Our team is comprised of experienced professionals led by Dr. Barton Walters. We each share Dr. Walters’ belief that your total care dental treatment should be comprehensive with outstanding customer service and warmth that sets our office apart from others. From your first email or phone call through to scheduling an appointment -- our team is here to assist you.

You’re more that just a mouth to us and we hope we’re more than just a technician to you. We invite you to read more about your team:

Dr. Barton Walters

An Ottawa dentist since 1992, Dr. Walters earned his DMD degree from the University of Saskatchewan. Shortly following graduation, he began his dental career by assuming an existing practice that had been serving communities in the Ottawa area since the late 1950s. Affectionately referred to as “Dr. Bart” by many of our patients (especially our younger clientele!), Dr. Walters is known for his boisterous and contagious laugh in our office and for his light-hearted, gentle way. A resident of Nepean, Dr. Walters can often be found in his yard gardening, with his golden retriever, Bailey, nearby keeping him company. Dr. Walters currently serves as Councillor for the Ottawa Dental Society on the board of the Ontario Dental Association. He is also an active member of The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and of the Academy of Computerized Dentistry of North America.

Dr. Andrew Kaplan

An Ottawa resident since 2001, Dr. Kaplan partnered with Dr. Walters in 2006 in order to meet the growing needs of our patients. A native of Toronto, Dr. Kaplan earned his Ph.D in bone physiology at the University of Western Ontario prior to graduating from the University of British Columbia with his DMD degree in 2001. Dr. Kaplan shares in Dr. Walters' vision of your dental health and in the way he interacts with our team and patients alike. His friendly and upbeat demeanour would make you think we had cloned these two docs when you hear them chatting with patients! An avid sportsman and cook, when Dr. Kaplan isn't working hard with us, he can be found skiing the slopes of Whistler or preparing spectacular meals in the kitchen for his wife, Amy.

Grace Sikkema

Grace is our Practice Administrator and brings new meaning to the words ”Amazing Grace”. Grace is the first and last face you’ll see when you come to visit – and she keeps a very busy practice running smoothly. With us now for eight years, Grace is well known with our patients for her patience, warmth, sincerity and efficiency. Grace has a genuine concern for our patients. It shows in her attention to detail in her work, her friendly and interested questions and her listening ear. An active member of her church, Grace is married to her husband Ralph and has three grown daughters.

Katie Simser

Katie is our Preventive Dental Assistant and works part time in the Hygiene department and part time as an invaluable assistant to Dr. Walters. Katie began her career in Dentistry in 1966, but then took 15 years off to raise her family of four, before coming back to work. Katie is a dynamo team member and patients can’t help but warm to her pleasant attitude, her great laugh, and her many hugs (to young and not so young). Katie is keen to learn and improve her skills, which makes her a great source of dental information. Katie is married to her husband Phil, and in her spare time, enjoys time with her grandchildren, getting out in her garden, and when she can, playing a card game or two!

Vanessa Ripley

Three years ago, Vanessa became a member of our dental team. A dedicated hygienist, this lovely young woman works very hard to ensure that she’s doing all that she can to improve upon the dental health of our many patients. Vanessa was a dental assistant herself for several years before continuing with her education to become a hygienist. As such she brings with her the latest techniques for oral health care and is an excellent education resource for dentistry as a whole. Her fresh approach and meticulous attention to detail, coupled with a desire to always improve herself and her profession, has made Vanessa a valued member of our office. Originally from the Pembroke area, Vanessa, her husband Randy and their new puppy now call Ottawa home.

Hetty VanBokhorst

Hetty has been a familiar and friendly face for our patients since 1975. Dental assisting with this practice was her first job and has remained her only job over the past 29 years. (If asked, she’ll tell you that she was only 12 when she started to work!!) We wouldn’t be able to function properly without her! Hetty is also a Dental Assistant of amazing calibre. Her attention to detail and her keen ability to colour match porcelain makes her a valuable member of the team. Hetty has developed an interest in orthodontics and through her vast experience adds invaluable service to both our patients and to Dr. Walters. Hetty loves the outdoors, is an amazing gardener and cook and she shows her creative flair through her many crafts. Hetty and her husband Aalt have two teenage daughters.

Lyane Raistrick

A consummate professional, Lyane has been with our office since 1996 as a member of our dental hygiene team. Originally from Manotick Ontario, Lyane enjoys spending time with her husband Rob and their daughter Emma. We are forever getting compliments on her skills and for her gentle manner with patients. Lyane's intensive graduate training as a restorative dental hygienist allows her to not only care for our patients' gums -- she is also qualified to partner with our dentists in providing routine restorative procedures for our patients as well. Lyane is bilingual in French and English and is happy to treat patients in either official language! Her beautiful smile and soft-spoken ways keeps all who meet her (even the most nervous) relaxed and comfortable at our office. When Lyane is not busy taking care of her precious clients and budding family, she enjoys a bit of relaxation and a good book.

Stephen Smith

Steve is our Office Manager and he has a full-time job keeping an ever growing practice running smoothly.  Steve’s role has included bringing us into the world of hi-tech with the automation of our scheduling and patient accounting systems  -- through to overseeing the day-to-day operation of our internal network and clinical equipment (and writing team bios in his spare time).  Following a number of years with government and then hi-tech, Steve has diverse management and business experience which has proved invaluable as we continue to evolve our client services and our continuous drive for patient satisfaction.   An avid gardener and dog lover, when Steve isn’t sitting in front of the computer or immersing himself in dental articles, you’ll find him enjoying lazy summer afternoons with friends and family by the pool or just enjoying a good cup of coffee when he hibernates during the long winter months.

Jennifer Newey

Jennifer joined our office in August 2005, but she is no newcomer to the world of dentistry. She has been a Dental Assistant for more than twenty years, much of it working for an orthodontist. With her friendly manner and wacky sense of humour, Jennifer was an immediate match for our office. Jennifer is one of those rare types who was born and raised in Ottawa, and still likes living here. Enjoying her Scottish roots, you can find her lured to the call of the bagpipes on Robbie Burns Day. She hopes that someday she and her husband Robin will finish work on their house so they can spend more time in the great outdoors with their “multicultural” dog Keisha.

Ghiselle Meyers

Ghiselle joined our office in 2005 as a member of our dental hygiene team. Growing up on Vancouver Island and having made Vancouver home for 14 years, she admits to missing British Columbia a lot even though she and her family have been in Ottawa since 1998. Ghiselle worked as a dental assistant for many years out west prior to returning to school to pursue her diploma as a Dental Hygienist from Algonquin College. With a smile and charm that light up our office, Ghiselle’s energy and zest for life is contagious to staff and patients alike. A proud mom to two teenagers, when Ghiselle isn’t working with us you may find her cooking with herbs from her own garden, enjoying a good book, traveling with her husband Rick, or practicing yoga.

Peggy Smith

Prior to joining our team in 2005 as a part-time dental receptionist, Peggy worked for many years in the Ottawa Public School Board and then most recently as Executive Assistant to the President of OCRI. Wanting a change of pace and the ability to spend more time with her husband and grandson, Peggy works with us three days a week to assist Grace on the front desk. In her spare time, Peggy can often be found out in the garden or on the run with her husband Gerry looking for great finds at neighbourhood garage sales. Peggy resides in Dunrobin and has two grown children who live in the Ottawa area.

Sherry Portt

A native of Arnprior, Sherry became a member of our front desk team in the summer of 2006. Following her graduation with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Carleton University, Sherry pursued her interest in the dental field with her certification as a Dental Assistant and then as a Certified Dental Receptionist. Although she is a busy mom to Emily and Olivia, Sherry gets loads of support from her husband Wayne to pursue advanced continuing education programs in order to keep abreast of the ever-changing world of dental technology. This dedicated professional constantly goes the extra mile for our patients and she wholeheartedly believes that learning is a lifelong process. In her spare time, Sherry enjoys unwinding with a good book, cycling, baking and, in the winter months, skating with her daughters.

Laura Norwood

Laura joined our growing team in the fall of 2006 as a dental hygienist. A small town girl at heart, Laura grew up two hours north of Toronto in Simcoe County, Georgian Bay. Our team members and patients alike are charmed by Laura’s wit and enthusiasm. She’s the first to tell you that “life is 99 percent attitude and 1 percent what you are given” and with a dynamite attitude, and the ability to connect with her clients, we know Laura is going places! A graduate of the University of Ottawa with a Bachelor of Arts, Laura returned to school to pursue her career in dental hygiene. This sports enthusiast often has stories of her weekends off shore boating, four-wheeling and kit sailing with her fiancé. As an active member in her community, outside of charitable efforts, Laura was actively involved in creating Algonquin College’s first dental hygiene bursary--the Natalie Sylvester Memorial Award.

Wendy Peters

Wendy joined us late in 2006 as a member of our dental hygiene team as a replacement for Lyane’s maternity leave. Married with three children and two golden retrievers, one wonders where this lovely lady finds her energy. A member of a dental family, Wendy moved a lot growing up – from Toronto to Manitoulin Island and then onto Houston Texas, Calgary and Ottawa, where she met her husband. Wendy attended the University of Houston and the University of Calgary prior to completing her dental hygiene program at Algonquin College. An avid runner, Wendy has her sights on running half marathons in the Ottawa area and when she’s not training, she enjoys some down time with her family and friends.