Omaha native builds dental career in Sioux Falls

Sept. 8, 2020

This week’s Up-and-Comer is Dr. Lauren Booth, a new dentist at Dental Care Associates.

Name: Lauren Booth

Age: 26

Hometown: Omaha

What brought you to Sioux Falls?

I met Dr. Mike Smith while I was in school at Creighton. He’s a clinical professor once a week and was a mentor to me during my final years of dental school. I learned so much from him in just the handful of times I was able to work with him and was so excited when he offered me a full-time position as another dentist at Dental Care Associates.

What keeps you in Sioux Falls?

I met my boyfriend, Dr. Brady Roby, our first year of dental school in Omaha, and we’ve now been together for four years. He is a Sioux Falls native and grew up on the west side of town, graduating from Roosevelt High School. He and his incredible family is what keeps me here. I’m looking forward to making Sioux Falls my new home and meeting more people in the community who will also play a role in what keeps me here long term.

What’s your favorite thing about your job?

My favorite thing about my job is my ability to change someone’s life in a positive way. Whether it’s a cosmetic case with crowns or veneers, back tooth fillings or dentures, I look forward to getting people out of pain and making them feel happy and confident in their smiles.

How did you get connected to your industry?

I had an amazing dentist growing up. While my dad was in Iraq and my mom was working an extra job to support my younger sisters and I, I felt even more pressure to be a role model and caretaker for my siblings. With that responsibility came stress and anxiety, and caused me to clench my teeth, leading me to spend more time with my dentist to restore the damage and occlusal trauma. He knew my family, knew the situation and would encourage me to continue being the best version of myself each day. I can honestly say that he played a huge role in my life during a tough time when I needed someone to believe in me. I now strive to be that support system and friend to my patients. My uncle was also a huge influence in my decision to become a dentist. He is a dentist in Texas, and I’ve spent many summers shadowing him. I have also spent several summers in Guatemala and the Dominican Republic doing dentistry along with mission work for the developing communities in those areas.

Describe Dental Care Associates in three words.

Passionate. Skillful. Loyal.

What is something someone might be surprised to learn about you?

I did my undergrad at a school in Phoenix called Grand Canyon University and double majored in biochemistry and business management. I loved traveling to a new city and getting to spend so much of the year outside. During my four years there, I fell in love with hiking, camping, cliff jumping and many more outdoor activities.

What’s your favorite way to give back to your community?

My favorite way to give back to my community is by doing dentistry for underprivileged communities that do not receive dental care often. When I lived in Omaha, we would travel to surrounding communities with several portable dental units and provide preventative care to children in alternative or underprivileged elementary schools, make dentures and do cleanings for elderly in nursing homes and provide urgent care for several homeless shelters. I loved serving the Omaha community and hope to have the opportunity to serve the Sioux Falls community in some of the same ways.

What’s one business you’d like to see in Sioux Falls that isn’t here now?

I would love to see a restaurant with an outdoor patio for live music and a large grassy area with games like cornhole, Jenga, ladder ball and more. A place that’s dog friendly, so I can bring my dog, Duke, to socialize and make friends in Sioux Falls as well.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

In five years, I hope to have a home in Sioux Falls that’s full of children — not particular on whether they are puppy children or human children yet, time will tell. I hope to continue working at Dental Care Associates and help Dr. Mike, Dr. Nichol and Dr. Kuipers grow the practice. In the next five years, it’s my goal to create many real relationships with my patients that will last a lifetime.

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Omaha native builds dental career in Sioux Falls

This week’s Up-and-Comer is Lauren Booth, a new dentist at Dental Care Associates.

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