Dr. Heather Anderson is enjoying her new view. Her newly opened dental practice sits on the west edge of Clarion and overlooks acres of Wright County farmland. Wright County Family Dental has only been open for a few weeks, but Dr. Anderson is already liking what she sees.
Though Heather Anderson has been living in the area for a while, she is actually an Emmetsburg native. She describes herself as a farm girl who enjoyed sports. Due to a great experience with an orthodontist when she was young, Anderson says she always had her mind set on being a dentist.
Anderson got busy on her goal. She attended Creighton for her undergrad, obtaining a degree in exercise science and biology. She then headed to the University of Iowa for dental school and graduated in 2014.
She next found herself in Clarion working at a dental practice as an associate. She eventually moved on to be an associate elsewhere but not before she met her husband, Ethan, a Clarion native. The two welcomed their daughter Hailey just eleven months ago.
In the whirlwind of life, Anderson said she was thinking about how to get back to working in Clarion. She liked the idea of being able to be in town more and building local, close-knit relationships with neighbors and patients. The idea of starting her own practice bloomed.
Anderson says, “I’m a planner and this would be a big, scary investment.” She says that her experience as an associate taught her a great deal though – what she liked about different practices and what she would improve if she ran her own. She credits her husband for encouraging her to make the leap.
So well over a year ago, Anderson began to work on her dream practice. She worked with a dental design firm to plan her own building. She was excited to be able to pick and choose the layout and features of the space.
Anderson admits it was not always an easy process. Trying to start a new business in the midst of COVID was definitely challenging. The build was delayed by supply chain interruptions. She had hoped to be open last summer. In the end, though the project ended up taking extra months, Anderson’s dream became a reality when her business, Wright County Family Dental, opened on February 15.
She’s just getting started, but Anderson is enjoying her practice so far. She says her philosophy is characterized by transparency and honesty with her patients. “Here we are focused on high quality patient care,” Anderson emphasizes. Whether you have a toothache, have a dental emergency or are interested in cosmetic dentistry, Anderson and her team can help. “No matter what you need, we can talk about getting to where you want to be,” she asserted.
She added that patient comfort is her primary concern. They offer comfortable exam rooms, beverages, TVs in the rooms, blankets and nitrous oxide if patients should want it. Anderson noted that they accept various major insurers such as Delta Dental, Cigna Dental, Metlife, Principal Network, and Wellmark.
Anderson says she is happy to be back in the Clarion community. She is enjoying reconnecting with former patients and is looking forward to meeting new ones. She encourages people to check out her new practice and learn about the exciting amenities and services they have to offer.
Wright County Family Dental is open four days a week and is located at 1403 Central Ave W in Clarion. Interested patients can learn more about Dr. Anderson’s practice by visiting wrightcountyfamilydental.com or calling them at 515-532-2529. (Afterhours emergency number- 515-532-7559).
