Meet the Team

 

We recognize that all of our patients are unique and deserve to receive dental care that reflects their individual needs. Our experienced and talented dental team is committed to working with you and your family to create a comfortable, stress-free, and rewarding dental experience every time you visit our practice.

We are pleased to welcome you and your family, and we look forward to working with you.

 

Shannon, EFDA, CDD

 

Shannon was born and raised in the Northland area. She’s been a member of the dental field in Kansas City, MO as a Certified/Expanded Functions Dental Assistant since 1994.  Shannon has worked under the mentorship of Dr. Kirby Kavanaugh for over 12 years. In 2009, she became the first dental assistant in the state of Missouri to be certified as a CadCam Dental Designer. CadCam is the dental design software and milling system that allows us to create Crowns and Bridges in the office; delivered to the patient in one appointment. Shannon takes personal pride in her design knowledge and enjoys working with patients to make a smile a work of art through CadCam technology. In high school, Shannon took a jewelry class and ended up being one of very few jewelry artists that had their work displayed at Kansas City Art Institute for over 3 months. Unfortunately, the jewelry class was taken away and replaced with a Computer Art class. Shannon’s teacher at the time pushed her to join in. (Thank you, Mr. Kennedy!)  Computers were an advanced integration into the world of art and Shannon was hesitant. But with Mr. Kennedy’s persistence, she climbed on board and took the class. Shannon made some of the first ever printed flyers for the Oak Park High School sports events.  The technology she uses while making crowns and bridges has brought Shannon full circle. Jewelry making taught Shannon to pay strict attention to detail and through computer art she can run the Cerec system to the best of its ability. Shannon feels she could not have asked for a more fulfilling profession! Outside of Dentistry, Shannon is engaged in the Kansas City Blues scene, and you can often catch her at live shows. She loves to listen to live local music and be around friends and family. Her biggest joy and passion in life is seeing people smile! 

 

Megan, EFDA

Megan joined Zona Rosa Dental in 2021. She has worked in the dental field since she was a junior in high school as part of Oak Park High School’s CEO program. This program allowed students to explore a field they were interested in and gain experience for the future. It was at that time she found her love for Dentistry and never looked back. She has spent most of that time being chairside, but also has experience as a treatment coordinator and front office staff person. Since joining Zona Rosa, she has not only gone back to assisting but earned her certification for dental assisting as well as her expanded functions certification. As Dr. Wilson’s lead assistant, she is great at making patients feel at ease and answering all questions regarding what to expect during dental visits from start to finish. 

Megan is a die-hard Chiefs fan and any given Sunday when the Chiefs are playing at home, you can guarantee she is there at Arrowhead cheering on the team. When Megan is not working, she loves spending time with her husband, children, grandson and two dogs. She spends a lot of time at sports for her kids: her son plays baseball; one daughter is a wrestler and another swims. She also enjoys traveling anywhere she can put her toes in the sand and enjoy an ocean view. 
 

Teri, Dental Assistant/Front Office 

Teri has been with Dr. Kavanaugh since 2001. She wants to make sure your visit is as positive as possible. She assists Dr. Kavanaugh when needed and is one of the friendly faces you see when you walk in the door. Teri takes care of ordering for Zona Rosa Dental and maintains Dr. Kavanaugh’s schedule for her school talks. Teri is your coordinator with our specialists’ office, from helping schedule your appointments to forwarding requested documentation and keeping your patient record updated with all correspondence back to Dr. Kavanaugh. Teri and her husband, John, have three children, John Jr., Nicole, and Morgan, and have four beautiful granddaughters, Emma, Emily, Lily, and Carly. She enjoys cooking, quilting, and spending time with her family.

 

Teresa, Registered Dental Hygienist

Teresa is one of our hygienists and graduated from the University of Missouri Kansas City School Of Dentistry in 2006 with a Bachelor’s degree in Dental Hygiene. Since graduating, she has worked in a variety of dental offices and public health centers through a dental staffing company, as well as being a part-time clinical instructor to dental hygiene students at the dental school. She is an active member of the American Dental Hygienist’s Association. She is committed to life-long learning and recently graduated with her master’s degree in dental Hygiene Education from the University of Missouri Kansas City School of Dentistry in 2020. We are happy that she decided to make Zona Rosa Dental her home. 

 

 

Cierra, Registered Dental Hygienist

Cierra is one of our Dental Hygienists and has been part of the Zona Rosa Dental team for 5 years. She graduated from Concorde Career College here in Kansas City and was recognized as the Hu-Friedy “Golden Scaler” of her class. She hopes to make every patient who sits in her chair feel comfortable, cared for, and educated about their dental health. 

Cierra and her husband, Drew, are high school sweethearts. They two sons named Axton and August, as well as a miniature dachshund named Nixon. When Cierra and her husband, Dr. Buckner, aren't practicing dentistry they love spending time with family and watching sports. Their favorite teams are the Kansas City Chiefs and the Kansas Jayhawks. They also love trying out new places to eat, going to concerts, and traveling together.

 

Lindsay, Dental Assistant

Lindsay was born and raised in Missouri City, MO. Lindsay first joined Dr. Kirby Kavanaugh in 2007. She was Dr. Kavanaugh’s office manager at that time.  She then left Zona Rosa Dental in 2013 to be a stay-at-home Mom. She has two boys, Corben and Weston. Lindsay returned to Zona Rosa Dental in April of 2022 and is in a different role.  She has always wanted to be chairside, so she is pursuing her continued career interest in that area and excelling at it. Lindsay loves to go on hikes, fish and spend quality time with family and friends

 

Lesley, Administrative Director 

Lesley joined the Zona Rosa Dental team in May of 2022. She is originally from Grand Island, Nebraska and attended the University of Nebraska- Lincoln. She graduated with her Bachelor’s in 2018. She has worked in the dental field since 2019, started in pediatrics and moved her way to general practice. She enjoys patient interaction and helping patients with insurance and financial questions. Lesley also helps with our marketing for the office on our social media platforms. Lesley is fluent in Spanish and has enjoyed taking care of our Spanish speaking patients. Outside of dentistry, Lesley likes to travel, go indoor cycling, to concerts, and be surrounded by friends and family. Lesley is now a first-time homeowner and is excited for her new journey. 

 

Michael, Administrative Assistant

Michael is thrilled to be a part of the extremely collaborative team at Zona Rosa Dental! Michael's first love is the theatre. After graduating from Northwest Missouri State University with a BS in Theatre Performance, he spent over a decade working in New York as a   line producer, associate director,   and casting associate on and off Broadway. In late 2020, Michael moved back to Kansas City to be closer to his family and started working as an executive assistant in the Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement department at Kansas City University. The dedication   KCU's graduates give to their patients inspired Michael. He made the decision to contribute to patient care in an office setting and is so excited to start that journey here. He's happy to help with any scheduling needs and loves   meeting new patients.  He enjoys spending time with his family and Chloe, his dog.

 

McKenzie 

McKenzie was born and raised in Kansas City, MO. McKenzie is one of Dr. Kirby Kavanaugh's daughters and has been raised in the dental office from the young age of 6 weeks old. She is currently a Junior at UCM in Warrensburg, working toward a career in Criminal Forensic Psychology. McKenzie loves making fun TikTok videos, reading, and spending time with friends and family. When you see McKenzie around the office, she might be answering phones, stocking inventory, or even doing sterilization. Make sure to ask her about her fun nails as she loves showing them off!