More than “just” moving teeth

by Brett Moser ’03/’21

Dr. Alison Fallgater ’96 (Dr. Ali)

grew up on a cattle ranch in Kidder County, near Steele, North Dakota. “When I was 18, I was ready to bust out of here!” Dr. Ali states. Her grandparents lived in Tennessee which led her to enroll at Vanderbilt University as she was interested in a career in medicine. Vanderbilt, having one of the top medical schools in the country, seemed like a logical choice to pursue her education. However, “I got very homesick after the first semester and came home.” Dr. Ali enrolled at Bismarck State College and got an associate’s degree before coming to Jamestown College as a Biology major, while minoring in Chemistry. It turns out, a career in medicine wasn’t in Dr. Ali’s future as the summer before her senior year, “I worked as a CNA, and absolutely decided I didn’t want to do medicine.” Dr. Ali reflected on her educational experience: “My time at Jamestown College was very instrumental in my life. My only regret is that I didn’t do all four years at JC! Jamestown provided a unique opportunity for me to join my faith and science together. “One of my favorite courses was a science and religion course taught by Dr. James Edwards, Dr. Gary Watts, Dr. Charles Ault, and Dr. Bruce Jensen. I was hesitant and not sure about how I felt about science and faith coming together, but I am still grateful for this course today. I was able to see how God has ordained change as there is no denying that we’ve changed through time. For example, from a tooth perspective, we don’t have room for our wisdom teeth anymore.” So, what was this country girl supposed to do upon graduation with a degree in Biology and a minor in Chemistry from Jamestown College? Dr. Ali’s roommate at the time, Gina (Bogar) Tan ’97, pursued dental school and was the one who told Dr. Ali to check out dentistry. Further, when Dr. Ali was a kid, she had braces three times, plus jaw surgery. “I was one of what we call ‘bad growers.’” Her roommate’s suggestion led to seven years of additional schooling for Dr. Ali at the University of Minnesota in dentistry and orthodontics, while practicing as a dentist three years in between. Dr. Ali currently owns and leads Smile Studio (formerly The Dental Specialists) in Jamestown. When asked about what motivates her in service to go above and beyond serving a community with orthodontic care, Dr. Ali pointed to her vision statement which is to “Love God and people well.” She became emotional when speaking about how this vision statement came to be her guide. “When I went to Ethiopia to adopt my son, Will, I found myself asking the question….am I really going to spend my life moving teeth fractions (at times) of millimeters….is that it? I knew that my life needed to be about something more. If I am going to be moving teeth, it’s going to be my ministry too.” Dr Ali has an exceptional staff that shares this vision alongside her. “They are better than I deserve,” she reflected. Customer service is important to Dr. Ali, and often, she will ask her staff what the best customer service is they’ve experienced. “Is it Disney, at a hotel, or at Chik-Fil-A? Our staff shares the same vision to love God and people well. If you’ve walked through our door and haven’t had excellent customer service, we are talking about it.” Part of this service is a red carpet send off that signifies the end of a journey. It’s a fun way to celebrate! There’s a point and outcome that Dr. Ali is aiming toward and hitting a target. “I want people to leave feeling better than when they came in.” If that happens, Smile Studio is going above and beyond. Dr. Ali has decided to share and give back to the folks that have supported her. In the summer of 2021, she opened a new office in Jamestown. A beautiful building on the north side of town, just blocks from the University, where she received that first nudge from a roommate to pursue her current vocation and ministry. And in late August, Smile Studio hosted a free outdoor concert with food, games, and a community atmosphere that communicated their love for Jamestown and their vision, to “Love God and people well.” “We love this community…when I opened in 2009, it was popcorn and ramen for me,” Dr. Ali shared, exemplifying how important it was for her to not just start a business, but to do it right, regardless of the cost. Because, Dr. Ali is not only moving teeth, she’s creating smiles with a purpose.