Meet the Doctors
One Practice. One Philosophy. One Team.
At Summit Dental, every patient benefits from a collaborative team of doctors who share the same commitment to conservative treatment, lifelong relationships, and comprehensive care. While each doctor brings unique experience and clinical interests, we work together to provide coordinated care for every stage of your family’s dental health.
Founder & Owner Dentist
Dr. Kristin Nelson
Dr. Nelson opened Summit Dental in 2013 with a simple conviction: a dental office should feel like a place that knows your family, not a chain that processes them. As the practice owner, she still makes the decisions that shape every visit — how much time you spend in the chair, how care is explained, and how relationships are built to last decades rather than appointments.
Her approach is conservative and relationship-first. She’d rather watch, educate, and plan than over-treat, and she’s built the practice around doctors who share that philosophy. Her long-term vision is comprehensive care under one roof — a place where a family can go from a child’s first cleaning to advanced implant work without ever being sent across town to a stranger.
Dr. Nelson earned her D.D.S. from the University of Minnesota, has over 20 years of experience, is an Invisalign provider, and completed implant training through the Misch International Implant Institute.
Doctors Who Share the Same Philosophy
Our associate doctors were chosen for fit, not just credentials — each shares Summit’s conservative, relationship-first approach, and each brings clinical strengths that round out the team.
Dentist
Dr. Jane Ford
Family & children’s care
Dr. Jane Ford enjoys caring for patients of every age and believes the best dental care begins with lasting relationships. Her warm, friendly personality helps patients feel comfortable, informed, and confident throughout their visits. As a mother of three young children, she especially enjoys helping families create positive dental experiences that last a lifetime.
Dr. Ford earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Indiana University and served as a Captain in the United States Army, providing dental care to active-duty soldiers before joining Summit Dental in 2020. She enjoys all aspects of family dentistry, including preventive, restorative, and Invisalign® treatment.
Outside the office, Jane and her husband, Rich, stay busy raising their three children and enjoy running, biking, skiing, and traveling together.
Dentist
Dr. Lauren Zuidema
Restorative & cosmetic · patient education
Dr. Lauren Zuidema enjoys building lasting relationships with patients and helping them feel comfortable, informed, and confident in their dental care. She believes every patient deserves personalized treatment and takes the time to listen, answer questions, and create a positive experience at every visit.
Dr. Zuidema earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Minnesota after graduating with honors in biochemistry from Northern Illinois University. She enjoys all aspects of family dentistry and is Invisalign® Certified. Through continuing education, she is committed to providing the highest quality care while helping patients maintain healthy smiles for years to come.
Outside the office, Lauren and her husband, Tanner, live in Hastings with their dog, Hazel. They enjoy spending time outdoors, whether walking Hazel, biking, or downhill skiing together.
Advanced Restorative & Implant Care
Dr. Hatem Alassy, DDS, MS
Periodontist · Implants & Gum Health Specialist
Dr. Hatem Alassy believes exceptional specialty care begins with listening to patients and helping them feel comfortable, informed, and confident throughout treatment. As Summit Dental’s periodontist, he works closely with our doctors to provide advanced care while allowing patients to continue receiving treatment from the team they already know and trust.
Dr. Alassy has practiced dentistry since 2004 and completed advanced specialty training in periodontics and implant surgery at the University of Minnesota, where he also earned his master’s degree. His clinical interests include dental implants, soft tissue grafting, periodontal therapy, ridge augmentation, and complex restorative treatment planning. He continues to serve as an instructor at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, helping educate the next generation of dental professionals.
Outside the office, Dr. Alassy enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons and creating new family adventures together.
Which Doctor Will I See?
You’ll typically see the same dentist for your routine care, so you can build a relationship you trust. When specialized treatment is appropriate, our doctors collaborate closely — so you receive coordinated care without losing the trusted relationship you’ve already built. One record, one team, one plan.
Care That’s Built to Last
The reasons families choose Summit — and stay for decades — are the same reasons the practice was built the way it was.
Why Families Choose Summit
✓ Locally owned & operated
✓ Comprehensive care under one roof
✓ Multiple experienced doctors
✓ Modern technology
✓ Long-term relationships
Comprehensive Care Under One Roof
Rather than referring patients throughout the Twin Cities, our team provides a broad range of services together — allowing families to build lasting relationships with a practice they know and trust, for every stage of life.
651.322.7373