We are thrilled to share an article featuring Willow Lake Dental that was originally published in the Bulletin newspaper (2017 Progress section). The piece does a great job of offering some background about our family-owned dental clinic, and provides a comprehensive overview of our space and our services.
The Bulletin newspaper is a local print publication, part of the Lillie Suburban News organization serving the north St. Paul suburbs since 1938. The article below is also featured on LillieNews.com.
Read the full article here, also take a look at the original digital version here: http://www.lillienews.com/articles/2017/04/04/new-clinic-homecoming-willow-lake-dental
New clinic is a homecoming for Willow Lake Dental
Upon entering Willow Lake Dental in Vadnais Heights, visitors find a brand new, state-of-the-art facility with a relaxing, inviting feel. They are greeted with a smile by Nadia who welcomes them to the office and ensures they have everything they need. The staff is happy and passionate about what they do. They seem content in their second “home” because they enjoy working as a team and truly care about taking care of each patient and each other. The team has an active energy that assures you they are working hard to help you. The office is a reflection of the owner’s attitudes and tastes. The warm gray tones of the walls are calming and the bright, colorful prints on the walls, soothing. The small hexagonal tiles on the floor of the bathrooms resemble a feature they love in their 1920’s South Minneapolis home.
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Venture further into the practice and you will see spacious rooms with comfortable patient chairs. “We know it’s a rare person that enjoys going to the dentist so we want to make it as comfortable as we can!,” says Dr. Tracy. The white quartz countertops, flooring and soft leather chairs almost make you feel like you are at home. Mark St. Dennis adds, “We wanted to have an office that is warm and inviting and didn’t have that sterile clinic feel.” The abundant natural light and nature views from the clinic add to the feel they originally had in mind.
You are happily cared for by dental assistants Lia, Pa and Taylor, with their patient yet confident demeanors. They are understanding, non-judgmental and reassure you that you are in good hands. Ashley is the hygienist at Willow Lake Dental. Her positive attitude and outgoing personality will make you smile. She takes pride in providing the highest quality care while also getting to know her patients. “She is so gentle and she doesn’t judge! I could tell that she was just here to help get me back on track and provide the best care she could for me,” a patient expressed.
An added bonus was the location; both Mark and Dr. Tracy grew up nearby. Mark attended Island Lake Elementary and then Chippewa Middle School. Dr. Tracy (Wendland) St. Dennis attended St. Odilia School where her Mom, Marianne Wendland, was a kindergarten teacher for many years. Mark and Tracy met at Mounds View High School and graduated in 1997.
After graduating from the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry in 2008, Dr. Tracy spent several years working at a community clinic in East St. Paul where she saw a lot of difficult cases and gained extensive experience in many areas of dentistry.
From that experience she developed an outlook of wanting to help patients participate in more regular dental maintenance to avoid the big procedures. She says her time at the community clinic also gave her a non-judgmental approach to dentistry. “Traditionally people can be apprehensive about visiting the dentist because they get lectured when they arrive, and that’s not conducive to people getting help. We want to be a place where people feel comfortable, welcome, and not judged.”
Mark’s background is in finance, making him the perfect other half to the puzzle. “It’s a family business and we love that!” he states. The couple’s two girls, Lucy (2) and Violet (1) haven’t starting answering phones yet but are certainly part of the team at Willow Lake Dental. Dr. Tracy add, “The main pop of color is Lucy’s favorite, yellow.”
Willow Lake Dental offers a full range of dental services, including cleanings, X-rays, fillings, root canal therapy, extractions, crowns/bridges, whitening and more. The clinic is now taking new patients and offers same day appointments, especially for that unexpected toothache. More information about Willow Lake Dental can be found on the clinic’s Facebook page and website.
Mark and Dr. Tracy St. Dennis are so excited to be back “home” and part of the community again. They state, “We would love to meet you! Give us a call or swing by and introduce yourself. We’re excited to get to know our neighbors and would love to show you our new, beautiful clinic!”