch butterflies and released 96 of them last year!
Monica
Dental Assistant
Monica attended dental assisting school at RCTC and graduated in May 2022. She loves working at Gentling Dental Care and being apart of such an awesome team! Her favorite thing about working at Gentling Dental Care is getting to meet new patients and making a difference in their smile. When she’s not working, she likes spending time with her boyfriend, Nathan and her three little nephews. Her and Nathan enjoy outdoor activities, watching movies, trying new things and going to Viking games.
Cayla
Dental Assistant
Tara
Dental Hygienist
A Rochester native, Tara has been working in dentistry for well over two decades now. She attended both Rochester Community College and Mankato State University for her education. She loves working at Gentling Dental Care and being part of such an amazing team!
Tara and her husband Brent have four boys named Seth, Dylan, Tyler, and Blake. When she isn’t busy at the dental office, she spends her free time with her family, gardening, reading, cooking, and taking care of her chickens.
Karen
Dental Hygienist
Karen has been a member of the Gentling Dental family for nearly 40 years now! For her education, she attended both the University of Wisconsin and Mankato State University. She’s also taken years of dedicated continuing education courses in order to keep current with new techniques and procedures. Today, her favorite part of this position is being able to connect with patients so closely as she guides them towards excellent dental health.
Originally from Appleton, WI, Karen has been married to her husband Rick for over 30 years. They have one daughter named Nicole and a very large extended family. When she isn’t busy at work, she enjoys hiking, biking, kayaking, paddleboarding, and snorkeling. Being around water is definitely her Zen, whether it’s the Minnesota lakes or the ocean.
Anna
Dental Hygienist
Anna is from Rochester and earned her degree as a Registered Dental Hygienist from Rochester Community Technical College. Her favorite thing about working for Gentling is forming life long relationships with the patients and helping them form healthier habits. When she is not working, she enjoys travelling, hiking, shopping and spending time with family and friends. In addition to her hobbies, she loves spending time with her three black Cats!
Lora
Dental Hygienist
Lora began her career in the dental field working as a dental assistant for 6 years. She continued her education at Rochester Community and Technical College where she graduated with high honors and was President of the Dental Hygiene Program. She loves helping patients have a comfortable and positive experience at every visit!
Lora is originally from the Rochester area and lives here with her husband whom she has been married to for 2 years. They enjoy lifting weights, rock climbing, and spending time outdoors. By far, the craziest and most challenging thing she’s ever done has been completing three Tough Mudders!
Kaylyn
Dental Hygienist
Kaylyn brings a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm to our practice as a dental hygienist. She recently relocated to Minnesota for her husband’s medical residency at Mayo Clinic. When she is not improving smiles, Kayly loves to bake and is a proud cat mom to three adorable kitties!
Lisa
Office Manager
Lisa joins the team with 30 plus years of dental experience and is looking forward to getting to know both coworkers and patients at Gentling Dental.
When Lisa is not at work, she spends her time with family and friends. Lisa and her significant other, Duane, have 4 grown children and 4 grandchildren and 2 dogs that keep them busy. When not in southern MN you can find them at their favorite spot, their cabin in northern WI.
Tammi
Front Office
Tammi has a long career in the administrative field. One of the things she enjoys most about her job at Gentling Dental is meeting and helping patients while getting to know them and their families.
Originally from Byron, Tammi enjoys spending time with family, including her husband, three adult sons and their growing families. Tammi also has a love of crafts, attending concerts, and travel when she can.
Kelly
Front Office
Kelly is new to the dental field with just a year under her belt. Prior to Gentling she worked in restaurants for 34 years. She loves to interact with people and Gentling is the perfect home for her with a family feel that she needs!
Her partner, 3 children and 2 grandchildren fill her time outside of work. She has a Corgi named Ferris, and a cat named Oliver. Fall is her favorite time of year to be outdoors, and they all enjoy taking Ferris on long walks in the crisp air. She loves movies and music.
Ruth
Front Office
Originally from Los Angeles, CA, Ruth moved to Minnesota in 2017. She stays busy with her five boys and loves to travel, especially near the ocean. Ruth also enjoys shopping sprees and has a soft spot for Mickey Mouse!
Meet Your Award-Winning Doctors
A Qualified Team of Dentists Dedicated to Your Smile
At Gentling Dental Care, we strongly believe that five heads are better than one – that’s why our dental office features a team of knowledgeable doctors who all bring unique strengths and skills to the table! At the same time, they share a similar passion for trustworthy, family-friendly dentistry that always adheres to very high clinical standards. To put it simply, they never perform care that they wouldn’t recommend to their very own loved ones.
Dr. Ryan Henrichsen
Dr. Phil Pattee
Dr. Melissa McColloch
Dr. Erich Eichwald
Dr. Scott Gruwell
