Our Mission 

To educate dentists and office managers on the business of dentistry by building in operational goals, systems, and accountability. 

 
 
 

At Optimize Dental, we believe in empowering dental professionals to reach their full potential. We understand that running a successful dental practice requires more than just clinical expertise, which is why we are here – to provide the necessary support systems to help increase operational efficiency and maximize growth.

Our amazing team of educators and consultants brings a combined total of over 37 years of dental and management experience. We are committed to helping you conquer challenges while bringing a new level of excellence and sustainability to your clinic. Whether you operate a specialty practice, denture clinic, hygiene clinic, or general practice, we have the expertise to support your unique needs. We know these types of practices inside and out, and we’re here to ensure your success.

90+

Collective Years of Experience

1000+

Training Hours Delivered

6

Team Members & Growing

 

Meet the Founders

  • Theresa Smith

    Co-Founder

    Theresa is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of management experience and 13+ years in dental management. With previous roles as an administrator, office manager, and district manager, Theresa brings a wealth of industry knowledge and expertise to the table. She started Optimize Dental to bring support to dental professionals who have not had the opportunity to learn how to manage and develop a business. She is passionate about helping practices grow with sustainable operations that balance clinical culture, patient care, and business management. When she's not working, Theresa loves spending time with her family, watching her kids' sports games, and taking her horse for a ride.

  • Brittany Pollard

    Co-Founder

    Brittany is a dental professional with 7 years of experience in the industry. With a diverse background as an administrator, office manager, district manager, and account manager, Brittany noticed a gap in the education that dentists and managers were receiving. Using her own knowledge, she started Optimize Dental to expedite the learning process. Brittany’s mission is to help dental professionals gain the confidence to run their clinic as a business, putting patient care at the forefront while ensuring their systems and processes are running efficiently. In her free time, Brittany loves spending quality time with family and friends.

Our Team

  • Michelle Knogler

    Development Manager

    Michelle Knogler is a highly experienced dental professional with over 22 years in the industry. Michelle completed her dental assisting program at Saskatchewan Polytech in 2001, and has worked in various RDA roles for which she was trained in IPC manual, protocols, systems, and processes. She also spent six years working in private practice as an administrator, where she handled financial surgical cases. Michelle then moved on to manage a corporate general dental practice, where she honed her management skills and gained valuable insight to the business side of dentistry. Michelle officially joined Optimize in early 2022 as the Development Manager, bringing her passion for patient care, clinic culture, and support, teamwork, and collaboration. As a mother, her personal values center around raising her children to be productive humans. 

  • Amy Emerson

    Executive Assistant

    Amy is an experienced dental professional with over 24 years in the industry. Amy graduated from NAIT ‘s dental assisting program in 1999. Starting her carrier as an RDA, Amy moved to the clinical side of dental operations shortly after returning from her first maternity leave. Amy has spent 20 years working as an administrator, a clinical coordinator, a manager of a corporate general practice and has spent the last 2 years exclusively working as a Remote Recare specialist. When Amy is not auditing charts and reaching out to patients, she spends her time with family.

  • Alyssa Turner

    Remote Specialist

    Alyssa started her dental career 12 years ago starting out as a chairside assistant. She then moved into the administrative side of the field 7 years ago. She has administrator, treatment and hygiene coordinator, surgical coordinator, and AR manager experience. After her maternity leave late October 2023, she joined the team at Optimize Dental as a Remote Recare Specialist bringing knowledge of how to build and keep patient relationships, mastery of various management soft wares, and a comprehensive understanding of the operational flow between administrative and clinical teams.

    When she is not chatting with patients and scheduling appointments, she spends the rest of her time and energy chasing her toddler around. 

  • Nicola Sweet

    Remote Specialist

    Nicola is a highly experienced dental professional with over 20 years in the industry. Nicola completed her business administration specializing in human resources at NAIT in 2003. She later completed her dental administration with KDA college. She has spent over 20 years working in the dental industry from aiding with start ups, rebuilding and rejuvenating life into aging practices. From lead dental administrator to accounts manager to surgical co-ordinator she is highly experienced in all aspects of managing a dental office. She takes great pride in leading successful teams driven with patient care, positive environments and a zest for passion of the industry.  Nicola officially joined Optimize in early 2024 as a Remote Recare Specialist.  In her personal life, she is a proud mom to two teenagers and a goldendoodle!

Let’s Work Together 

Thank you for your interest in working with Optimize Dental! We are here to support you and your team every step of the way.