THE WAUKEE DENTAL TEAM

Amanda

Amanda is originally from the North side of Des Moines.  Amanda has been in the dental field since 2003, her first three years she was a dental assistant prior to going to dental hygiene school at Kirkwood in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  She has been practicing as a dental hygienist in the Waukee area since 2010.  Amanda enjoys getting to know her patients and making them feel comfortable and at home in our dental office.  She loves educating patients on oral health and seeing the improvement they make every six months.  Amanda and her husband, Scott, live in Waukee and keep busy by running after their two kids: Owen and Harper!

Angie

Angie has been a dental hygienist at Waukee Dental since July of 2018.  Originally from Lincoln, Nebraska, Angie now calls Iowa home 😊.  Even though, she is still a Husker fan!  She has been a practicing dental hygienist since 2009 and prior to Waukee Dental worked in Ankeny.  Angie loves making every patient feel welcome and comfortable that walks through the door.  She enjoys spending time with her friends and family.  Her family includes her husband, Matt; step-son, Will; daughter, Charlotte; and their dog, Charlie. 

Fun fact: If Angie wasn’t a dental hygienist, she would have pursued a career in Criminology!

Erica

Erica is a West Des Moines native and graduated from Valley High School. Erica graduated from Des Moines Area Community College in 2017 with her associate degree in Dental Hygiene. She joined the Waukee Dental team in 2019. Erica enjoys getting to know her patients, educating them on their oral health and helping them achieve a healthy smile. When she is not in the office, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Matt, and their dog Copper. She also enjoys traveling, working out, watching the Hawkeyes, and spending time with friends and family. 

Sarah

Originally from Urbandale, Iowa, Sarah joined our Waukee Dental Hygiene Team in the summer of 2021. She graduated from DMACC Dental Hygiene Program in 2012 and has been practicing as a hygienist in the Des Moines Metro Area since then. Sarah loves creating a lasting bond with patients, educating patients on their oral health, and seeing the improvement when they follow through with their homecare. Sarah and her husband, Trent, and two boys: Grady and Carver enjoy spending time with family, friends, and riding motorcycles in their free time.

Cara

Cara joined Waukee Dental in January 2022.  Originally from DeWitt, Iowa and has been in the dental field since 2015.  Cara enjoys being able to help patients with their overall oral health and getting to know them on a personal basis.  When not at work, Cara can be found cheering on the Hawkeyes, spending time family especially niece and nephew, Theodore and Luella and her puppy Faye.

Fun fact:  Cara can be found on Ragbrai every year with team Exile.

Kelly

Kelly joined Waukee Dental January 2022.  Originally from southwest Wisconsin and has been a hygienist since 2018.  Kelly graduated from Kirkwood Community College with her associate’s degree and from Minnesota State University in 2020 with her bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene.  She loves educating patients on how to maintain their oral health and helping them create a stress-free visit.  When not in the office she enjoys traveling with her husband, David and their corgi, Miss Donut and spending time with her family. 

Andrea

Andrea is one of our amazing expanded function dental assistants at Waukee Dental. She grew up in North Polk then attended DMACC’s dental assisting school. She joined Waukee Dental on March of 2017 and was on staff to assist with our very first patient, Dr. Brown’s dad! Andrea received her expanded functions certificate in September 2018. Andrea is in charge of keeping our sterilization center and the clinical side of Waukee Dental running smoothly throughout the day. She loves making every patient feel comfortable and at ease during their visit. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and working out.

Fun Fact: Andrea’s favorite musician is Chris Stapleton!

Julyn

Julyn is the newest addition to our dental assisting team and brings a lot of experience from a large, fast-paced office. She is an expanded function dental assistant and enjoys making the dental office a fun place for patients to visit! Julyn is originally from Fairfield, Iowa, and loves running, all things related to “The Bachelor,” and spending time with her friends and family (especially her niece and nephew and her 11-year-old dog, Bentley.)

Meaghan

Meaghan is an expanded function dental assistant at Waukee Dental who joined our team in 2021.  She enjoys assisting Dr. Heemskerk and Dr. Palecek, helping patients with dental education, delivering the best treatment plans, and helping patients complete their oral health goals.  Meghan hails from Florida, but, fortunately for us, moved to Iowa and has been here for more than 15 years.  In her spare time, you can find Meaghan and her husband, Solomon, and her three sons Derek, Jensen, and Anderson at the race track.

Fun Fact: Bennett Racing won the Hobby Stock points in Iowa in 2021 – congratulations to Sol and Meaghan!

Katie

Kristen

Office Manager

Originally from Montezuma, Iowa, Kristen is our account manager. She likes helping patients understand their dental insurance benefits and enjoys the challenge that dental insurance brings. Kristen is always eager to learn more and educate patients on what their dental insurance covers. She enjoys spending time with her husband, Jason, and their two sons, Kade and Konner. When she is not at the office, she likes to spend time golfing and working out.

Ashleigh