Smiles ribbon cutting well attended

PRESCOTT – There were plenty of smiles to go around Friday afternoon at the ribbon cutting for Smiles Family Dentists.

The new office was packed with well-wishers all coming to celebrate the business’ opening. Prescott Mayor Terry Oliver thanked everyone involved with the project. He thanked the Prescott City Council for getting on board and approving the money to help renovate the former Nevada County Health Unit building and allowing 19 city employees to help do the work.

Reese Shuffield, CFO of Smiles, talked about how Mary Godwin, executive director of the Prescott-Nevada County Economic Development Office, called about two years ago with the request of getting a dentist in Prescott. He told her it would be difficult to get a dentist to move to Prescott, but was proven wrong as Dr. Ted Zawislack did just that.

“It was a big undertaking,” he said, “but it all came together. Prescott deserves a dentist and we’re here to stay.” He told the audience there was a lot of hard work involved in getting the new office up and running, along with getting the project to work in the first place, and people bent over backwards to make it happen. “It’s a win-win,” he told the crowd.

Shuffield pointed out the Prescott office is a family dental practice and welcomes the public to come by and visit.

Godwin said the community needs to make sure Smiles stays by making use of its services. “Spread the word,” she said.

From there it was cutting the ribbon and giving tours of the new facility.