Danielle Keister, RDH

Dani Keister, RDH, grew up in Orr, Minnesota. She is a graduate from Hibbing Community College where she became a Licensed Dental Assistant. She continued her education at Lake Superior College, where she graduated as a Registered Dental Hygienist in 2016. Dani enjoys educating patients about their overall health and disease prevention, while also providing individual patient care. Outside of the office, Dani enjoys being in the outdoors whenever possible, hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, and spending time with family and friends.

Michael Talberg, DDS

Michael Talberg, DDS, grew up in Plymouth, Minnesota and graduated from Wayzata High School in 2001. He finished a business degree at the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2005, and after years of working odd jobs, decided to pursue dentistry. He was accepted into the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry and graduated in 2017. Dr. Talberg especially likes the “people” part of being a dentist: getting to know his patients and helping them however possible. He decided to work at Scenic Rivers to help fill the need for dental professionals in rural Minnesota. Dr. Talberg is a Captain in the Minnesota National Guard, serving as a Dental Officer. Outside of the clinic, he enjoys spending time with his wife and children, attending Mass, golfing, pool, and exercising. He loves living in Cook and plans to spend his dental career working at Scenic Rivers.

Dr. Talberg practices at the Cook Dental clinic.

Peg Simonson, RDH

Peg Simonson, RDH, grew up on Lake Michican but came to love the accessibility and beauty of the Boundary Waters area. Her passion for this area helped her make the decision to move here in 2019, which has allowed her to explore year-round. Peg graduated from the University of Minnesota program in Dental Hygiene with a special focus on care of the older adult patient and those with special needs. Peg has two adult children who live in the Twin Cities area. She enjoys serving patients of all ages and strives to build trust with every visit.

Peg practices at the Tower Dental clinic.

Rhonda Gravitis, ADT

Rhonda Gravitis, ADT, grew up in eastern Wisconsin and moved to Minnesota for college. She attended University of Minnesota Twin Cities and received her Bachelors in Psychology with minors in Chemistry and Biology in 2007. Rhonda continued her dream of working in dental at one of the four offices on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus at the front desk for seven years. In 2014 she started dental hygiene school at Normandale Community College, graduated with her Associates and Bachelors in Dental Hygiene in 2016, and continued on with her schooling at Metro State University where she graduated with her Master’s in Advanced Dental Therapy in December of 2017. Rhonda received her Advanced status in June of 2019 and has enjoyed the autonomy it brings. Her role as a mid-level dental provider allows her to provide preventative and restorative dentistry to those who may not have access to dental care. When not practicing dentistry, Rhonda enjoys the variety of outdoor activities the northland has to offer.

Rhonda practices at the Cook Dental clinic.

Tim Sprouls, DDS

Dr. Tim Sprouls grew up in western Nebraska. He obtained a BS in Biology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, graduated from the University of Nebraska College of Dentistry in 1986 and completed a general practice residency at the VA Hospital in Minneapolis in 1987.  Dr. Sprouls first came to Cook in 1989 and has spent the bulk of his career working in community health centers in St. Paul and Cook, Minnesota.

Dr. Sprouls practices at the Cook Dental, Tower Dental, and Bigfork Dental clinics.

Valerie Flank, RDH

Valerie Flank, RDH, grew up in Cook, Minnesota. She worked for Scenic Rivers as a Dental Assistant while earning her Dental Hygienist degree from Lake Superior College in 1996. Val has been employed as a Dental Hygienist for Scenic Rivers since 2003. She currently resides in Bear River and loves spending time with her husband and children. When Val isn’t at work, she loves to decorate and work in her garden. Val provides dental services to patients of all ages.

Valerie practices at the Cook Dental clinic.