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About the practice
A Boulder practice built around one idea: nobody should dread the chair.
Four dentists, nine team members, one building on Alder Street. We have looked after Boulder County families for seventeen years — many of our first patients now bring their own children.
Our story
Started in a two-chair office above a bike shop
Dr. Maya Ellison opened Willow Creek in 2009 with one hygienist, a second-hand X-ray unit and a rule she still enforces: no treatment is discussed for the first time while a patient is lying down.
Seventeen years later the practice fills the second floor at 128 Alder Street with seven operatories, an in-house ceramic mill and a 3D scanner — but the rule has not moved. You see your scans on the monitor, sitting up, with a written plan in your hand before anything is booked.
We stayed independent on purpose. No corporate quotas, no monthly production targets on the wall, no scripts at the front desk.
- Independently owned since 2009 — never sold to a group practice
- Same three dentists for the last nine years
- Free second opinions on any major treatment plan
17Years on Alder Street
9,400+Patients cared for
4.9Average rating, 412 reviews
12Services under one roof
How we work
Four commitments we put in writing
Comfort as standard
Numbing gel, nitrous, blankets and a stop-any-time hand signal — offered, never sold as an add-on.
Time held for emergencies
Two slots every weekday stay empty for the patient who wakes up in pain. Often that is one of ours.
Watch, then treat
Small, stable spots get monitored with photos, not drilled the same week. We show you the comparison.
The team
Who you will actually see
Three dentists and a lead hygienist. Ask for anyone by name — continuity is the point.
Dr. Maya Ellison
Founder · General & implant dentistryOpened the practice in 2009 after eight years in hospital dentistry. Continuing-education focus in implant dentistry, and she still runs the sit-up-first conversation with every new patient.
Dr. Samuel Ortiz
Restorative & cosmetic dentistryHandles our ceramics — same-visit crowns, veneers and full-mouth rehabilitation. In Boulder since 2014, and the reason our mill runs at 7am.
Dr. Priya Raman
Pediatric dentistrySees patients from age one through eighteen. Continuing-education focus in treating anxious children, and fluent in the art of the two-minute exam.
Bethany Okafor
Lead hygienistFifteen years of hygiene, and the person patients with dental anxiety ask for by name. Runs our stop-any-time hand signal policy.
Milestones
Seventeen years, in short
- 2009
Two chairs above the bike shop
Dr. Ellison opens with one hygienist and evening hours for shift workers.
- 2013
Move to 128 Alder Street
Seven operatories, dedicated sterilisation bay, and free covered parking — the request patients made most.
- 2017
In-house ceramic mill
Same-visit crowns replace the two-appointment, three-week wait.
- 2021
Pediatric wing opens
Dr. Raman joins; a separate quiet room with its own entrance for anxious kids.
- 2024
3D imaging and guided implants
CBCT scanning brings implant planning and placement fully in-house.
Free covered parking on level P1, plus a bike rack at the Alder Street entrance.
Patient reviews
What patients say about the team
Filtered to reviews that name a specific team member.
“My six-year-old asked when we could go back. That has never happened at a dentist before. The whole team explains everything at kid height and adult height.”
Danielle R.Louisville · Pediatric visit
“I cracked a molar on a Sunday and had a call back within twenty minutes. Crown seated by Tuesday morning. No drama, no upsell.”
Marcus T.Boulder · Emergency & crown
“Two implants after years of putting it off. Dr. Ellison walked me through the scan on screen and gave me a written plan with real numbers before anything started.”
Susan L.Lafayette · Dental implants
“Clear aligners for my teenager, finished a month early. They handled all the insurance paperwork so I never had to chase anyone.”
Priya N.Superior · Clear aligners
“I have avoided cleanings for a decade out of anxiety. Bethany let me set the pace and stop whenever I raised a hand. First appointment I did not dread.”
Owen K.Erie · Preventive care
In the community
Where you will find us outside the office
Free sealant days
Two Saturdays each September we open the doors for free sealants and fluoride for local students on free or reduced lunch. 340 kids seen in 2025.
Sports mouthguards
Custom sports guards at cost for every Boulder County high school team that asks. Fourteen teams and counting.
Donated care days
We take part in local programmes that provide donated care to families between insurance coverage, and have done since 2011.
Come see whether we are the right fit
First visits include a full exam, digital X-rays and a cleaning for a flat new-patient fee — and an honest answer about what does and does not need doing.