After going five years without a local dentist, Britton will soon have dental services back in town as a new satellite practice of Aberdeen Dental prepares to open later this summer.
The new office was formally announced last week during a meeting at Marshall County Healthcare Center, where Aberdeen Dental owner Dr. Kristin Teigen introduced soon-to-be Dr. Blake Peterson, who will serve as the Britton dentist. The practice will operate out of newly renovated space within the assisted living side of the hospital campus, an effort made possible through a combination of a state recruitment grant and matching local funds.
Teigen, who recently purchased Dr. Gregg VanBeek’s dental practice including its Faulkton location, said the expansion came at a time when she was looking for opportunities to support young dentists entering the profession.
“I never thought I would be buying another practice at my age,” Teigen said. “But throughout my life I had great mentors, and I feel obligated to pay that forward and help mentor younger dentists.”
That goal includes both Peterson and Teigen’s daughter, Katherine Erickson, who will also soon graduate from Creighton University School of Dentistry. Erickson will practice in Faulkton, while Peterson, originally from the Willmar, Minnesota, area, will be based in Britton.
In exploring options to expand her practice and support rural communities, Teigen began looking at underserved areas in northeast South Dakota, including Britton.
“Helping rural South Dakota just felt like the right thing to do,” Teigen said. “Britton is a good fit for our office, and this is a way to give back to communities that really need access to care.”
Teigen reached out last year to Lindsey Kimber, executive director of Glacial Lakes Area Development, to begin exploring possibilities. Kimber helped connect Teigen with local leaders and facilities. When the former dental office space in Britton did not meet the needs of a modern practice, discussions shifted to Marshall County Healthcare Center. CEO Nick Fosness and others offered space within the assisted living wing of the building, an idea will require significant renovation but gained support from all involved.
“While we are hesitant to take business away from main street, a dentist office on the hospital campus is a proven model in rural South Dakota including places like Sisseton and Wessington Springs,” said Fosness. “If it has worked for other communities, we are willing to do our part to support it here.
To help make the project financially feasible, partners pursued assistance through the South Dakota Department of Health’s Recruitment Assistance Program. The program offers incentive payments to qualifying medical providers who commit to practicing for three continuous years in eligible rural communities. Beginning July 1, 2025, the incentive for qualifying physicians or dentists totals $256,840 and functions as a loan repayment scholarship.
Kimber and Marshall County Healthcare Center Human Resources Director Sheila Sutton coordinated the extensive application process. MCHC has previously used the program to recruit healthcare providers, and earlier this year confirmation was received that both Peterson and Erickson were accepted.
As part of the agreement, the community is responsible for a matching contribution of approximately $65,000, payable by the end of the three year term. MCHC has signed the necessary paperwork for the community portion, and Sutton said efforts are underway to seek broader community support.
“This doesn’t have to come from one single entity,” Sutton said. “We’re hopeful the community will want to be part of this, and we believe there will be strong support.”
Teigen said she has already heard excitement from patients in Britton who currently travel to Aberdeen for care.
“I already serve many patients from Britton, and they’ve told me how excited people are to have a dentist back in town,” she said.
While the state program requires a three year commitment, Teigen emphasized that the plan is for the practice to remain long term. “We’re not just here for three years,” she said. “We have four or five other young people coming up that we want to mentor, and this is about building something sustainable.”
Renovations are currently underway as MCHC works closely with the Department of Health to ensure the space meets all requirements. Kimber said additional grant opportunities are also being explored to help offset remodeling costs.
The Britton office will feature three to four dental chairs, along with a reception area, lab space and sterilization area. Peterson is expected to be in Britton four days per week. The office will also be fully digital, offering advanced technology such as digital mouth scanning, which allows crowns to be designed and produced through the Aberdeen office and delivered quickly.
“Young dentists are very tech savvy,” Teigen said. “This will be cutting-edge technology.”
The practice will also have the ability to offer services such as sleep studies, custom mouth guards and sleep apnea equipment, with the possibility of adding sedation dentistry in the future.
The equipment for the office is already in place and ready to be moved in. Peterson is scheduled to graduate May 14, and depending on state licensing timelines, the office could open as early as July 1. Teigen noted that licensing typically takes a minimum of 30 days.
Patients are asked to wait until March before reaching out to schedule appointments.
Sutton thanked Teigen, Peterson and all partners involved, noting the long road to restoring dental care in Britton.
“We’ve been working on this for several years,” Sutton said. “At one point we said it would take a miracle to get a dentist back to town, and now we have that.”
