MEET THE GRAND RAPIDS DENTAL TEAM
RACHEL
Following graduation from Grand Rapids Community College, Rachel joined our practice as a dental assistant. Rachel says she loves working at Benton Family Dental because of the close-knit team relationships and the opportunity to provide the best care possible for our Grand Rapids Patients. She adds that she enjoys trying to keep two steps ahead in anticipating the doctor’s needs, and she finds it most rewarding to see a patient’s face light up when they see the cosmetic results of BioClear tooth bonding. Rachel most loves time with her baby daughter and evening bonfires with friends and family.
KORI
Office Manager/Registered Dental Assistant
Kori is a graduate of Grand Rapids Community College and has been with Benton Family Dental since then, beginning as a Registered Dental Assistant 25 years ago. Kori enjoys managing the day-to-day operations of our dental office, helping her team to succeed in providing high-quality dental care for the Grand Rapids community. She says one of the things she admires most about working with us is the longevity of both our staff and our patients. When you work with Kori, you’ll find she’s loyal, friendly, and funny. When she’s not working, Kori is a booster for her kids’ sports, hanging out with family, and taking walks with her German Shepard.
CINDI
New Patient Coordination/Scheduler
Cindi is a graduate of the Grand Rapids Educational Center and has over three decades of experience working in a dental office. At Benton Family Dental , she coordinates scheduling appointments and helping new patients get started with their care. She loves getting to know our family of patients and taking the stress out of making appointments. Cindi enjoys working with our team because she says it truly feels like a family. She’s a compassionate and loyal friend to those who come to know her, and she prides herself on being timely and detail-oriented. When she’s not busy helping out at our Grand Rapids dental office, Cindi is walking, reading, raising monarch butterflies in the summer, rowing, kayaking, and volunteering with animal rescue.
COLLEEN
Billing Coordinator
Colleen is a graduate of Grand Rapids Educational Center and Davenport College. She first worked as a dental assistant with Benton Family Dental beginning in 1988, prior to leaving to become an administrator with the Potawatomi Health Service and then running her own professional uniform shop. At our busy dental office, Colleen is the go-to person for all things relating to billing, accounts, and insurance claims. She handles it all with grace and ease. Over the years, Colleen says she’s enjoyed learning patients’ stories to relate with them on a more personal level. After all these years of working with us, Colleen says we’re just one big extended dental family, caring for each other and our patients with compassion. Colleen is married with three kids, eight grandchildren, and seven granddogs. Her favorite pastime is quilting but she also loves the outdoors.
DANIELLE
Registered Dental Assistant
Danielle is a graduate of Grand Rapids Community College and started working as a dental assistant at Benton Family Dental upon graduation. Danielle says she was drawn to our Grand Rapids dental office because of the people she works with and the fact that she’s able to meet someone new every day. She is excited to work in a modern office and she enjoys using technology like our Sirona Primescan to take digital impressions for our Grand Rapids patients rather than the yucky goo of yesteryear. Dating all the way back to her fourth-grade graduation book, Danielle says she wrote of her dreams of working in the dental field. Outside of being an RDA, Danielle enjoys reading, baking, and outdoor activities.
LEJLA
Registered Dental Assistant
Before joining the rest of the team at Benton Family Dental , Lejla graduated from Grand Rapids Community College Registered Dental Assistant program. As one of our RDAs, Lejla is responsible for assisting our doctors during treatments and going out of her way to ensure you’re comfortable. She says she loves being an integral part of our team because it’s such a friendly environment where everyone cares for each other and our patients like family. Lejla is unfailingly kind, positive, adventurous, thoughtful, and shares her sense of humor with our patients. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering at local safety net clinics with Dr. Goodyke, playing soccer with friends, traveling, and going to the gym.
HEATHER W.
Registered Dental Assistant
Heather is a graduate of Grand Rapids Community College with her RDA and earned a bachelor’s degree in Allied Health Science from Ferris State University. She has worked from the beginning of her dental career with Smile Family Dentistry over a decade ago. Heather enjoys brightening the smiles of our patients by providing Zoom Teeth Whitening. “It’s amazing to witness the dramatic, often life-changing difference this in-office service can make for our Grand Rapids Patients!” Heather says she stays busy at our dental office doing all things dental assisting, from working chairside to lab work, ordering supplies, and helping our team of dentists provide outstanding patient care. A native of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Heather is determined, hardworking, easygoing, and goal-oriented. When she’s not helping out others and getting to know our patients, Heather enjoys gardening, bowling, and family time chasing her young daughter, four dogs, and two cats.
ANN
Registered Dental Hygienist
Her interest in helping people drove Ann to graduate from Mott Community College and enter the world of dentistry. Since 1984, Ann has cared for generations of smiles as a registered dental hygienist. We’re glad she’s joined our Grand Rapids dental office because everyone loves Ann for being fun, kind, humorous, compassionate, and creative. Ann was eager to become a part of the team at Benton Family Dental because of how genuine, friendly, and caring everyone is with patients every day. Ann says that if she weren’t educating patients about oral health, she’d share knowledge in the classroom as a teacher. When she’s not busy at work, you might find Ann traveling someplace new to explore. Ann is married to Doug, and together they have five children. She enjoys walking, crafting, and spending time with her family.
