RR Brannstrom | Daily Press Wendy Holzencamp, newly elected supervisor of Masonville Township, stands outside the township hall on South Main Street in Rapid River.
Editor’s note: The Daily Press will feature a series of articles about local businesses, highlighting their history and what makes them unique. This series will be serialized regularly in the Daily Press.
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ESCANABA — SmileSelect Dental, located at 2500 7th Ave. S. Ste. 216 near Pathways, is a practice currently owned by Dr. Michael Ernest Hyers, DDS. The young dentist, an Army veteran and technology enthusiast, took over and rebranded the business, which was owned by Dr. Donald Pfotenhauer, DDS, nearly a year ago. SmileSelect has two dental surgeons on staff and is currently accepting new patients.
Hyers grew up on Houghton Lake in Lower Michigan. His family moved to Florida, where he attended high school and then worked in construction for a short time before joining the United States Army. He served four years, including a deployment to Iraq.
“I then used the GI Bill to pay for college and undergraduate tuition.” the senior said. “If it wasn’t for the military, I would never have gone to college.”
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond and then enrolled at the University of Detroit Mercy to be closer to his family in Michigan. There he completed his Doctorate of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree in 2021.
For several years, Mr. Hyers worked as a dentist. Locum tenens jobs involve temporary contracts and typically require travel. This role fills the gap when other healthcare providers in different locations are on extended leave, such as maternity leave, or simply require additional staff because the demand is beyond their regular team. The purpose is Hyers said he found such research valuable and informative.
“When you go to college, you learn about dentistry from a variety of people who have been practicing dentistry for many years. There’s more than one way to do everything.” A senior person explained. “This school is an evidence-based dental school, so they teach you all the latest things, but you also learn about how people have been doing it for years.”
Similarly, after completing my degree, my early work allowed me to learn more on the job. “I also got to see how different practices are done as a locum tenen.” the senior said.
But when the opportunity happened to arise, he was ready to settle into a stable full-time position. “Perfect timing” A senior official said: Don Pfotenhauer, a beloved Escanaba dentist, is retiring.
(As a reminder, Dr. Chris Pfotenhauer, DDS (Don’s son), still practices in a suite down the hall in the same building.)
A 1974 Daily Press article announced that Don Pfotenhauer Jr. of Gladstone had graduated from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry and intended to return to Delta County to practice in Doctor’s Park.
Almost 50 years later, Hiers found a link to Pfotenhauer’s post on the Michigan Dental Association website. The link had been shared by one of Hyers’ classmates from dental school.
“What’s unique about Don is that all the other dentists who are retiring post their practice information.” the senior said. “Their number, the income, the number of hygienists, all that stuff. But Don was the only one who wrote, ‘I’m looking for someone to take care of my wonderful patients.'”
Hiers said he called his doctor because he was shocked by the emotion. It was late summer of 2023. Before Don finally retired, he became acquainted with the Pfotenhauer family. On Halloween, Hyers signed the Articles of Organization for SmileSelect Dental, PLLC, with the state. Hiers said the hard transition of the business took place on January 2, 2024.
He learned that Pfotenhauer left a big challenge, commenting on the impressive performance of patients returning to their chairs: “His patients have older crowns than I do, but they are still in great condition.”
Mr. Pfotenhauer had told his successor that there was a shortage of dentists in the area due to recent retirements from several people in Manistique, Escanaba and Gladstone.
Hyers said Smile Select maintains the majority of its Pfotenhauer patients, with patients coming from as far away as Houghton.
SmileSelect also brought in a second dentist. Although Dr. David Perry just graduated from dental school, he is also a certified DDS with his own patients and performs the same types of procedures.
SmileSelect has two affiliated dentists, plus a manager, schedule coordinator, and dental assistant. Our hospital is currently recruiting dental hygienists.
Businesses vary greatly depending on what type of work is done on a given day.
“Our productions ebb and flow. Sometimes we get a lot of new patients, and then we take care of everything they need. … Some weeks we just do cleaning all day; Some weeks I focus on stuffing.” the senior said.
Socket preservation (a procedure that fills the space after a tooth is extracted to prevent bone loss) is also performed at Smile Select. We also accept cosmetic work such as veneers. As a general dentistry clinic, we also provide services such as basic tooth extractions and root canal treatments. However, more difficult cases may be referred. Starting in January, Smile Select will begin offering dental implants.
One of the things that sets our practice apart at Suite 216 is our state-of-the-art equipment. For example, traditional dentures can take five appointments and months to make, but SmileSelect uses materials and technology that can cut that time to two or three.
Hyers said the machines and materials in the in-house lab are FDA-approved, and excitedly showed off some of the equipment in his office.
3D scanners sound like Geiger counters because they repeatedly take pictures of the inside of a person’s mouth. Scans can be uploaded to a 3D printer with an accuracy of 30 nanometers. Artificial intelligence can create a crown design within minutes, and a printer will print it out in another few minutes.
Another AI technology is utilized in the X-ray software. Images are taken and color-coded and labeled to show existing restorations, bone levels, cavities, and more.
“My goal with this technology and my philosophy as a dentist is to reduce patient discomfort, increase understanding, and provide options.” the senior said. “I treat people, not teeth. Everyone’s needs are different.”
Recognizing that securing an appointment can be difficult for those seeking dental care, SmileSelect strives to reach new and emergency patients within 72 hours.
“We have the capacity to accept new patients, but the problem is that many people don’t know we exist because we’re not on the road.” the senior said.
Practice hours are Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Interested potential patients should call 906-789-9400. You can expect a friendly and kind response.
