Dental Hygienists
Click on a name below to view their bio
• Sandra Blenner, RDH
• Bret LaGrange, RDH
• K.A. Kim Krieger, RDH, AAS
• Laurie Murno, RDH
• Barbara J. Nelson, RDH, BASDH
• Ruth Starr, RDH, BSDH
• Lonnie Wahlgren, RDH
Sandra Blenner, RDH
Biography
Palm Beach Junior College, Palm Beach, FL, Associate of Science in Dental Hygiene, Graduated 1967.
Sandra, born in Orlando, is a Florida native. She moved to Port Charlotte in 1974. She has been with Panther Hollow Dental Lodge for over 20 years. Sandra has two children. A daughter, Jennifer, is married, has a Ph.D. in accounting and teaches at Kennesaw State University in Georgia. Her son Tyson is married with two children and is a demand manager for Coca-Cola in Georgia. Sandra's husband, John, is in auto financing. Sandra's main interests include keeping active at the gym and her family. She is an avid Florida Gator Fan.
Back to Top
Bret LaGrange, RDH
Biography
Edison Community College, Fort Myers, FL, Associate of Science in Dental Hygiene, Graduated 1999, Valedictorian.
Bret moved to Florida with his family at the age of seven from Massachusetts. He grew up in Rotonda West, graduated
from Lemon Bay High School, and then moved to North Port after completing college. Since graduation, Bret has been working in the dental hygiene field and has been at Panther Hollow Dental Lodge since 2005. Bret and his wife Angela are avid Bible students and enjoy all types of physical recreation and outdoor activities including gardening, bicycling, tennis, racquet ball, and weight training.
K.A. Kim Krieger, RDH, AAS
Biography
Ferris State University, Big Rapids, MI, Associate of Applied Science, Certificate of Dental Hygiene.
Kim was born and raised in Toledo, OH and moved here in 1987. She currently holds dental hygiene licenses in the states of Michigan, Ohio and Florida With a passion for her profession, she joined Panther Hollow Dental Lodge in 1990, bringing her extensive experience and expertise in periodontal therapy. Kim states, "I enjoy all the perks of living here in paradise with my daughter Stephanie, including the opportunity to fish the ESPN Redfish Cups with my favorite captain." It was through his skills that she landed on the cover of the national professional magazine "RDH," as the ESPN Redfish Cup Top Female Angler in a tournament held in Kema, TX.
Back to Top
Laurie Murno, RDH
Biography
Tallahassee Community College, Tallahassee, FL, Associate of Science, Graduated 1984.
Laurie moved to Port Charlotte in 1972 from Springfield, VA. She graduated from Charlotte High School in 1981. Laurie worked in a periodontal office for four years and has been with Panther Hollow Dental Lodge since 2003. She has two boys, Paul, who attends Port Charlotte High School and Parker, who attends Charlotte Academy. When not driving to soccer games and practices, Laurie enjoys the beach, boating, tennis, hiking, and just spending time with her family.
Back to Top
Barbara J. Nelson, RDH, BASDH
Biography
Tallahassee Community College, Tallahassee, FL, Associate of Applied Science in Dental Hygiene, Graduated 1999.
Tallahassee Community College, Tallahassee, FL, Certificate of Emergency Services, Paramedic, Graduated 1994.
Barbara was born and raised in Port Charlotte, Florida. She's been practicing dental hygiene since 1999, and has been with Panther Hollow Dental Lodge since 2006. Barbara completes her dedication to her dental hygiene profession as an active member of the local hygiene association serving on the Executive Board since 2001 and President since 2005. Personally, she has been married for over five years and is starting a family. Her leisure time includes boating, reading, and relaxing in the pool or on the beach.
Back to Top
Ruth Starr, RDH, BSDH
Biography
Ruth moved to Florida from Virginia in 1994. She's been practicing dental hygiene for over 24 years, ten of which have been here at Panther Hollow Dental Lodge. Besides being a hygienist, she is also a business owner. When she's not at PHDL, she's at her auto accessory and window tinting shop working with her husband, Eddie. She has a son in the U. S. Army Airborne presently serving in Iraq and a daughter attending college at the University of Central Florida. "I love my family and my second family here at Panther Hollow Dental Lodge."
Lonnie Wahlgren, RDH
Biography
Lonnie grew up in northern Minnesota. She lived in a small community outside of Minneapolis before moving to Port Charlotte in 1987. She has been actively practicing dental hygiene since college graduation and has been a member of the Panther Hollow Dental Lodge staff since 1989. Lonnie is married to her college sweetheart and has two adult sons both serving in the United States Marine Corps. She enjoys reading fiction, doing landscaping projects, and other home improvement projects.
Back to Top