Rebecca Rores, Doctor of Dental Medicine, will celebrate her one year anniversary at Eastern Plumas Health Care’s Dental Clinic in Portola on June 15. Rores, it seems, is such a favorite–especially with children–that the word is getting out and patient numbers at the clinic have jumped significantly.

She’s a native of nearby Sparks, NV, where she attended UNR before transferring to the University of Washington her junior year. After graduation, Rores spent four years working and traveling “to figure out my passion,” she said. During that time, she discovered dentistry. In college, Rores said she took a career aptitude test, which pegged dentistry and veterinary medicine as her ideal career fields. Later, Rores said, she went to work with a dentist and she “knew in the first week” she’d found her calling. It’s both detail oriented and artistic, she added. “I love reconstructing smiles.”

While it may be hard for the uninitiated to see the connection between dentistry and artistry, Rores explained that to do reconstructive dental work, you “need an artist’s touch” to make a person’s smile look like it did naturally. In order to “get their smile back,” Rores makes sure she knows the person’s natural “smile line.” She wants her patients to feel comfortable smiling again. It’s an artistry that most people don’t see, she added.

Dentistry requires a high level of manual dexterity, as well, and Rores loves to work with her hands. She started knitting when she was five, which also requires good “hand-eye coordination.”

Once Rores determined she wanted to become a dentist, she started working diligently towards that goal. She enrolled in the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Dental Medicine, and received her DMD (Dental Medicine Doctor) degree. After that, she did a general practice residency at the Dallas, TX Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center for a year. She said this was very rewarding and gave her excellent experience. Because she saw vets and because it was a hospital, she got to treat patients who needed major dental work.

After that, she focused on returning to California and ended up in Oakland, CA. She worked in several offices, she said, as her return coincided with the beginning of the economic downturn.

Her route to Portola and Eastern Plumas Healthcare was fortuitous. Dr. Kyleberg knew her father, a physician in Reno, and he recruited her. After completing her Oakland commitments, Rores relocated here and began work at the clinic on June 17, 2010.

Rores enjoys her patients here as much as they appreciate her. “I see all types of people. It’s a good mix of challenging things treatment-wise,” she said. “With the economic challenges for people in this area, we try hard to figure out the best treatment to get them out of pain and [help them get] healthy teeth without breaking the bank.”

According to Rores, EPHC accepts California Healthy Families, a no cost or low cost insurance for children and teens. They also take DentiCal and other forms of insurance, and they’re willing to work out payment plans for their patients, as well. To make an appointment with Rores, call the Portola Dental Clinic: 832-6602.