Meet the Team

We recognize that all our patients are unique and deserve to receive dental care that reflects their individual needs. Our experienced and talented dental team is committed to working with you and your family to create a comfortable, stress-free, and rewarding dental experience every time you visit our practice.

We are pleased to welcome you and your family, and we look forward to working with you.

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Tara E.

Practice Manager

Tara is our practice manager who comes to us by way of Colorado Springs, CO.  She has been working in the dental field since 2001.  Tara moved to AZ in 2006 and has been with East Valley Perio since 2010.  Tara states that periodontal is her favorite dental specialty because she feels that it is rewarding to help people regain their oral health. 

Tara loves working for East Valley Perio because our doctors are fantastic at their craft, they are great people and they foster a team oriented enviornment. 

When she is not at work,Tara loves spending family time with her husband and 3 boys. Her family enjoys hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, camping, recreational shooting and going to movies and car shows. 

Fun Fact: Tara has been a Treatment Coordinator, Patient Care Coordinator and Insurance Billing Specialist for East Valley perio before becoming our Practice Manager. 

 

Shelby D.

Professional Relationship Director

Shelby is our Professional Relationship Director and our connector between our office and our referring offices. She has been working in the dental field for 20 years, since she was a teenager. She loves interacting with our patients and loves making people smile. Her goal in life is to meet as many people as possible. She especially enjoys working with our team and says she loves the family atmosphere.

Shelby lives in Mesa with her husband, who was her high-school sweetheart, and her two sons. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family, creating memories, being outdoors, cars, and especially FOOTBALL.

Her philosophy is that life throws curve balls and challenges, and how you react is your choice. She says, "I choose to be happy." She is also passionate about cancer awareness because cancer has affected herself and other family members.

Vanessa Z.

Insurance Specialist

Vanessa's bright smile is the first thing you will see when you walk into our office. Vanessa comes to us with more than 15 years of experience in the dental field, from the front office to back office, and she enjoys working with our patients.

Vanessa is married and has two handsome sons and a beautiful daughter. She enjoys camping, hiking, attending her son's sporting events, and spending as much time with her family as she can.

April Q.

Treatment Coordinator-Mesa

We are lucky to have April on our team as one of our awesome treatment coordinators. She comes to us by way of Texas and has been working in the dental field for 10 years. April is attentive to detail and excellent at multi-tasking and tast prioritization which makes her perfect for the position of treatment coordinator.

April enjoys helping people and always strives to make our patients a priority. She also enjoys being part of our great team.

April is very family oriented and when she is not in the office, her family enjoys the outdoors, doing things like hiking, paddle boarding, swimming, working out and riding quads.

Fun fact: April lived in Colorado for two years. During that time she was part of an adventure club and says that she was blessed to do beautiful hikes and trail riding. 

Stephanie K.

Treatment Coordinator- Queen Creek

Stephanie has been in Arizona for 17 years and she came here by way of Manchester New Hampshire.  She has been in the dental field for 17 years and loves watching our patients get "happy and healthy".  She believes that heatlh all starts with a healthy mouth.  Stephanie loves being at East Valley Periodontics because she loves the integrity of our practice as well as the honesty and she says "I love  the leadership team here and I especially love Dr. Price". 

When Stephanie is not working she enjoys traveling with her family, spending time in California with her sister, camping, hiking, fishing, four wheeling, the beach and shooting at Ted's Shooting Range. 

Stephanie is married and has 2 boys and says that her oldest son is exactly like her in every way and her youngest is 100% like his dad.  Stephanie is passionate about "Jesus", her family and vets.  

Fun fact: Stephanie's best friend is her sister who she says is her irish twin.  They are only 10 months apart in age.

Rebecca C.

Treatment Coordinator- Mesa

Rebecca is born and raised here in Arizona. She has been in the dental field for 7 years and her favorite thing about dentistry is being able to help patients understand what is going on in their mouth.  Rebecca loves being at East Valley Periodontics because she loves how everything has a system and how EVERYONE is nice.

When Rebecca is not working she enjoys spending time with her daughters and family She loves camping, going to races, and out riding.

Fun fact: Rebecca loves to craft and make things on her cricut machine such as shirts, cups, signs, etc. 

Patient Care Coordinator- Mesa

Angie lives in Chandler but comes to us via Santa Ana California.  She has been working in the dental field for only 3 years but she is a wonderful, smart, hard working addition to our front office team. 

Angie says that in the next 5 years she hopes to have graduated hygiene school and be working in a dental office as a hygienist. (maybe even here)  She loves the team here at EVP and appreciates that everyone is "always smiling". She also enjoys talking with patients while she checks them in and out and really appreciates when patients compliment the team.

Angie also really loves archeology.  She believes that studying the past is a great way to understand the future.  She had an opportunity to visit the Teotihuacan Pyramids and thinks that their culture was incredible.  One of her pet peeves is litter bugs.  

Outside the office Angie enjoys working out every day at 5 a.m., hiking on the weekends, kayaking and watching movies.

 

Crystal A.

Patient Care Coordinator- Queen Creek

Crystal comes to us by way of Washington State but she has lived in AZ for over 12 years.  She has been working in the dental field for over 18 years and says that she loves working with our patients helping them get health and confident in their smile.  

Crystal enjoys working for EV Perio because everyone is super friendly and helpful and says that "it definately feels like family".  

When Crystal is not working she enjoys spending time with her kids watching their sports and playing card games.  Other than her boys, she is passionate about Relay for Life and the Wounded Warrior Project. 

Fun Fact:  Crystal is mom to 3 boys!

Staci M.

Patient Care Coordinator- Mesa

Staci comes to us by way of Nebraska - Go Big Red! She is a people person and has more than 25 years of dental experience working in the back office as well as the front. She prides herself on helping patients to feel welcome when they come into the office and smiling when they leave. She loves the professionalism of the doctors and our team here at EVP and loves how everyone cares about each other and our patients.

Staci lives in Mesa with her husband, who has been her best friend for more than 25 years, and her two daughters, one of whom is a competitive cheerleader, which keeps them all very busy. Away from the office, she enjoys hiking, kayaking, motorcycling, hanging poolside, and spending time with friends and family.

Elizabeth "Elzie" M.

Patient Care Coordinator- Mesa

Elzie  is born and raised in Tucson, AZ. She has been in the dental field since 2012 starting out in a Pediatric Dental office. Elzie's favorite thing about dentistry is seeing patients smile. When asked what she loves about EVP, her response is, "the team is like a family."

When not in the office Elzie is hiking, at festivals, concerts, dining out at new places, or being outdoors.

Fun Fact: Elzie is a Neuroscience nerd and was a mental health advocate and even spoke publically on the topic.

Karen G.

Hygienist- Mesa

Karen is the longest-standing member of our team, with dedicated service for 40 years. She is a highly skilled hygienist whose care and attention to her patients is unsurpassed. She has a genuine concern for her patients' health and well-being, and makes sure they are comfortable and at ease.

Karen has been playing the piano since the age of four and she loves to golf and play tennis. She and her husband have a grown daughter who is also happily married and  has 3 children. 

Collette B.

Hygienist-Mesa/ Queen Creek

Collette has been with us since the fall of 2015. She has been a dental hygienist for 20 years and is originally from Salt Lake City. Collette loves being a hygienist because she loves helping people get healthy. She says that she would like to work until she is 80 doing something significant. She enjoys working at East Valley Periodontics because everyone is so kind and good at what they do. She loves that our patients become friends.

When she is not working, Colette enjoys hiking, camping, doing dentistry in third-world countries, learning Spanish, exercising, studying alternative health options for chronic diseases, and learning the piano. She is the mother of seven children - one son and six daughters - and has 15 grandchildren. She feels strongly about birth choices for women and is a certified doula.

Fun Fact: Collette is left handed.

Crystal V.

Lead Surgical Hygienist-Mesa/ Queen Creek

Crystal has been with East Valley Periodontics since July 2017 and prides herself on good time management, teamwork, patient comfort, and having a positive attitude. She is eager to learn to love her patients and buildrelationships with the team here at EVP. Crystal got into hygiene because she "loves to pick." She enjoys removing stain, helping her patients understand the importance of good oral health, and teaching them how to achieve that goal.

Crystal lives in Gilbert and has a wonderful husband - a welder and machinist for a large mining company - and three lovely children: two boys and a girl. She enjoys spending time with her family, attending her kids' sporting events, date nights with her husband, photography, movies, and Mexican food.

Crystal feels very strongly about oral cancer screenings and donating Christmas gifts to families in need.

Fun fact: Crystal is adopted and loves "gross" things like pimples, surgeries, and calculus.

Mary S.

Hygienist-Mesa/ Queen Creek

Mary has been with us for over 3 years by way of Rochester, New York.  She has been a registered hygienist for 25 years and says that she loves building relationships while helping her patients maintain their teeth.

Mary loves the fun yet professional team here at EVP and feels that it is a positive, progressive environment.  She really enjoys working with people from all different walks of life and says that she really learns a lot from our patients from hearing about their professions to recommendations for restaurants in the valley. 

Outside of EVP Mary enjoys hiking, biking, kayaking, paddle boarding and really loves going "up north" in AZ as well as visiting New York and vacationing in California. She has 3 grown children that she is very proud of and looks forward to becoming a grandma one day.  

Mary's passion is in using the gifts that God has given her to bless others in ministry and outreach. 

 

Alison W.

Surgical Assistant

Alison was born and raised in Gilbert, Arizona. While in high school, she
attended the East Valley Institute of Technology where she took a
Dental Assisting course, since graduation she has been assisting full time. She started in general dentistry and recently found her way to surgical.

Alison strives to make the patients feel that they are in a safe
environment and in good hands no matter who they meet in the office.
She is a firm believer that the patient's needs should always come
first. She loves getting to know the patients and is always more than
happy to help them i n any way she can.

Alison enjoys working at EVP because the team is so incredible.
Everyone at EVP is so welcoming and so quick to help others. She
says "At EVP it feels like we are all one big family and we all have the
same goal, which is to help the patients as much as we can." She also
enjoys the diversity in the procedures done at the office, not one
procedure turns out exactly the same. She l oves seeing the amazing
work the doctors do.

When Alison is not working she loves to be anywhere outdoors or in
the water! She is a huge fan of going to the beach, lake, and river. She
loves to stand up paddle surf in the ocean when she visits California,
snowboard, wakeboard, wakesurf, and longboard! She also enjoys
hiking and going on adventures all around Arizona. Alison also loves
to spend time with her family.

One thing Alison feels strongly about is pediatric cancer. She once
raised just over 1000 dollars for the National Pediatric Cancer
Foundation. She hopes one day there will be enough research to find
a cure because no child should have to experience cancer when they
are just starting their life. Children should be worry free growing up
and be happy and healthy!

 

Shilo T.

Surgical Dental Assistant

Shilo has traveled a lot and comes to us from multiple states around the country.  She has been a surgical assistant for the last 5 years.  She is excellent at engaging with our patients and helping them with any questions that they have whether they want to know a little or a lot about their treatment in our office.  In fact, taking care of our patient's needs and helping to restore their oral health and beautiful smiles are very important to her.  

She says that she loves EVP because of our family atmosphere with "amazing individuals" that truly care about our patients.  

Outside of EVP she enjoys skating, traveling and anything outdoors, spending as much time as she can with her family.  She says that her family makes her a better person and being an aunt to her nephew is her favorite thing.  She also says that working with mental health awareness is one of her passions.

Fun fact: Shilo loves being barefoot and she "can do a few things to a car".  

 

LaShonda V.

Surgical Assistant

LaShonda is an Arizona native who worked in the medical assisting field for 15 years before deciding to migrate over to the dental field because her sister-in-law Crystal, (who is one of our excellent hygienists) displayed such a passion for what she did.  LaShonda has been happy with the change and says that she really enjoys the hands-on aspect of surgical assisting really likes that "there is never a boring day".   Part of what she really likes is that there is a family atmosphere and that everyone works together as a team. 

LaShonda married her high school sweetheart and has 3 beautiful children and outside of EVP LaShonda loves spending time with her family, staying active outdoors, excersizing, dancing, watching movies, swimming and playing games.  She is really passionate about spreading kindness as a matter of fact, her favorite quote is "Smile at the world and the world will smile back". 

Fun Fact: LaShonda is the oldest of 6 siblings, she's the shortest and the only one with straight hair. 

 

Mariah W.

Surgical Assistant

Mariah comes to us by way of Indiana.  She has been in the dental field for 6 years and loves taking care of our patients and helping to educate them on oral home care.  

Mariah says that she likes EVP because of our friendly team and organized quality patient care.  

When Mariah is not at work she enjoys going to parks, swimming and arts and crafts with her two beautiful children.  She is passionate about being a mom and loves watching her babies grow up. 

Fun Fact: Mariah loves sunflowers and the color yellow and really loves traveling and family is the most important thing to her.

Sarah W.

Surgical Dental Assistant

Sarah comes to EV Perio by way of LaCrosse, Wisconsin.  She has lived in Arizona since 1986 and has been in dentistry since 2000.  Her favorite part of working in dentisry is educating patients.  

Sarah said that the reason she enjoys working at East Valley Periodontics is because it is a rarity to find an amazing clinician that is also a truly good person at heart. (We all share that sentiment.)  She also says that she feels truly blessed to be part of our team. 

When Sarah is not at work she enjoys hiking, target shooting, camping, kayaking, shopping and cleaning (believe it or not).   She is passionate about animals, anything and everything to do with them. 

Fun Fact: Sarah was born on Christmas day. 

Jennice C.

Surgical Dental Assistant

Jennice is born and raised in AZ, she grew up in Tucson. She comes to EVP with 4 years in the dental field. Jennice's favorite thing about dentistry is educating patients and helping build their smile. When asked why she likes EVP she will say, "its my work family, and everyone is so friendly and caring."

When Jennice is not at work she enjoys hanging out with family and friends, and trying new places with her boyfriend.

Fun Fact: Jennice grew up with 7 siblings and is currently going to school to become a dental hygienist. 

Mady K.

Surgical Assistant

BIO COMING SOON!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Audrie P.

Surgical Dental Assistant-Sterile Tech

BIO COMING SOON!

Fun Fact: Audrie is Dr. Price's oldest daughter.

 

 

 

Sydney

Sterile Tech

Sydney is born and raised here in Arizona. She is new to the dental field for and her favorite thing about dentistry is being detail oriented.  Sydney loves being at East Valley Periodontics because it is a very accepting team and everyone helps one another. Sydney is passionate about experiencing news things and pushing herself by expanding her knowledge.

When Sydney is not working she enjoys hiking with her chiweenie (dog) named Caramel, off roading, and going out to eat sushi.

Fun fact: Sydney lived in Hawaii for four years.