About Us
Meet the frenectomy experts and lactation consultants dedicated to supporting you and your child.
Chris Peterson, DMD
A dental expert with the Solea laser and frenectomies.
“Getting involved in treating tongue and lip-ties has become my career passion. I’ve gotten to meet and help so many young families through the struggles I’ve lived through as a parent. My children were affected by tongue-ties as infants, and I know how impactful proper identification and quick, effective treatment can be! I’ve made it my mission to provide our community with the best resources and education to successfully diagnose and treat tongue and lip-ties in infants, children, and adults.”
Dr. Peterson is a frenectomy expert and dentist at Wisconsin Tongue Tie Institute and De Pere Smiles. His own children had tongue-ties, so he knows about the struggles parents and babies go through.
He’s now on a mission to help others who need education, support, and less-invasive treatments through laser frenectomies. His goal is to find a treatment plan that fits your individual needs and helps you and your family achieve optimal oral health.
Our specialist was born and raised in Marinette, WI. He’s married to the love of his life, Rachael, and they have three wonderful children, Audrey, Louie, and Greta.
Outside of the Office
Dr. Peterson enjoys bow hunting for trophy whitetail deer each fall.
He Also Enjoys
Fishing, playing basketball, and watching/cheering for the Packers, Bucks, Brewers, and Badgers.
During College
Dr. Peterson played four years of men’s college basketball and was an Academic All-American nominee and team captain.
Education
Experience
Memberships
Meet Our Team
Click on each image to see our bio.
Acacia
Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)
Acacia started her nursing career on a busy postpartum unit and remembers seeing the confusion on every parent’s face after hearing the “correct” way they should be feeding their baby from various healthcare providers that entered their room. This is what motivated her to pursue a certification as an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant).
She didn’t want to be just another nurse that walked into the room sharing breastfeeding knowledge that she just learned on the job or from co-workers. Acacia wanted to be a reliable source of information, a professional her patients could trust and feel comfortable with, and maybe even be that one person that helped them enjoy feeding their baby.
Acacia chose to work at Wisconsin Tongue Tie Institute and De Pere Smiles because she wanted to join a company with a small town feel while striving for big goals. Her entire career centered around making a positive difference in families’ lives, and finding a company that matched her enthusiasm for creating these life-long improvements was so exciting.
Born and raised in the Florida Keys, Acacia decided to leave the warm weather behind after high school to attend Marquette University in Milwaukee for her bachelor of nursing degree. After graduating, she entered the U.S. Navy and was lucky enough to be stationed in the two locations she always wanted – California and Italy. During her time on active duty, she specialized as a labor and delivery nurse.
Acacia is married to her college sweetheart, and they have a son who is growing up way too fast! They also have two rescue pups, so they stay very busy. When not working, you can find Acacia renovating some portion of their 1800s farmhouse, outside with the family, or working on some sort of crafting project.
Anne
Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)
Ever since Anne was a little girl, she wanted to be a nurse. She loved the thought of being able to help, care for, and connect with others. For the past eighteen years, Anne’s been blessed to do just that.
It was five years into her career when the desire to learn and know more about breastfeeding really sparked her interest. Anne had just given birth to her first child, and the experience did not go according to plan. After two weeks, she gave up breastfeeding and the pain and sadness she felt in missing the opportunity was a feeling she never wanted another mother to feel.
Anne would eventually find out that her child had an undiagnosed tongue tie that would be released at four months of age. Had she known more, Anne thinks her experience would have been different, and this became the driving force to become as knowledgeable as she could in the field.
Breastfeeding is a unique journey for everyone. The goals a person has, the
challenges they encounter, and the support they receive all influence the success felt or experienced during that journey. Anne has always found deep gratitude and joy in being able to be a part of those intimate and vulnerable moments: from the birth of a child to teaching them to feed their infant.
To come alongside a parent and really listen, assess what’s going on, and execute a feeding plan that produces feelings of contentment and accomplishment is why she loves being a lactation consultant.
Anne believes Wisconsin Tongue Tie Institute and De Pere Smiles are truly collaborative environments. She’s excited to be a part of a team using cutting-edge technology and evidence-based practices to provide positive outcomes and enhance patient satisfaction. She’s also thrilled to be able to utilize her full breadth of knowledge.
The greater Green Bay area has always been Anne’s home. She was born and raised here and stayed close to home by attending Bellin College of Nursing to earn a bachelor of science in nursing degree. Following graduation, Anne obtained her registered nurse license and spent over 18 years working on the maternity floor in a local hospital. It was there that her love of helping breastfeeding mothers and families grew.
This specialty area has been her primary focus for the past 13 years, and she obtained her Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) certification in 2009 before obtaining the International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) certification in 2015. In addition, she’s had the pleasure of teaching childbirth education classes in the community.
Anne is married to her best friend and husband, Caleb, and they have three wonderful children, Ezra, Phinehas, and Magdalene. They love spending time as a family exploring the state parks, playing board games, watching TV series, and reading great books. They’re also currently mini-golfing their way through Wisconsin. In her free time, she loves crafting and baking with her daughter and volunteering at her children’s school.
Nicole
Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)
My passion for lactation developed after having my first child. As a nurse on a high-risk labor and delivery unit for 8 years, my husband and I felt prepared for all possibilities. Within the first week we realized that we were not as prepared as we thought we were. We struggled for the first 2 months and creating extra stored milk was always in the back of our minds. Going through that struggle made me realize there was an opportunity to really make an impact on babies, moms, and family’s outside of the immediate patient care I enjoyed giving on the labor and delivery floor. I realized there was a large variance of support and education that moms, babies, and families were receiving so I chose to leave my position as a labor and delivery nurse and focus completely on lactation services.
I find joy in supporting patients, family, friends, and friends of friends in their breastfeeding journey which has pushed me to further my education, obtaining both my CLC and IBCLC. My favorite parts of being a lactation consultant are listening, getting to know moms, babies, and families, and providing the support I can in some of the most difficult times of parenthood. I enjoy challenges and finding solutions that fits my patient. Because of the variance in education and support that exists within the community, I take pride in education, research, and evidence-based care. Over the years as a lactation consultant some of the most common phrases I hear are “I wish I would have seen you sooner”, or “I wish someone would have told me this”. Those phrases fuel my passion and drive to continue education and broaden my knowledge within the field to provide the best care and support I can as a lactation consultant.
Before I took the position at WTTI, I observed multiple procedures and got to know how the business works to ensure I would be able to provide the level of care I expect to provide. I took the position at WTTI because my drive to educate, research, and provide the best patient support and care were shared mutually.
Background
I’m from the town of Weyauwega and moved to Green Bay for college, attending UWGB where I completed my BSN. I’ve been an RN within a local hospital for 12 years, with 9 years dedicated to my passion in labor and delivery, postpartum nursing, and lactation consultant care. I’m married to my best friend and husband, Tony. We are blessed with two boys Forrest and Beau and have a cuddle monster disguised as a Boston terrier named Rupert. In my free time I enjoy everything outdoors. I am an avid snowboarder, camper, and found a new hobby in gardening. I also love fishing, running, biking, yoga, meditating, and hanging out at the beach. But most of all I love hanging out with my great family and friends.
Paul
Chief Operations Officer (COO)
Paul enjoys coming to work every day with an awesome group of people in a fun environment. He loves tackling new challenges that are presented every single day. Our COO has been at De Pere Smiles since May 2019 and loves being a part of the team.
He was born and raised in Kimberly, WI, where he lived most of his life. Paul graduated from St. Norbert College in 2013 with a bachelor of arts degree in education and played four years of college basketball while at SNC. He was fortunate enough to win honors for the “Academic Athlete of the Year” in 2013.
A huge sports fan his entire life, you can find Paul watching and cheering on his favorite Wisconsin sports teams or attempting to play those various sports himself.
Paul values relationships with family and friends the most and enjoys spending time with the people closest to him. In addition, he likes spending time outdoors while fishing, hunting, or enjoying nature. He’s also a music fanatic, and although he avoided reading at all costs when he was younger, Paul now loves to relax with a good book.
Amanda
Dental Assistant
Amanda has been with the team for over four years and a dental assistant for over 11 years. She loves every second of it because she thinks it’s great being part of such a hardworking team who can still manage to laugh and have fun with our patients.
As a dental assistant, Amanda enjoys getting to know all of our patients and helping them feel comfortable at their appointments. No day is ever the same, and she learns something new every day.
Outside of the office, Amanda enjoys camping, spending time with her family and friends, and being active with her daughter, Scarlet. A few of their favorite things include bike riding, eating sushi, and cheering on the Chicago Cubs.
Marissa
Dental Assistant
Marissa has been an assistant for over ten years now and has enjoyed it immensely! She thinks there is just something about helping someone and having them leave with a smile on their face that makes what she does so enjoyable.
She likes working in a team environment that allows us all to work hard and still have fun together while also having fun with our patients. The Wisconsin Tongue Tie Institute and De Pere Smiles team are always striving for the same goal for our patients’ health and happiness!
In her free time, Marissa loves spending time with her family and is a mom of three. The kids keep her and her husband pretty busy. Together, they like camping, fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, and pretty much anything outdoors.
Hana
Front Desk Team Member
My name is Hana! I’m originally from Wisconsin, but spent 5 ½ years in Colorado living out my passions of rock climbing, hiking various mountains/foothills and slacklining. I recently moved back to Wisconsin to attend college for Dental Hygiene. I have two young sons who also enjoy all things outdoors and tag along with me on adventures. I have been in the Dental field for the last ten years and have a love for the field, along with a love for babies.
Adie
Speech Language Pathologist
My name is Adie! I am driven by a profound passion to help individuals achieve their fullest potential in vital tasks like feeding, eating, and speaking. I believe in an informative, educational approach and I strive to infuse every patient interaction with kindness and empathy. Helping our patients to be comfortable and informed is a top priority for me.
When I’m not at work, I cherish spending time outdoors with my family or enjoying a relaxing Friday night at home. I chose to join this incredible team for its unwavering commitment to quality, patient-centered care, a value that deeply resonates with me. I’m inspired daily by the life-changing impact we have on our patients’ lives, driven by a desire to make a difference alongside a team that shares my dedication to excellence.
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