Well-acquainted with the Midwest and Eau Claire community and its dentistry landscape, Drs. Erin and Joe are uniquely qualified to call their practice a family-oriented one as well. Both with strong familial roots in the Chippewa Valley, the duo are the exemplification of “best of both worlds”: they describe themselves as opposites in the best way, and that rings true even in their individual journeys toward practicing.

“I’m no stranger to the dental office. Growing up, I had a lot of issues that led to nine years of orthodontic treatment and an implant,” Dr. Joe recalled. “By the time I was about 18 years old, I was in a place where I could truly see how much my dental care had changed my life. It sounds corny, but I saw improvements in my quality of life. I decided then that that was what I wanted to do for others.”

Wisconsin born and raised, Dr. Joe completed his undergraduate studies at UW-Eau Claire, his extended family also calling Eau Claire home. After earning his doctorate in dentistry in Florida, the yearning for Midwestern community — and weather! — brought him back to our slice of the state. His lived experience as a dental patient and years of experience as a practitioner offers patients a personable, unique care route.

“My experience was a bit opposite from Dr. Joe,” Dr. Erin said. “I grew up going to the dentist about every six months, but didn’t know my dentist well. I didn’t know anything about dentistry.”

After earning her undergraduate degree in psychology, she went on a mission trip, chasing her passion to help others. On that trip, she encountered a group of dentists on a medical mission trip, and was so intrigued by their work that upon returning home, she dove into dentistry studies. She shadowed several dentists, then went back to school and earned her doctorate in dentistry from the University of Minnesota.

Dr. Erin and her husband, both raised in Eau Claire, fell in love with the community years ago. After leaving for and completing college, it was a no-brainer to plant their roots back in the city they loved. In doing so, she and Dr. Joe became coworkers in the local dentistry field.

“We’ve both been practicing in Eau Claire for four years, so our faces aren’t new to the community though our own practice is,” Dr. Erin said. “To finally have a place of our own to offer the kind of family-focused feel with the most advanced technology out there, we’re living our dream.”

Drs. Joe and Erin are enamored by Eau Claire’s small-town feel and big opportunities, having found the latter six months ago when they officially opened the doors to Valley Edge Dental. You will feel that people-first mentality as soon as you walk into the office, met by a team that is as personable as they are ready to help.

“At our cores, our values are the same,” Dr. Erin said of the Valley Edge Dental team. “Our practice is genuinely people-driven, we don’t want people to feel like they are just a number. We love to be here, and love to be here for you.”

After about six months settling into their Southside Eau Claire location, Valley Edge Dental is excited to welcome patients across the Chippewa Valley to their space. Set an appointment with ease online, and spend time with Drs. Erin and Joe during your first visit where the building blocks for a trust-filled relationship will be laid. Exploring Valley Edge Dental’s membership options and comprehensive dental services will open the door to the kind of experience you deserve: one that is custom to your specific needs, built by a team that truly cares.