Rachael, RDH

Dental Hygienist & Practice Manager

Hey there! My name is Rachael Hansen and I have been a Dental Hygienist since 2007. I grew up in Chapel Hill, NC and when I was in high school I started my first job working at a dental office. I was hooked. Ever since then I have known I wanted to work in the dental field but had no idea that I would one day be married to a dentist as well! I attended the University of North Carolina where I studied at the UNC School of Dentistry and received my for my Bachelors in Dental Hygiene. During dental school, Dr. Hansen and I attended a Christmas Parade downtown on Salem Street and it was then that we fell in love with Apex and decided that after graduation, we wanted to make this area our forever home.

I consider myself very lucky to be a part of a profession that I love! I love coming to work every day and working with our outstanding staff and patients. My favorite part of my job is when a patient tells me that this was their “best dental experience ever”! I love getting to know our patients and their families and look forward to watching our families grow together. I have worked with many dentists but being able to work alongside Dr. Hansen has been a dream come true. I have so much confidence in the quality of his work and in his steadfastness in remaining ethical and conservative. I know, better than anyone, that he holds himself to a very high standard!

I love Mediterranean Food, Peanut M&M’s and our two dogs, Miles and Murphy (the M&M initials were intentional). I am a lifelong Tarheel Fan. I love running and gardening. My favorite thing to do is spend time with Rylan either working on a home improvement project or traveling together with our four children.

Christina, CDA

Dental Assistant

Hello! I’m Christina. I grew up in Crofton, MD, and moved to NC in 2017. I’ve been a Dental Assistant since 2011. I decided to become a Dental Assistant after a close friend of mine suggested I check it out for a career. During school I fell in love with dentistry and knew this was the field for me.

I’m always happy when patients ask a lot of questions because I like to know that you feel completely informed about your treatment. My favorite part about my job is when a patient says, “That wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.” I love when I can help make anxious patients feel more comfortable about getting treatment. It fills my heart when a patient feels like they can smile again!

My favorite things to do when I’m not working is reading, hiking or just being outside, cooking and spending time with my husband Mike, our 3 kids Phillip, Eva and Lilly and our 2 dogs Apollo and Ahsoka.

Some things on my bucket list are traveling (in general) but more specifically to every National Park in the United States and around the world, as well as being able to see the Aurora Borealis in person.

Sarah, CDA

Dental Assistant & Scheduling Coordinator

Hi everyone! My name is Sarah. I grew up in Paterson, NJ. My whole life I’ve lived in NJ until 2019 when I made the big move to NC. I decided it was time for change.

It was my own experience with an orthodontist that inspired me to have a career in dentistry. Seeing patients go through a life changing transformation is what I love most about my job. I love seeing patients happy!

On my spare time I love to read (criminal novels please!) and spend time with my fiancé. I love to bake, especially from scratch. Ice cream is my go to dessert with warm chocolate chip cookies. I also love to cook and stay in touch con mi cultura.

Tammy, RDH

Dental Hygienist

Hi, my name is Tammy! I graduated from Wake Tech in 2009 with an Associates in Applied Science Dental Hygiene Degree. I have been a Dental Hygienist at Hansen Dentistry starting part time in 2016 and full time since early 2020.

I was born in Northern Virginia, grew up on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and I have called Fuquay Varina home for nearly 20 years. Between me and my husband, we have 6 kids, 9 grandkids, and 2 energetic labs, Keeper & Gracie.

Besides working at Hansen Dentistry, I love spending time with family, relaxing on the beach, hanging out by the fire pit and watching the grandkids play sports. I love being a Dental Hygienist and getting to know my patients.

Just like Buddy The Elf, “Smiling is my favorite!”

Michelle, CDA

Dental Assistant

Hello, my name is Michelle and I grew up in East Tennessee. I attended East Tennessee State University and have been in dentistry for over 25 years.

My goal is to treat all of our patients with kindness and patience. I hope to advise our patients with the knowledge and skills needed to obtain good oral health habits that will produce beautiful smiles and I feel fortunate to be part of Dr. Hansen’s dental team.

When I am not working I enjoy playing tennis, gardening and anything to do with decorating. On my list of things to achieve in the future is to learn to play pickle ball.

Wise advice from Dr. Hansen… “Brushing every tooth helps”

Alisha

Office Administrator & Scheduling Coordinator

Hi there, I’m Alisha! I grew up in Western North Carolina, but now call Cary home. I have been working in the dental field for 4 years after a 15-year career in banking and finance.

I enjoy working in family dentistry because it allows me to exercise my social side while being a part of providing excellent patient care.

My favorite food is pizza and anything sweet. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my fiancé James, riding motorcycles, hunting, fishing, reading and cooking/baking.

Sarah, RDH

Dental Hygienist

Hey! I’m Sarah. People as how I got started in dentistry and the answer is, early on. At age five I decided it was a good idea to pretend to be an ice skater wearing nylons in our kitchen, the pretending stopped after colliding into our tile countertop with my front baby tooth, OOPs! I had to have a pulpotomy and my front tooth turned gray. Later, I had to have that same tooth extracted because it refused to come out, and my front tooth came out horizontally over the top of it. This resulted in phase one braces at a young age, then later phase two as a teen.

My god-mother and a good family friend of ours were both Dental Hygienists. I decided to attend the University of the Pacific in California and loved their Dental Hygiene program.

My favorite thing about my job and/or about working with patients: Getting calculus off patient’s teeth and listening to their stories. If you are my patient, we will definitely do some soul connecting. It’s my favorite part. Unless I get quiet vibes, and then I’m happy to be in my head. I also love educating patients and advocating for how to make taking care of your teeth as easy as taking a shower.

I grew up in Central Valley Lodi, California. My favorite food(s) and treat(s) are coffee and extremely dark chocolate! My favorite sports is watching my kids cage fight on our indoor trampoline. In my spare time my favorite thing to do is sit at a cozy coffee shop and invent things to learn about.

Something interesting about me: I’m sure I will tell you in my chair!

Monica, RDH

Dental Hygienist

Hi! My name is Monica and I am originally from Florida (Go Gators!) but I’m proud to say that North Carolina has been my home for almost 20 years now. I attended Central Carolina Community College where I earned both my Associates of Science in Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting Diploma. I started my dental career in 2016 as a pediatric dental assistant. I loved the hygiene side of dentistry so much that I decided to go back to school to pursue dental hygiene and now here I am!

I live in Sanford with my husband, Brandon, and two cats, Kawi and Fizz. I also have a step-daughter named Madelynn. I enjoy anything that involves being outdoors, like hiking, fishing, gardening, or just soaking up the sun on a warm sunny day. I also love to travel, try new food, and go shopping.

It is hard to pick just one favorite thing about my job but a few are building relationships with our patients and helping them achieve a happy & healthy smile. It is so rewarding to help patients and feel like you made an impact on their quality of life. And I have to say, coming to work every day is easy when you have such an amazing team to work with!