Alicia J. Willette, DDS

Dr. Alicia Willette grew up in Easton, MN, a rural farming community in southern Minnesota. Growing up on a farm and being part of a large family gave Dr. Willette an appreciation for community and nature. She was drawn to the Upper Valley because of the beauty, wonderful healthy lifestyle, and educational opportunities for herself and her son. Dr. Willette and her son Aidan enjoy being outside gardening, going for nature walks, playing ball and reading. Dr. Willette’s hobbies include photography, traveling, and cooking. She enjoys many of the activities the area has to offer such as running, cycling, cross country and downhill skiing, hiking, and rowing.

Dr. Willette has a passion for dentistry; she loves to learn more about specific dental techniques and design. It is always important for her to understand how and why procedures and materials function. She enjoys and believes in sharing that knowledge with her patients, peers and students.

Philosophy

Dr. Willette strongly values continuing education and she seeks out many opportunities to learn more about the latest techniques and procedures in dentistry as well as the more traditional and predictable procedures. She recently completed the Level I Postgraduate Program in Contemporary Esthetic Dentistry at the University of Minnesota. The focus of this program was on various contemporary materials and techniques used in dentistry and their value based on scientific evidence. It exposed Dr. Willette to a diversity of philosophies, materials, and laboratory experiences that provide the knowledge base and skills to incorporate the latest material and techniques into her practice. It involved one weekend per month over a period of four months for a total of 100 hours. Dr. Willette has taken a special interest in gold work. She joined a study club in 2008 to learn more about the value of gold restorations and spent a week in Seattle learning hands on from some of the best gold operators in the United States. The benefits of gold restorations continue to make them an ideal restoration in many situations. Gold restorations are the longest lasting and most biocompatable restoration dentistry has to offer. Gold’s coefficient of the thermal expansion and contraction is the most similar dental material to enamel, continuing to make it ideal for restoring teeth. In many ways gold restorations are the closest you can get to your original tooth structure. Gold can allow the dentist to be conservative and in many cases can still be esthetic. It is ideal for back teeth/molars which need to withstand an incredible amount of force. Dr. Willette is always happy to discuss the value of gold inlays or onlays with any patients that are interested this option for a restoration.

Formal Education

DDS, University of Minnesota School of Dentistry
BS Chemistry, College of St. Scholastica, Duluth, MN
U of M Research fellowship on tumor evoked mechanical hyperalgesia cancer pain
Eppley Cancer Research fellowship pertaining to silencing tumor suppressor genes 

Post-graduate Studies and Continuing Education Courses