I grew up in White Swan, a small town in the Yakima Valley. My family worked the land and my childhood looked like a lot of childhoods in Central Washington. Long days outside, close-knit neighbors, and a deep understanding that out here, you take care of your own.
I went to Washington State University in Pullman and studied Microbiology. I then went to the University of Washington School of Dentistry in Seattle, where I served as Vice President of the Hispanic Dental Association. After dental school, I had options. A lot of my classmates went to Seattle, Bellevue, or Spokane. The pay is better, the patient pool is larger, and frankly, the lifestyle is easier in a city.
Coming back to Central Washington was not a hard decision. This is where I am from. These are the communities I know. And rural communities like ours are genuinely underserved when it comes to dental care. That has always bothered me.
Why access to dental care matters in rural Washington
A lot of families in Kittitas County, and in farming communities across the state, go years between dental visits. Not because they do not care about their health, but because access is limited, costs are a real concern, and life is busy. There is harvest. There is calving. There are kids in school and parents working long shifts. The dentist gets put off until something hurts.
I have seen what happens when dental problems go untreated for too long. A small cavity that could have been a 30-minute filling becomes a root canal or an extraction. Bleeding gums that could have been reversed with a deep cleaning turn into advanced periodontal disease and tooth loss. People who should have been able to keep their teeth for life end up needing dentures or implants in their 50s.
Good dental care should not be something you have to drive to Yakima or Seattle for. It should not be a luxury. And it should not require navigating a confusing system that treats you like a number.
What we try to do differently at Central Washington Dental Care
We offer appointments in both English and Spanish. This matters. A significant portion of our community speaks Spanish at home, and being able to discuss your health, your treatment options, and your concerns in your first language is not a small thing. It changes how comfortable you feel asking questions and how well you understand what is going on.
We are transparent about costs. Before we do any treatment beyond a routine exam, we walk you through what it costs, what insurance will cover, and what your out-of-pocket will be. No surprises. I have seen too many patients leave a dental office with sticker shock, and that experience can keep them from coming back for years.
We work with most insurance plans, and for patients without insurance, we can talk through payment options and prioritize what needs to be done now versus what can wait. Not every problem needs to be fixed in one visit.
We also keep things simple. I am not trying to upsell anyone on cosmetic work they did not ask about. If you came in for a cleaning, you get a cleaning. If you have questions about whitening, veneers, or implants, we can talk about it. But you will not feel pressured.
The communities we serve
Our office is in Ellensburg, but we see patients from across Kittitas County. Cle Elum, Roslyn, Ronald, Easton, Snoqualmie Pass, Thorp, Kittitas, South Cle Elum, Vantage, and Taneum. Some patients drive 30 or 40 minutes to come see us, and we work to make sure that drive is worth it.
We see Washington State University students, faculty, and staff. We see ranchers, farmers, teachers, and retirees. We see families who have been in this valley for generations and people who just moved out from Seattle looking for a quieter life.
It is a wide mix, and one of the things I appreciate most is the relationships that build over time. Seeing the same families year after year. Watching kids grow up, go off to college, and bring their own kids in years later. That is the reason I came back.
What good dental care looks like long-term
I want to be clear about something. The single most important thing you can do for your teeth is get regular cleanings and exams. That is it. Most dental problems are preventable if you catch them early, and the only way to catch them early is to come in.
For most patients, that means twice a year. For some, with gum disease history or other risk factors, it means every three to four months. We will tell you what makes sense for your situation. (You can read more about cleaning frequency in our post on how often you should actually get your teeth cleaned.)
If you have not been to a dentist in years, do not let that stop you. Whatever shape your teeth are in, we have seen worse, and we are not going to lecture you. We will look at where you are now, talk through your options, and figure out a path forward together.
If you are new to the area, or if you have just been putting off finding a regular dentist, we would be glad to be your dental home. Call us at (509) 933-3300 or stop by our Ellensburg office. We are here, and we are not going anywhere.