In the News

The News Messenger

By Richard Myers
Thursday, March 30, 2006

Dr. Kris Martinson has fond memories of Lincoln.

Martinson, who moved his practice to Lincoln last June and opened Sterling Pointe Family Dentistry, has a rich history with this area.

"I got my first varsity letter here in Lincoln," Martinson said.

Martinson grew up in Loomis and attended Del Oro High School. What he remembers most about Lincoln from his early years was competing at a cross country meet here. He placed well enough to earn his letter.

Martinson has several other ties to the area, which is one reason why, after 27 years, he moved his dental practice to Lincoln. His 'cousin and his sister and her husband live in Lincoln. He has other family members who live close by in Loomis.

Martinson had an established practice in Sacramento, but he longed to return to the Placer County area. He liked Lincoln for its potential growth. Plus, he had the close connections and memories.

When the Sterling Pointe shopping center on Highway 65 started to become a reality, Martinson was one of the first to sign a lease. That was in November 2003. But it wasn't until last spring that he was finally moved in.

Now that his office is in Lincoln, Martinson has come to appreciate the city even more.

"What's not to like?" Martinson said. "I like my patients and I really like the people here in Lincoln. I also like being in more of a country setting. It's a lot different from Sacramento."

Martinson is a family dentist. He sees children up through senior citizens. Because of the office's close proximity to Del Webb's Sun City development, Martinson noted a lot of his patients are seniors.

No matter what age, Martinson said the key is to make the patient feel at ease.

"People are mostly scared of the unknown," he said.

So, Martinson tries to be as gentle and as careful as he possibly can. He also explains what procedures he is doing to try and calm patients' nerves.

Sterling Pointe Family Dentistry offers a couple of special features to help educate patients. One is an intraoral camera.

"We use it to take close-up pictures of your teeth," explained front office manager Sallie Johnson.

Patients can view the pictures on a computer screen. The pictures can be enlarged to show patients exactly where problem areas might lie.