Our Team

Andrew Welles, DDS

Raised in Wausau, Dr. Welles graduated from Wausau East High School and continued his education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He graduated summa cum laude with a degree in biology. Staying true to his Wisconsin roots, Dr. Welles completed his dental education at Marquette University School of Dentistry. Serving four years as class president, he graduated summa cum laude with his DDS degree in 2015. He was awarded a four-year scholarship from the National Health Service Corps and completed his service in Madison, Wisconsin. Growing up as the son of a nurse, Dr. Welles was drawn to healthcare and dentistry, specifically, due to its unique combination of medicine and patient care. The ability to establish long-term relationships with people across generations is truly something he values. Dr. Welles enjoys working with his patients to help turn their dream smile into reality.

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Dr. Welles is passionate about providing optimal dental care for his patients. He is very active with both the Wisconsin Dental Association and the American Dental Association, serving in multiple leadership roles. He volunteers his time to advance the profession and promote oral health throughout the communities he serves. He also strives to stay on the forefront of dentistry through a variety of continuing education courses. Dr. Welles focuses on individualized comprehensive dental care for everyone he treats. His personalized approach promotes safe, reliable treatment for patients of all ages. He is excited to be practicing in the community where he grew up. Laying down roots amongst family and friends was an opportunity he didn’t want to pass up. He’s excited by the fact that Wausau Smiles provides outstanding dental care with its state-of-the-art facilities and patient-centered philosophy.

Dr. Welles is blessed to have the love and support of family throughout his practice. His wife, Ellie, is a speech therapist working with elementary school students. They have two young sons, Benjamin and Jacob, who are active and full of happiness. They both love to ride along in their stroller exploring all that the area has to offer! The Welles family is lucky to have all of Benjamin and Jacob’s grandparents living in the Wausau area. Outside of his work, Dr. Welles loves participating in anything active. In his spare time, you can find him enjoying the outdoors with his growing family: running, biking, golfing, playing sports – anything that gets him up and moving. He is a passionate fan of all Wisconsin sports and especially enjoys the Packers, Bucks, Badgers, and Brewers.

Ben Wasleske, DDS

Dr. Ben Wasleske was born in Stevens Point and raised in Kronenwetter, Wisconsin. A graduate of DC Everest High School, he attended UW-Stevens Point from 2008 through 2013 and graduated magna cum laude with a major in Biology and minors in Chemistry and Applied Mathematics. He went on to attend Marquette University School of Dentistry from 2013 to 2017, graduating magna cum laude with his DDS degree. Dr. Wasleske’s interest in dentistry grew out of three things: a desire to help people, work in science, and work with his hands. He also loves that dentistry is always growing and advancing as a profession, and there is always room for growth. His philosophy towards dental care is to work with patients as a team to find a comprehensive plan that fits their needs and meets their goals for their dental health. He strives to make patients feel as comfortable as possible and to create a low stress, relaxed atmosphere for dental treatment.

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Dr. Ben has a passion for helping patients work through dental anxiety and building a positive relationship with dental treatment. He enjoys all aspects of dentistry and is always staying up to date with continuing education. He is involved with Spear Study Club, which consists of other local dentists and specialists who meet monthly to discuss cases and share ideas in a collaborative learning environment. Having grown up in the Weston area, he is very excited to be able to work as a healthcare provider in his hometown and give back to his community.

Dr. Wasleske met his wife, Kaylee, in high school, and they were married in 2017 after 11 years together. Her support throughout his schooling is what Dr. Ben believes has helped him to be where he is today. They now live in Weston with their two young boys, Beckett and Jackson, as well as their golden doodle, Lucy, and their rabbit, Basil. Outside of the office, you’ll find Dr. Ben spending time with family, traveling, playing tennis and golf, catching up on TV shows and movies, and playing his guitar. He enjoys tasting foods from all over the world, especially the sweets!

Lina Nguyen, DDS

Dr. Lina Nguyen was born and raised in Garden Grove, California. After graduating from high school there, she went on to attend California State University-Long Beach, where she majored in Biology and minored in Chemistry and graduated Cum Laude. She then attended dental school and earned her DDS at the University of Iowa. From an early age, Dr. Lina wanted to choose a profession that would allow her to help people, especially in underserved communities. Wanting to give back to her community, coupled with her need for a hands-on profession, led her to dentistry. First and foremost, Dr. Lina believes in treating every patient with dignity, respect, and empathy, as if they were her own family. She believes in providing personalized care and is firmly opposed to a one-treatment-plan-fits-all approach or the over-treatment of patients. A quote from one of her mentors, “The mouth is the gateway to the rest of the body,” sticks with her to this day and summarizes her belief in a holistic approach to dentistry.

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Dr. Nguyen brings an upbeat, lighthearted, and positive disposition to our office. She knows that the success of a practice is built on trust and integrity, which she always exudes in her interactions with patients and colleagues. She values her relationship with her peers, and she works to foster a positive work environment in which everyone can excel as a team. When it comes to things she enjoys best about working at Weston Smiles, her absolute favorite moments are with her patients. Seeing their smiles and newfound confidence is the very reason she chose this profession. She cannot wait to have more of these experiences with our Central Wisconsin patients.

When not helping our patient family, Dr. Lina is often interacting with her own family. She grew up in a large household: she’s the youngest of eight children and has 15 nieces and nephews (and counting!). In her free time, she really likes to travel (she’s visited over 15 countries) and find new places to visit, especially new restaurants. When she’s not traveling or hanging out with her family, Dr. Lina loves to spend time with her fiancé and her two puppies, Thor and Lulu.

Administration

Jen – Office Manager

Jen joined our team in 2020 and made an immediate positive impact on our patients and staff. Her certification as a dental assistant makes her a versatile and knowledgeable team member who is crucial to our office’s success: On any given day, she might be answering calls, processing patient treatment plans, assisting on a procedure, or conducting a meeting with our staff. Some of the things she loves most about Weston Smiles are our amazing team and doctors, along with the quality of patient communication that goes on in our office. Jennifer works every day to make sure our patients are happy, fully educated about their dental health, and receiving the best treatment possible. Outside of work, Jen enjoys working out, reading, playing with her kids, and just being with family. Fun fact: Jen is certified in dental photography.

Felicia – Administrative Assistant

Originally from Colby, Wisconsin, Felicia is currently a resident of Stratford. After graduating from Colby High School, she went on to attend Northcentral Technical College for their Dental Assisting program as well as for her general studies. When she was a freshman in high school, she made the decision to pursue a career in the dental field after she wrote a paper on dental hygiene. She joined our team in the spring of 2022. Felicia’s top priority is ensuring patients receive great care in our office, and she is dedicated to advocating on their behalf while also educating them on the importance of their oral health. Her bubbly and easygoing personality keeps everyone in the office in a good mood, and her dental assisting background is a valuable asset to our team. When she enjoys most about working at Weston Smiles is how welcoming our team is — she loved how fast everyone started treating her as though she’d worked here for many years. She loves how kind and fun our team is. When she isn’t in the office helping our patients, Felicia enjoys spending time with her family, working on projects, running her photography business, or playing with her black lab, Bella.

Mandy – Administrative Assistant

Mandy, one of the friendly faces you’ll see when you first enter our office, joined our Weston Smiles team in the spring of 2023 and immediately had a positive impact. Originally from Stevens Point, Wisconsin, she graduated from Stevens Point Area High School and went on to earn her degree in Nursing from Mid-State Technical College. What drew her to the dental field is that she enjoys working in healthcare and helping patients with both dental and overall health. Mandy’s previous dental and nursing experience helps provide the knowledge she needs to properly help patients day to day (and she likes to joke that it helps keep most/all of our patients alive in the office). What she enjoys most about working in our office is how close our staff is as a team and how we treat everyone like family. She also loves how much we give back to the community. When she isn’t helping our patients and team, Mandy loves spending time with her family, especially her husband, Tim, and their four children: Taylor, Maddie, Autumn, and Xander. Her interests include traveling to different countries, hunting, fishing, camping, and playing with her family’s two German shepherds: Kaya (a white shepherd) and Mika (a black shepherd).

Shannon – Administrative Assistant

Shannon is one of the talented professionals making up our administrative team. Born in Ontonagon, Michigan, she moved to Rhinelander, Wisconsin, when she was in the 8th grade. After graduating from Rhinelander High School, she worked in other businesses before making the move to our area and joining our team in the summer of 2023. What drew her to the dental field is that she likes being a part of helping people get the care they need and feeling like she made a difference. Shannon is fun and outgoing, which helps keep our practice a fun place to come to work or visit every day. She’s a very social person, which really sets our patients at ease and makes the administrative work that much easier. What she enjoys most about working at Weston Smiles is that everyone feels like family — she gets to work with an amazing team that’s dedicated to our patients and one another. Outside of the office, Shannon loves spending time with her family, including her husband, their son and daughter, and their brown lab, Tucker. Some of her favorite activities include pontooning, skiing, camping, and riding a motorcycle.

Dental Hygienists

Kara – Registered Dental Hygienist

Kara is originally from Thief River Falls, Minnesota. During high school, her family moved to our area, and she graduated from DC Everest. She went on to earn her degree in Dental Hygiene from Northcentral Technical College. What initially drew her to the dental profession is her desire to help people. She was later introduced to the idea by a former hygienist who was a family friend. Part of Kara’s overall approach to care is helping people overcome their fear of going to the dentist. In addition to her reassuring manner, she brings to our Weston Smiles office a great deal of experience and an excellent rapport with patients. Her favorite part about working here is the team of dental professionals around her. Outside of the office, Kara loves spending time with friends and family, especially her husband and their two kids. Some of her favorite activities are horseback riding, watching her daughter play hockey, and traveling with family.

Stacy – Registered Dental Hygienist

Stacy grew up on the outskirts of Pulaski on a small dairy farm. Eventually, her parents and brothers ended up moving to Antigo, where she currently lives. After high school, she went on to graduate from Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay with an associate degree in Dental Hygiene. She was drawn to this field because being a dental hygienist gives her a chance to change lives for the better. She loves helping scared patients become more relaxed in the dental office, and finds it the ultimate success when she has patients who can’t wait to come back. Working as a dental hygienist gives Stacy the opportunity to encounter a range of patients, and strives to provide every one with a specialized treatment adhering to the highest standard of care and with the most up-to-date treatment owing to her commitment to continuing education. She always works to enhance people’s dental experience while providing them with an experience built upon trust, honesty, and privacy. She never judges patients, but she instead focuses on attaining their optimum health—oral and overall—changing their concept of what dentistry is through knowledge and understanding. What Stacy enjoys most about working at Weston Smiles is that it gives her the opportunity to work with amazing dentists, knowledgeable front desk support personnel, attentive dental assistants, and other diligent hygienists. She also finds that our variety of services, modernized technology, and compassion sets us apart from others. Outside of work, Stacy loves to spend time with her two amazing sons, Kaden and Easton, and her fur-baby dog, Mavis. Some of her favorite activities are spending time outside, working on her landscaping and flower gardens, and cross country skiing.

Leah – Registered Dental Hygienist

Leah was born and raised in Wausau and graduated from Wausau West High School. After a time working in another field, she attended and graduated from Northcentral Technical College with her degree in Dental Hygiene. The dental health profession appealed to her because of the fact that she likes teeth and appreciated that it allowed her a good career in position that was in high demand. She joined our Weston Smiles Dental team in the summer of 2021 and had an immediate positive impact through her experience, skills, and dedication to a positive patient experience. Her knowledge and willingness to help others makes her an invaluable part of our team. Outside of work, Leah loves spending time with her husband and their two rescue mutts, Gertie and Rhoda. Her favorite ways to pass the time are watching true crime shows and podcasts and going to concerts, musicals, and the theater.

Nicki – Registered Dental Hygienist

Nicki grew up in the Antigo, Wisconsin, area. After high school, she became a dental assistant and quickly became passionate about dentistry, which inspired her to further her education. Nicki went on to graduate with her dental hygiene degree from Northcentral Technical College, and she recently went back to school and earned her bachelor’s degree in Dental Hygiene from Marion University. After over 15 years of practicing hygiene, she joined our Weston Smiles team in 2021. Her gentle yet thorough approach to hygiene have had an immediate positive impact on our office, as have her understanding and friendly nature. Apart from the great care we provide, Nicki really appreciates the welcoming atmosphere and teamwork. When she isn’t in the office, Nicki loves spending time with husband and son. She also enjoys being outdoors and baking up a storm in the kitchen.

Denise – Registered Dental Hygienist

Denise was born in Plover, Wisconsin. She graduated from college with her associate degree in Dental Hygiene in 1992. Over the course of her career, she has been licensed in administering anesthetics and laser certified. What made her want to enter the dental field is her passion to help people achieve healthy smiles. She strives to treat not only the teeth and gums but patients’ oral and systemic health, and she is focused on delivering personalized care, addressing and healing each patient’s unique needs. In addition to her 30 years of clinical experience, Denise brings to our Weston Smiles office a patient and compassionate manner, helping our patients to feel at ease and well cared for. Having joined our team at the beginning of 2024, she looks forward to learning more about our multifaceted practice and making connections with our community. Outside of work, Denise loves to spend time with friends and family, especially her husband of 30 years, their three grown children, and their son-in-law. As a family, they enjoy camping, pontooning, and having bonfires. One interesting fact about Denise: she is one of eleven siblings (lucky #7).

Kristin – Registered Dental Hygienist

Originally from the Detroit area, Kristin moved to Wausau at a young age and graduated from Wausau West High School. She earned her associates degree in general education at UW-Stevens Point. She then went on to graduate and receive her license in dental hygiene and administering local anesthetic from NTC in 2009. What originally drew her to the dental field is her love of working with people and love of everything to do with hygiene. She loves that our staff has great teamwork and always helps one another to make sure patients get the best care possible. She loves her job, her coworkers, being able to treat people like family, and knowing at the end of the work day that people are being treated the way they should be. Outside of work, Kristin loves spending time with her husband of over ten years, Gavin, and their three young children, Madilyn, Lauryn, and Ethan. Some of her favorite activities include cooking, spin classes, and art projects with her kids. Kristin loves being active outdoors.

Jenny – Registered Dental Hygienist

Jenny is a 1994 graduate of Northcentral Technical College, and she has received her certification in nitrous oxide and the use of Diode lasers for periodontal treatments. She joined our team in 2017. She enjoys the overall feel of our office and the teamwork of everyone who works here. She is proud to be part of such a professional and friendly environment. Jenny always strives to be kind and compassionate, treating her patients as she would hope that she and her family are treated. Jenny grew up in the Wausau area, and returned to this area after living in Atlanta for 20 years. She loves being back in Wisconsin. Jenny has one son; outside of work she enjoys spending time with him and the rest of her family and friends, as well as being outdoors.

Dental Assistants

Sarah – Dental Assistant

Sarah hails from the Town of Weston and has called this area home her whole life. After graduating from high school, she began working in the dental field in 2001. She joined our Weston Smiles Dental team in 2015. Her approach to dental care is always treating every patient with the same care and respect she would want. Due to her experience, Sarah is known as one of the office elders (she jokes that she came with the furniture), but she prefers the term “work mom.” What she enjoys most about working at our office is watching families grown and building relationships with all the patients over time. When she isn’t working with our team and patients, Sarah loves to spend time with her family, especially her husband, Brad; their two sons, Dakota and Teagan; and their granddaughter, Aubreigh. Some of the activities you’ll often find Sarah taking part in involve water: fishing, ice fishing, kayaking, and swimming.

Makenna – Dental Assistant

Makenna grew up in Wautoma, Wisconsin, and she later moved to Edgar and graduated from high school there. After high school, she went on to graduate from Arizona State University with a bachelor’s degree in Biological (Biomedical) Sciences in order to pursue dental school in the near future. She joined our team in the summer of 2023. As someone who used to be so unconfident in her smile, she greatly looks forward to transforming smiles and also the lives and confidence of others through her work. When it comes to her approach to dental care, Makenna is always focused on ensuring both patient comfort and education. Her compassion, interpersonal skills, work ethic, attention to detail, and excellent manual dexterity are a huge benefit to our patients and our team. She loves being a part of Weston Smiles because of how self selfless and kind our team is. She believes that it’s truly like being part of a second family, and that’s evident by our patient care philosophy. She’s extremely grateful to be learning under such knowledgeable and talented doctors who care about her future in the dental field. If she’s not in the office, Makenna enjoys spending time with friends and family, including her mom, Cari; her dad, Shawn; her brother, Ty; and her twin brother, Drew. Some of her favorite activities are being on the water, traveling, playing sports, baking, and playing with her dog, Oakley.

Morgan – Dental Assistant

Morgan, one of the talented members of our dental assisting team, is originally from Hatley, Wisconsin. After graduating from high school, she went on to earn her degree in a field unrelated to dental care. In her previous career as a technician assistant, she realized that she had a passion for oral health and wanted to help people in the field of dentistry. She joined our office in the summer of 2023 and had an immediate positive impact on our patients and our team. In addition to her background and experience, she brings to our practice a commitment to the highest quality patient care. What she enjoys most about working at Weston Smiles is how everyone is one big family in this office and will help each other whenever needed.

Some of Morgan’s favorite things to do outside of the office are coloring, pontooning, downhill skiing, snowboarding, and playing piano.

Pa – Dental Assistant

Bio coming soon.

Joey – Dental Assistant

Our dental assistant Joey is originally from River Falls, Wisconsin. After graduating from Baldwin-Woodville High School, she attended UW-Stout for Health & Wellness before realizing she has a passion for the dental field. She worked in dental pediatrics for about two years before starting work in general dentistry. She joined our Weston Smiles team in the spring of 2025, and she plans to continue her education in dental in the future. Some of the things that drew Joey to this field are the feeling of making a difference in someone’s life, as well as connecting with people of all ages. She loves learning about teeth and why dental care is so valuable. She always tries to see herself in the patient’s shoes and understand their concerns and needs. She believes everyone deserves the best dental care and a smile they love, and it’s rewarding for her to be a part of that. Joey is a people person, and her goal is to make patients feel 100% comfortable. She’s hardworking and compassionate, and she’s always anticipating the needs of our patients and our team. Her friendly attitude and willingness to help are great assets to our team. What she enjoys most about working at our office is how every patient is teated with the best care and what’s best for them personally, and she loves how welcoming and friendly we are. Outside of the office, Joey enjoys healthy cooking, working out, hiking, snowboarding, traveling, drawing, painting, drinking iced coffee, and trying new things.