In May, Dr. Joseph Thiessen from the Griswold area will exchange his carpentry tools for the technology of dental instruments in his downtown Virden office. Thiessen purchased the former Virden Drugs location in early 2018. Now, about a year later, he’s nearly ready to hang out his shingle.
There is a team, many of them family, renovating and gearing up for Prairie Life Dental to open in Virden on the corner of Seventh Avenue and Wellington Street. “I feel really blessed, with all the people that have helped with this project, we have had a top notch team working together.”
Thiessen started as his own project manager with Cooke Builders. Thiessen’s brother Robert (Rob) Thiessen of Prairie Joe Construction took over as general contractor in January.
A cousin, Jesse Thiessen of Tape N Text has done the drywall finish.
Dr. Thiessen’s wife Karrisa, a mother of four busy boys, is also a certified dental assistant. She has helped all along the way in planning, interior design and ordering supplies.
Another brother, Mike Thiessen, an IT professional, has designed the website and business set-up while Mike’s wife Cheryl is booking appointments for Prairie Life Dental’s May 21 start-up.
Father of Joe, Rob and Mike, David Thiessen has been onsite, pitching in where needed.
Rob is happy to bring his carpentry skill to the project. “To be able to work together as brothers is pretty special,” he says.
The new office will be staffed by a receptionist, two dental assistants, and a hygienist.
It’s a roomy building and Thiessen, someday, expects to use all that space.
“We have the option for eight dental chairs. We’re building it to five, to start with,” he says. But, initially Dr. Thiessen will be working with three treatment rooms.
Stepping into the waiting room you see the corner fire place and a children’s play area. The next room is a consultation room.
DENTAL SERVICE
Dr. Thiessen has been practicing dentistry in Brandon with Chancellor Dentistry for almost seven years. A father of four, he enjoys working with children, making their dental experience the best possible.
“I don’t use a regular looking needle for kids. I actually use a pen that looks totally different,” he says and that’s how “sleepy juice” is administered to the gums.
Dr. Thiessen will also offer nitrous oxide for his patients. It’s quick acting, reduces anxiety for most patients and the effects go away almost immediately.
Thiessen can diagnose and fix misaligned teeth and overcrowded mouths.
“I’m a general dentist but I have extra training to do orthodontics. I do a lot of Invisalign treatment,” he says. This tooth alignment technology allows for increased patient comfort, and easier brushing and gum care. Thiessen adds, “The advancement of this technology partnered with the use of a digital scanner has made it a predictable option for the majority of people requiring orthodontic treatment.”
Thiessen also looks forward to working with a new Denturist setting up practice in downtown Virden.
“For prosthodontics, if somebody needed full dentures…I would be the one doing the extractions and would work together with the Denturist”. Dr. Thiessen is also trained in implant dentistry, and places the implants for patients looking to support their dentures.
Dr. Thiessen has digital impression technology, a 3-D visual scanner. “It will be a useful tool for dental crowns and the scanner will work the Invisalign program for teeth straightening.”
The new Virden dental practice is found online as prairielifedental.com with contact information.
