“I can’t imagine not doing dentistry. I truly enjoy the cosmetics and tooth replacement (implant) part of dentistry. But I also enjoy the relationships built by having families in our office. I’m very time conscious and make sure that I schedule plenty of time for each procedure. I want each patient to receive my full attention.” – Dr. Cristi Cheek
As a young girl growing up in Clarkesville, Georgia, Dr. Cheek loved visits with her hometown dentist. Since second grade, she knew she wanted to be a dentist and provide her own patients with great experiences.
After graduating from Mercer University in 1992, Dr. Cheek became a dental assistant and was accepted into the dental program at the Medical College of Georgia where she earned her DMD degree and graduated first in her class. During her two-year associateship with a large practice in Sugar Hill, Dr. Cheek became interested in opening her own dental practice. In 2002 she moved to East Cobb, acquired a practice from a retiring dentist, and opened Cheek Dental.
Her Treatment Philosophy
“Helping patients maintain or achieve a healthy, beautiful smile for a lifetime is my mantra. But I also know when to say a tooth is too far gone and an implant would last longer or give a better esthetic or functional result. With CEREC crowns, I feel that I can be much more conservative than with traditional porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns that we placed in years past. I can do onlays and conservative crowns and leave a margin in the middle of the buccal surface, and it will be undetectable.
“Our hygienists, assistants, and doctors heavily stress the patient’s role in maintaining their teeth with oral hygiene. I also believe that form follows function. God’s design leads to a beautiful result. If you put the bone and the teeth where they should be functionally, you will end up with beautiful aesthetics. If you focus on aesthetics only and proper function is not addressed, you will soon lose the aesthetics as teeth break. During our comprehensive exam, we evaluate oral soft tissues, the health of the periodontium (tissue that surrounds and supports teeth), the TMJs, and occlusion. And we note any signs of sleep-disordered breathing because all of these can affect the end result when restorations are being placed.”
Education and Training
- Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry – graduated first in her class
- Dawson Center for Advanced Dental Study – Occlusion and temporomandibular disorders
- Dental study clubs – Georgia Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, Seattle Study Club, Atlanta Oral & Facial Surgery implant study group
- CAD/CAM restorative dentistry
Memberships
- Academy of General Dentistry
- American Dental Association
- Georgia Dental Association
- Hinman Dental Society
- Northwestern District Dental Society
- Omicron Kappa Upsilon honor dental society
Achievements
- Elected to membership in Omicron Kappa Upsilon, the national dental honor society
- One of only a few dentists in Georgia elected by oral surgeons to membership in the American Society of Implant and Reconstructive Dentistry
- Chosen by AroundAbout Walton magazine readers as the Best Family Dentist in East Cobb for eight consecutive years
- Participates in local and international charitable activities. Visit our community involvement page for details.
- Provides dental articles for a local magazine on topics of interest to the community. Read a sampling of Dr. Cheek’s articles.
Dr. Cheek and her husband, Ron have two sons, Davis and Walker, and a daughter, Grayson. After Davis was born, they adopted Walker, who has special needs. Walker loves dogs, so the family adopted two dogs, Sasha and Humperdink. Both pets are excellent companions to all of the children. The family lives in Roswell, and they are members of Northpoint Community Church where Dr. Cheek and Ron are small-group leaders. The family also enjoys camping in the spring and fall, hiking, and boating on the lake.
