Dr. Cade Cannon started practice in Alliance in the summer of 2017, straight out of dental school in Michigan, as an associate under Dr. Wilcox. When Wilcox and his family decided to leave Alliance, he bought the practice and named it Alliance Family Dental.
Cannon and his family have enjoyed getting to know Alliance the last three years. He said it is not too different from where he grew up. Dr. Cannon grew up in eastern Washington state in a town smaller than Alliance, home to the state’s agriculture including apple orchards and vineyards where he worked in the summers growing up.
“My favorite part of being a dentist is when I can show somebody a new filling, crown or front part of their mouth, and I’m like, ‘okay smile’ so that I can see what it looks like and I can tell that it’s a real smile. If a person looks in the mirror and just kind of holds their lips open, okay we’ve changed something, but if they look in the mirror and truly smile, I can tell I’ve not just made a difference on the tooth, but the way that they think about themselves,” said Cannon.
Alliance Family Dental is not your typical rural area dental office, they employ several different high tech tools to make a person’s trip to the dentist much easier than one would expect.
The Cerec machine also known as the crown miller, makes a lot of noise and since it’s not in the room with you. Sometimes that noise can be concerning because you do not know where it is coming from or what it is. This machine takes a small block and drills it into the perfect crown for your mouth the same day instead of waiting two weeks and coming back for another appointment.
The pediatric fillings on baby teeth are done with a laser that does not require any shots to numb the area. It does not work the same way on adult teeth, which require traditional fillings.
They also offer 3D imaging to allow for precise placement of implants and remove the guess work on where to drill. This is also helpful when wisdom teeth need to be extracted as it pinpoints exactly where they are in the jaw.
Currently they employ 18 people at the practice: three dentists, four hygienists, seven assistants and three at the front desk.
In addition to Dr. Cannon the practice is also home to Dr. Gillian Loeske, who began practicing at Alliance Family Dental in July of 2019. Originally from Scottsbluff, she was looking to find a way back to Western Nebraska after graduation. So when Dr. Cannon contacted the school in search of an associate, she said it was perfect timing and seemed a little bit like fate. She was very excited to have found the right fit.
When asked about her favorite part of dentistry, she said, “I thought I wanted to be an orthodontist but being a general dentist, seeing all ages of people, and getting to see kids grow up and make a relationship with them is probably my favorite part of dentistry. Being able to help them with whatever they need,” said Loeske.
The office at Alliance Family Dental has officially expanded with the addition of new staff on August 3. They welcome Dr. Gene Giles, Melissa Brennan and Tabitha Dexter to the office. Along with the addition of more staff, the merge with Dr. Giles’ office comes with a 50 percent expansion into the office space across the hall where the cleanings and exams will now be done. When a patient checks in they will be directed to the waiting room across the hall for cleanings and exams, and the original waiting room if they are seeing the dentist. Dr. Giles has 42 years of experience as a dentist.
If a patient calls with an emergency on a weekend or after hours, at most offices it rings through to an answering service. At Alliance Family Dental it rings through to Dr. Cannon’s cell phone to ensure that each patient is taken care of.
At Alliance Family Dental the dentists and staff do their best to make your dental experience great, and a trip to the dentist just got a whole lot sweeter for children aged 0-18 years. When they come in for a cleaning, and if their teeth are free of any cavities, they get to join the cavity free club. Club members can place their name in the vase, (the day of their visit), for a drawing at the end of the month. Every month the gift is something different, and has included a gift basket, gift cards to local stores, etc. So if they see the hygienist twice this year, (which is recommended for oral health), and both are cavity free they have two chances to win this potential gift. They encourage people to keep brushing, and spread the word. People are invited to follow them on social media to stay up-to-date on all the fun things they offer.