Lovell Dental celebrates 10 years in business

It was a full decade ago that Dr. Lance Anderson and his family moved to town and opened Lovell Dental at 234 East Main Street.

“It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since we opened,” Anderson said. “Looking back on it, it was a big risk for my family.”

He and his wife, Tiffany, knew they wanted to come back to Wyoming close to where they were raised after schooling and getting experience in Nebraska at a corporate dental practice.

“For whatever reason, I had the support from my wife to make my dream come true,” he added. “I’ve always wanted to own a practice like I currently have and without her support, there would be no way I could have done it.”

The couple now has six children, Parker, Kaeson, Macie, Oakley, Jax and Jayda, all of whom thrive in many activities and programs in the area, while Lance and Tiffany also coach a variety of sports themselves.

They initially conducted a market analysis to test the viability of a dental practice in Lovell before deciding to take the plunge, and business was booming straight out of the gate.

“We started off a lot busier than I could have ever imagined in our first month of operation,” said Anderson. “I was fortunate to hire some competent employees, and we hit the ground running and have steadily grown to the point of having two full-time hygienists and one hygienist that works twice a week.”

Twice a week they run three chairs booked for hygiene, and Anderson said he would never have thought they would get to that point.

“We have patients from all over the Big Horn Basin that come to our office -- and even some from Montana,” he said. “We have grown from some initial advertising but largely from patient referrals.”

Anderson humbly credits his extraordinary staff for the success.

“I’m confident I have the best staff out of any office in all of Wyoming,” he said. “My front desk, Keela Meier and Stephanie Brimhall, care more about our patients than themselves on any given day, and when someone calls with an emergency, they do everything they can to get them in to see me as soon as possible.”

Managing a busy schedule like their office isn’t an easy task. They do it happily every day, and Anderson feels very lucky to have them up front greeting patients.

After getting past the front desk, patients would then come across Anderson’s assistants, Ashley Clausis, Vicki Bagwell and Katrina Zeller.

“They are amazing, and they know dentistry as well as anyone. They are kind and compassionate to all our patients,” he said. “They are very versatile in assisting me and my hygienist, which helps the day go smoothly.”

The three hygienists are Brittani Sponsel, Maricella Luna and newest staff member Brooklyn Walker, all of whom Anderson says are very thorough and offer the highest quality of care one can expect.

“I have complete trust in their ability and value their input,” he said.

Although a small-town office, Lovell Dental offers a range of services including dental implants, full mouth rehabilitation and clear alignments.

A few years ago, Anderson did some major updates to the office including 3D imaging for treatment planning for dental implants and diagnosing and an intraoral scanner, which helps eliminate traditional impressions. Lovell Dental can now 3D print their own aligned cases, allowing a more affordable option for patients than traditional braces.

“I feel extremely blessed to be able to offer dental care to the people around here,” he said. “The community is full of genuinely good people, and it’s because of them I’m still excited to come to work every day.”