Age: 32
Production Manager at My Dentist, Inc.
Oklahoma City, OK
Lauri Steffen has something to prove. While she's had plenty of opportunities to branch out from removable prosthetics during her 12-year career, she's opted not to. Why? "With so much emphasis being put on fixed restorations, the number of technicians focusing and excelling on the removable side is dwindling. I want to prove that removable prosthetics are still alive and well, and as important as other aspects of the field," she says.
Since 2000, Steffen has worked as an in-house technician for My Dentist, Inc., a corporation comprised of 100 dentists and 40 clinic locations throughout Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Texas and Arkansas. She credits her career advancement to working with many great technicians and dentists who were willing to share their knowledge and techniques. She's driven by the desire to make a difference. "I've been lucky enough to work chairside for many years and see the impact my work makes on the patient. I've actually witnessed strong men, who haven't smiled in years, cry as they look in the mirror after getting their dentures," she says.
She especially loves the challenge of removable and implant combination cases—and it's a challenge she's mastered according to her former co-worker Darrick Hartman, Manager, Professional Dental Arts in Colorado Springs, CO, who says "Lauri is a top-of-the-line denture technician and manager. My Dentist, Inc. handles a very wide range of complicated cases and she's the go-to girl!"
And her latest challenge: on October 5, she had her first child, Oscar. "This may be the toughest job I've ever had," says Steffen. "It's amazing how well you can function with no sleep!"
