Meet the Ames Team
The Ames Doctors
Dr. Jessica Swanson, DDS
Dr. Jessica Swanson is a native of Davenport, IA. She attended the University of Iowa for both her bachelors and DDS degrees. During dental school she received three consecutive annual National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research awards and presented her research at the national conferences. She also was an active participant and eventual coordinator for the student mission trips to Jamaica through the Christian Dental Society. She graduated from the College of Dentistry in 2004 and has been an Invisalign provider since 2005. Dr. Jessica is committed to providing dental care to people with and without resources or access to dental care. She travels to Christian Dental Society clinics in Jamaica 2-3 times a year with teams of dentists and dental students to reach patients without access to a dentist. She is also active locally through the Dental Lifeline Network/Donated Dental Services and Iowa Mission of Mercy. When Dr. Jessica isn’t with her patients she can be found spending time with her husband Rob and three daughters, Madeline, Reagan, and Simone. She also enjoys cooking, running, reading, and travel.
Dr. Rob Swanson, DDS
Dr. Rob Swanson grew up in Ames and is happy to be practicing dentistry in his native area. He is a 2008 graduate of the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and has practiced with Swanson Dental since that time. He is a member of the American Dental Association, the Iowa Dental Association, and the Des Moines District Dental Society. Dr. Swanson has made continuing education a high priority in his career to help the Swanson Dental team stay current with the rapid advances in dental materials and technology. He enjoys attending dental conferences at both the state and national level. Dr. Swanson enjoys all areas of dentistry and in particular loves working with kids. He has been a certified Invisalign provider since 2013. He spends as much of his free time as possible with his daughters, along with playing golf, listening to live music, and cheering for both the Cyclones and Hawkeyes.
Dr. Halie Bricker, DDS
Dr. Halie Bricker is a native of Kearney. She attended Nebraska Wesleyan University and obtained a B.S. in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. She then earned her Doctorate of Dental Surgery from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry. She has a passion for learning and is committed to continuing her education in order to remain current with state of the art technology, procedures, and materials in dentistry. During her time at UNMC she was involved in many activities outside the routine curriculum. She was selected by her peers to attend the American Student Dental Association National Leadership Conference two years in a row. She had the opportunity to volunteer her time providing dental services at the triannual Sharing Clinic, the clinic at Peoples Health Center, as well as providing free care at the Nebraska Mission of Mercy for five years. She loves staying involved and volunteering her time, and continues to do so by participation in mission trips to Jamaica sponsored by the Christian Dental Society. In her free time she enjoys cooking and gardening. She enjoys traveling and the outdoors: camping, fly fishing, biking, and sand volleyball are a few of her favorites. Dr. Bricker also has a strong passion for animals and share her home with Dak, her opinionated feline friend, and Freya, her Great Pyrenees puppy. She is also very family and friends oriented and is honored to be a part of the Swanson Family Dental team. She feels fortunate to be part of such a wonderful practice filled with individuals completely devoted to the care of our patients.
The Ames Team
Amy Ryan
Front Office Coordinator
Amy joined Swanson Family Dental in 2008 as a registered dental assistant, and then transitioned to the front office in 2011. She stays current with continuing dental education and office management classes—a commitment she takes seriously to help patients maintain their dental health and understand all of their questions regarding treatment and insurance. Amy’s passion outside of work is her family. She loves spending time with her husband, Cody, and their children Luke, and Alli.
Kayla Bount
Registered Dental Hygienist
Kayla graduated from the dental hygiene program at Des Moines Area Community College in 2007. Her favorite part of being a dental hygienist is educating patients on ways to improve their oral health and feel better about their smile. She enjoys volunteering for the Special Smiles program during the Special Olympics and as a dental health presenter during Children’s Dental Health month. Kayla loves spending time with her family. She and her husband have three children and live in Ames. Their children are active in several different sports, which keeps the whole family busy.
Jane Hulstein
Registered Dental Hygienist
Jane has been a dental Hygienist for over sixteen years. She enjoys building personal relationships centered around educating and motivating patients toward an optimum state of oral health. She is passionate about patient care and finds it to be very rewarding. When Jane is not working she enjoys spending time with family, friends, her pets, and many other activities from antiquing to traveling.
Carissa Dooley
Registered Dental Assistant
If you ask Carissa, dentistry chose her. She has always been very passionate about caring for people. Carissa has been a Registered Dental Assistant for 10 years and joined Swanson Family Dental in 2016. That same year she earned her expanded functions certificate for dental assisting. She enjoys listening and educating patients and finds their trust in her and the dentist to be a very rewarding part of her day. In her spare time, she enjoys the outdoors, going to the movies, and spending time with her two daughters.
Areli Gonzalez
Registered Dental Assistant
Areli joined the Swanson Dental team in the summer of 2016 after completing the dental assisting program at Vatteratt College in Des Moines. Splitting her time between both offices has allowed her to work with the entire Swanson Dental team, and she is most proud to work for a staff of dentists who take the time to listen to each patient’s individual needs. She is bilingual in both English and Spanish. Areli has a 7-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son who both keep her very busy.
Becky Kinsey
Registered Dental Assistant
Becky has been in the dental field for 20 years and has earned a certificate of expanded functions for dental assistants. She joined Swanson Dental Care in 2012. Becky has a genuine passion for taking good care of her patients. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors and listing to live music.