At Smiles by the Lake of Overland Park, Kansas, you’ll find a welcoming, comfortable environment, an experienced and understanding staff, and extraordinary care with a personal touch. The staff at Smiles by the Lake and lead dentist Richard Rhoads, Jr., DDS, believe in creating a team atmosphere between the dentist, staff, and patients to help everyone who visits the office reach their treatment goals.
If dental anxiety is something you struggle with or if you’ve had bad experiences with dental pain in the past, Smiles by the Lake is focused on keeping patients comfortable and delivering the least painful and invasive treatment available. Many people avoid treatment for some of the most common dental procedures, from wisdom teeth removal to root canal treatment, because they’re worried about a painful or traumatic experience. Dr. Rhoads and the team at Smiles by the Lake are committed to making that a thing of the past through premium-quality care and industry-leading technology. To offer the best results with the least patient discomfort, the practice employs a variety of state-of-the-art products including Invisalign® aligners, the GLO Science Pro™ teeth-whitening system, and the newest 3D digital scanners for your teeth.
Smiles by the Lake’s commitment to patients extends beyond just dental care; patients can expect a variety of acceptable payment methods, including CareCredit and even multi-month in-house financing plans. You’ll never be upsold on treatments you don’t need, and you’ll always be given the most conservative options to keep your teeth healthy and strong.
And where other dentists can make scheduling a nightmare, Smiles by the Lake has made flexible scheduling a key part of its patient experience. Whether your busy schedule makes it difficult to make an appointment or your growing family’s varying dental needs have made other practices inconvenient, the friendly staff at can help find an appointment time that works for you. Call the office today to find out more.
Valerie - Office Manager
/assets/docs/442023.jpg)
Valerie Grosdidier has been with Smiles by the Lake practice over 20 years. Having worked in the dental field for over 35 years, starting out as an assistant for 17 years and then progressing to the front desk, makes her very knowledgeable in all aspects of the dental business. Her well-rounded experience has helped her to understand the insurance process to ensure when filing your claims you get the coverage that you deserve.
Valerie loves her job, especially visiting with the patients and getting to know them. She loves working with such a dynamic team. Valerie enjoys cooking and entertaining anyone who wants to come out to their lake house. Valerie and her husband, Paul, have four children and are the proud grandparents of ten grandchildren.
Lyndsey - Front Office
/assets/docs/442024.jpg)
Lyndsey Knotts, is originally from Panama City, Florida and moved to Kansas in 2018. She graduated from Gulf Coast State College with a degree in Business Management. Milo is her cute fur baby who is spunky, playful and dressed for any occasion.
Lyndsey started out in the Pediatric Dentistry front office for 5 years and has been with our team since summer of 2022. She works mainly with insurances and eligibility and can take care of most other front office needs.
Anna – Registered Dental Hygienist
Anna Turner, a native of Kansas City, is a graduate of the University of Missouri at Kansas City School of Dentistry and Dental Hygiene. She has over 30 years of experience in Cosmetic, Implant and Family Dentistry. She is proud to be part of an excellent and compassionate team of dental professionals who are dedicated to offering high-quality dentistry to our patients. Her emphasis is on educating patients on the importance of good dental health and how it impacts your overall heart health. “Your trust is important to us and I know that the true value of our service is measured by your satisfaction.”
She has two beautiful daughters, Michelle and Julie who also live in Kansas City. Anna loves music, golf, lake time and our Kansas City sports teams.
Beta - Registered Dental Hygienist
Beta was born and raised in Salvador, Brazil and is a graduate of the Johnson County Community College Dental Hygiene Program. She also holds a 4-year degree in Biology from the Catholic University of Salvador.
After several years of teaching Biology at the middle school level, Beta left Brazil and traveled to the United States in order to become fluent in English. While in school, she met her future husband and later became a U.S. citizen through naturalization in the summer of 2014.
Beta joined Smiles By The Lake in 2016 and she feels so blessed to be part of such a wonderful group of professionals who deeply care for their patients and one another. She enjoys educating her patients on the value of having excellent oral health.
Beta and her husband, Rob, have one daughter (Mila) and two dogs (Rudy & Sissy). In her spare time, she enjoys listening to music, being outdoors, eating sushi, and attending services at Life Mission Church in Olathe.
Chantel – Registered Dental Hygienist
Chantel is from Olathe, KS and graduated from Johnson County Community College with a degree in Dental Hygiene. She also lived in Lawrence for 12 years where she studied at the University of Kansas and received a bachelor’s degree in Education, and there met her husband Jake. They have two children together- Emily and Milo. They love spending time walking on nature trails and just being outside together.
Leah - Registered Dental Hygienist
Leah graduated from Johnson County Community College as a Registered Dental Hygienist in 2015 and obtained her ECP-III certification in 2018 from UMKC.
Her favorite part about being a hygienist is building relationships with her patients and educating them about their oral health and how it affects their overall health.
Leah is an active member of the American Dental Hygiene Association, Kansas Dental Hygiene Association, and President of the Eastern Kansas Dental Hygiene Association.
She is originally from Nebraska and moved to Kansas in 2011 where she met her husband, Ryan. Together they have 4 young children – Elijah, Caleb, Abigail, and Benjamin.
Leah enjoys working out, scrapbooking and spending time with friends and family.
Jessica - Expanded Functions Dental Assistant
Jessie joined our team in February 2023 and has 16 years of expericnce in the dental field. Behind her big smile is a woman who is passionate about patient care and establishing healthy relationships with her coworkers and dental patients. In her early years she worked as an ER EMT at St. Edwards Mercy in Fort Smith, AR until she moved to Lawrence, KS in 2008.
Jessie is married and has a daughter named Jamesen as well as 3 wonderful step children; oh and don't forget about her Sheepdoodle named Wilson who is the most loving dog. jessie was born in Califronia, but spent her chilldhood in Charlestion, AR. In her free time Jessie enjoys the movies, readying, workingout, spending time with her family and friends, and loves doing anything outdoors.
