Dr. Cassady Rider

DDS

Dr. Cassady Rider graduated in 2010 with a Degree of Dental Surgery from Creighton University.  After graduation she joined the team at AppleWhite Dental of Cherokee.  After a few years she purchased the practice from her parent company and is enjoying being a small business owner.

She is married to Armond and they have two children: Levi is 9 and Knox is 3.  When Levi was 6 he was diagnosed with autism and ADHD.  This sparked a desire to learn more about sleep disordered breathing in children as those diagnoses are closely related.

She enjoys providing care to patients of all ages.  She continually strives to stay up to date with new technology and services so that she can better serve her patients. She is proud to be calling her new location open! Her husband built it for her and it is gorgeous!

Dr. Rider is a member of the American Dental Association, the Iowa Dental Association, holds a Fellow Status in the Academy of General Dentistry, the Cherokee County Board of Health and active in the Cherokee Community.  Dr. Rider believes each organization has a cause worth supporting.  She is also a proud member of the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce.

When not practicing dentistry, she enjoys quilting, reading, camping, traveling and spending time at home with her family.  She Chooses Cherokee!

Family Dentistry Dr. Cassady Rider Family Dentistry Dentist in Cherokee, IA

Dr. Shahnaz Ahmed

Dr. Shahnaz Ahmed graduated from Indiana University School of Dentistry in 1999. She continued her dental education completing her General Practice Residency from Indiana University/Wishard Hospital in 2000 and then she completed her two year residency program in pediatric dentistry from Indiana University/Riley Hospital in 2002. She currently has her own pediatric dental practice in Ballwin, Missouri and she also teaches clinical pediatric dentistry to the dental students at ATSU University in St. Louis, Missouri. She is passionate about helping children grow towards understanding and having a positive outlook to dental health care. She was the editor of the Dental Arch, the publication by the St. Louis Dental Society, for five years. In her free time, Dr. Ahmed is a woman of varied hobbies. She’s an avid tennis player, a podcaster, an extensive reader and now she’s working on writing her first novel. Don’t be surprised to hear that she can also bake a killer German chocolate cake. Yes. She knows they cause cavities.

Ashlyn Nelson

Dental Hygienist

Ashlyn graduated from the University of South Dakota with a Bachelor of Science and Dental Hygiene degree in 2021. She loves to help others understand the importance of oral health and its connection to a person’s overall health and enjoys researching new advances in dentistry and health.

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Ashlyn chose hygiene as her career because she enjoys providing care and improving the health of her patients of all ages! Her favorite age group are children because she really feels like she can make an impact on their oral health and set them up for success.  Ashlyn believes that patients are people first and really strives to create positive relationships.

Ashlyn is an entrepreneur at heart and enjoys owning a boutique with her mom, Green Pastures Country Boutique.  She also enjoys training horses and spending time with her dog, Tag.

Crystal Ruschmann

 Dental Hygienist

Crystal Ruschmann is a registered dental hygienist.  She graduated from the University of South Dakota in 2001.  She has been practicing in Cherokee since 2006.

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 Crystal is passionate about promoting good oral health to both adults and children.

 She is married to Brandon and they have three boys.  Crystal enjoys running and has completed two half-marathons.  As a family, they enjoy camping and spending time outdoors.

Holly Schmillen

Office Coordinator

Holly became a dental assistant in 2014.  She loves visiting with patients and truly enjoys the dental atmosphere.  She joined the team at Rider Family Dentistry in March of 2018 and she has brought such a fun vibe with her! She is always smiling and happy! In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.  She is here to answer any of your scheduling or insurance questions!

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She is always smiling and happy! In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

Tina Ohlson

Assistant

Tina Ohlson is an expanded function dental assistant.  Tina has been in the dental field since 2000.  She likes the variety that comes with dentistry and helping others.

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She first fell in love with dentistry when she got her braces.  Tina is married to Matt and together they have 3 girls.  In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family and friends and outdoor activities.

Crystal Preuss

Assistant

Crystal Preuss is one of the skilled and knowledgeable expanded functions dental assistants.  Crystal received her training at WITCC and has served the Cherokee Community since 1996.

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She continually challenges herself and learns new procedures in order to stay at the top of her industry.  She enjoys dentistry because she enjoys helping people and seeing their smiles change.  She is married to Travis and together they have three children.  They enjoy camping, boating and spending time with family and friends.