Fairfield Dental Clinic welcomes Dr. Matt Holt

Fairfield Dental Clinic was started by Drs. Singley and Carter in the 1960s. It has gone through a few changes in ownership over the years. Carter bought out Singley, and hired Dr. VanTasell to replace him when he retired.

VanTasell was responsible for bringing Dr. Marty Gleason to town, and the two worked together for 30 years, with VanTasell retiring in 2015. VanTasell sold his half of the practice to Dr. Pat Jones, who continues to practice at Fairfield Dental Clinic to this day. After nearly 40 years on the job, Gleason was ready to call it a career and retired in December 2022. He sold his half of the business to Dr. Matt Holt, who had joined the business just before Gleason’s retirement in June 2022.

Gleason had only been retired a few months when he received the town’s most prestigious honor, being named one of the Citizens of the Year at the annual banquet of the Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce. Gleason received the award for his community service and volunteerism, and in recognition for his years of making athletic mouthguards at no charge for students in Fairfield, Pekin, Van Buren and Cardinal school districts.

When the dental clinic welcomed Holt, they remodeled an operatory with all new equipment for him. Fairfield Dental Clinic is also in the process of finishing a second operatory, too. The business plans on renovating the front of the building in the near future with new landscaping.

The dental clinic offers a variety of services such as preventive care that includes cleanings, fillings, crowns, implants, extractions and cosmetic dentistry.

Employees at the company include Denise Hall, the Practice Administrator with 38 years of experience; Angela Gillam, a Dental Assistant with 11 years’ experience; Stephanie Flanagan, a Hygienist who has worked for the clinic 10 years; Donna Duwa, a Hygienist who has worked eight years; Jordan Scott, a Dental Assistant who has been there four years; Allison Johnston, a Dental Assistant who has worked there four years; and Brenda Bartholomew, a Dental Assistant who has been there one year.