Meet Our Team
Meet our doctor
Dentist
Dr. Heather Rhoads Pfefferle
Dr. Heather Rhoads Pfefferle is a Leelanau County native and graduate of Traverse City West High School. Dr. Pfefferle attended Hillsdale College where she graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Music Performance (violin). Following her undergraduate studies, she earned her Doctorate of Dental Sciences from The Ohio State University College of Dentistry in 2008.
Since returning to Traverse City in 2010, Dr. Pfefferle has been providing the community with outstanding, personalized, and friendly dental care. She and her dental team give every patient the attention and focus they deserve in a comfortable and quaint setting. She particularly enjoys finding solutions for her patients who are experiencing muscle pain and headaches. Dr. Pfefferle’s patients are always impressed with her ability to make each person feel like they are important and that their needs are her first priority.
Dr. Pfefferle has logged hundreds of hours of continuing education to offer her patients the best treatments possible. In addition to numerous study clubs and learning groups, she has completed the core curriculum offered through The Pankey Institute, an advanced dental training continuum that helps dentists to grow in their technical, behavioral, and business skills. Dr. Pfefferle is grateful for the Pankey faculty and mentors who have poured into her and helped shape her thorough approach to patient care, and she hopes to one day soon be able to give back to the Institute by becoming an advisor or instructor.
When not creating beautiful smiles for her patients, Dr. Pfefferle enjoys spending time with her husband, Ryan, and their three daughters—Elsa, Ainsley, and Adele. As a family, they like to camp in the Upper Peninsula, and enjoy hiking and fishing. Dr. Pfefferle also likes to cook and spends much of the summertime gardening.
Meet our team
TREATMENT CARE COORDINATOR
Carly
I earned an associates degree in dental assisting from Northwestern Michigan College in 2007 and practiced as a chairside assistant until 2012. After a 12 year career in child focused church ministry I joined Cherry Bay Dental as a patient care coordinator in October 2024. Dentistry allows me to help people move toward and/or maintain health while maintaining a healthy work/life balance myself. In my spare time I enjoy hiking, rustic camping, cooking, spending time with my family and volunteering at our church. My husband Rene and I were married in 2007. We have 4 grown sons, 2 daughters-in-law and 2 grandchildren. I have lived in Northern Michigan for most of my life, I truly love where we live.
treatment care coordinator
Kristi
Registered Dental Assistant
Jenni
A graduate of Northwest Michigan College's Registered Dental Assistant program, Jenni joined the Cherry Bay Dental team in the summer of 2015. Her hard work ethic and attention to detail make her a great chairside assistant to Dr. Pfefferle. She especially appreciates the intimate and family-friendly environment.
Jenni grew up in Traverse City on a small family farm raising dairy and beef cattle. In her youth, she was very active in 4H and continues to participate in the program. She spent two years in California with her husband (who served in the Marines for five years) and son before returning to the Traverse City area. In her free time, Jenni enjoys hiking, fishing, and spending time with her family and her Australian cattle dogs.
Registered Dental Hygienist
Mandy
Registered Dental hygienist
Carolyn
Carolyn graduated from the University of Detroit Mercy Dental School. She has lived in the Traverse area for over 20 years and loves all it has to offer. Carolyn loves spending time with her family, gardening, hiking with her dog Mocha, wine, dining out, and traveling.
Finance & Administration
Ryan
Ryan and Heather married in September 2009, and he has served an invaluable role since Cherry Bay Dental's inception. Shortly after his graduation from Defiance College, Ryan enlisted in the Army where he served with the 5th Special Forces Group out of Fort Campbell, KY, and experienced three tours in Iraq. After his discharge, he earned a Master of Business Administration from Keller Graduate School of Management and took a number of horticulture classes from Michigan State University.
When he’s not busy helping with the financial and administrative aspects of Cherry Bay Dental, Ryan is often working diligently on the family cherry farm or taking care of their three daughters. He is also a volunteer coach for the Traverse City West Varsity Football program. He enjoys woodworking, fishing, hiking, and camping with his family.
