Meet The Doctors
Dean McNeel, DDS
When Dr. Dean McNeel opened Ozark Prosthodontics in Fayetteville, Arkansas in 1995, his intention was to provide the absolute best dental care possible. In order to accomplish this, he began to attract the finest dental technicians and assistants in the industry and create a laboratory with the most innovative technology available.
Dr. McNeel’s philosophy is simple—in order to obtain high-quality dental results, you must have both exceptionally skilled doctors and an exceptional on-site dental laboratory.
“Without one portion of the equation, the results just simply aren’t as good as they could—and should—be,” says Dr. McNeel.
Dr. McNeel’s career in prosthodontics spans over three decades and includes work with children with congenital defects, medically compromised patients, and patients with high esthetic requirements, in addition to full-mouth reconstruction cases.
Beginning his higher education at Sam Houston University, he received his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Dr. McNeel then earned his Doctorate in Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) from the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in San Antonio before going on to graduate from Louisiana State University School of Dentistry with a Certificate in Prosthodontics. Dr. McNeel also completed a two-year general practice residency at Charity Hospital in New Orleans.
Today, Ozark Prosthodontics has evolved into a nationally recognized prosthodontics practice, which operates as a high-end clinic, full-service laboratory and nationally recognized training institution. Staffed with dental laboratory technicians selected by Dr. McNeel, the clinic and laboratory incorporate the latest scientific advancements in prosthodontics, which allows patients to have unparalleled treatment.
This full-service, on-site dental laboratory is exclusive to Dr. McNeel’s patients. The lab team works in concert with Dr. McNeel to ensure the highest quality restorations are created and delivered to patients.
In addition to his passion for his work, Dr. McNeel enjoys spending quality time with his family and friends. When not in the office, you can find him duck hunting, fishing, or enjoying the occasional fine wine. One of his more interesting out-of-office accomplishments is climbing Mount Hood in northern Oregon—one of the Top 10 Wonders of the West.
Naif Sinada, DMD, MS
From a very early age, Naif Sinada knew he wanted to go into the medical field.
As an undergraduate at the University of Iowa majoring in biology, Dr. Naif Sinada began to explore a number of healthcare career options. He began shadowing physicians to get a feel of their day-to-day activities and decide what field he wanted to pursue.
“The physicians I shadowed in my experiences had the support of nurses and physician assistants to really take care of everything,” said Sinada. “I started looking for areas of study that had more interaction with the patients.”
While Dr. Sinada had great respect for the differences that general practitioners were making in the lives of their patients, he knew fairly quickly the general medicine model wasn’t a path he wanted to follow.
Dr. Sinada looked no further than his own family for inspiration. His older brother was already a prosthodontist and his older sister was a pediatric dentist. It didn’t take much persuading from his siblings for him to decide to look into dentistry.
After earning a Bachelor of Arts in biology and a double in minor in chemistry and international studies with a global health emphasis, Sinada continued his studies at the University of Iowa for his Master of Public Health before deciding to head for warmer climates for dental school.
He says he fell in love with the Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine in Glendale, Arizona immediately after the interview and knew it was the right place to continue his studies. However, Dr. Sinada would not stay in Glendale long.
“Dental school for me and my class was a little bit different from the average dental school student,” said Sinada. “I never trained in one area for more than one program, going from Arizona to New York to Maryland to Texas, I was able to get a good healthy view from a lot of different dental schools.”
Following dental school and residencies in Brooklyn and Baltimore, Sinada studied Maxillofacial prosthodontics and oral oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
Dr. Sinada has been an early adopter of digital dentistry and a proponent of applying digital dentistry to various aspects of prosthodontics—from surgical applications to comprehensive prosthodontics treatment and maxillofacial prosthetics.
“At Ozark Prosthodontics, we have the ability to be masterly efficient at utilizing digital workflows—from acquisition to the cad and the cam to the milling to printing—we digitize the entire process,” Says Dr. Sinada. “As a prosthodontist, and a dentist in general, we always want to be in control of every aspect of what we do, and it’s nice to have that ability within your office.”
Dr. Sinada continues to publish work and present on the subjects of digital dentistry, prosthodontics, implants, and a multitude of others. He is currently a reviewer for the International Journal of Oral & Maxillofacial Implants.
Christina Wang, DMD, MS
Since her father was a physician and her older brother would become a physician too, many thought a young Christina Wang would follow in their footsteps. They would be incorrect. Ever since the young age of six, Dr. Christina Wang’s heart has been set on dentistry. As a child, Dr. Wang had a somewhat unusual fascination with teeth. What other six-year-old do you know with a concern about the function of the teeth and mouth as it relates to the overall health of the human body?
Throughout her childhood years, her passion for dentistry, and prosthodontics, in particular, grew and grew as she discovered the field was the perfect combination of her interest in teeth and love for artistry. While most aspiring medical students spend some time deciding what field of study to pursue, Christina Wang’s decision had already been made many years ago.
“For me, it was definitely the mixture of creativity and artistic touch that drew me in, because I grew up always crafting, sewing and painting. I love to do things with my hands,” said Dr. Wang.
Dr. Wang wasted no time making steps towards a career in dentistry and prosthodontics, attending the Virginia Polytechnic Institute State University in Blacksburg, Virginia where she earned a Bachelor of Science in human nutrition with an emphasis in foods and exercise—also known as a Science of Food, Nutrition and Exercise (SFNE) degree. Later, Dr. Wang attended dental school at the University of New England College of Dental Medicine in Portland, Maine where she received her Doctor of Medical Dentistry (D.M.D.)
Her post-graduate career path led her south where she honed her prosthodontics skills with a graduate residency at the Texas A&M (Baylor) College of Dentistry in Dallas. While there, she provided comprehensive care for patients requiring removable and complex restorative treatment while studying the latest innovations in digital dentistry and 3D printing technology—she even found time to earn a master’s degree.
“Prosthodontics is such a unique specialty, and I think it draws upon my biggest strengths,” said Dr. Wang. “It really pushes you to get creative and think outside the box and see the whole picture.”
Dr. Wang has written in publications and made presentations at seminars across the country. As her young career continues, she is considered one of the world’s rising stars in the field. For these reasons and many more, Dr. Dean McNeel recruited her to be a part of Ozark Prosthodontics. While her creativity and artistry are her hallmarks, she has never lost sight of what she feels is the most important aspect of her craft.
“Aside from dentistry I think the most important factor in patient care is the relationship and trust that is built,” she said. “Aesthetics are a personal preference and what may be beautiful and natural to one person may not be for someone else. It is something the patient and provider create together in order to make the patient feel and look their most confident.”
In her spare time, you can find Dr. Wang spending time with her husband, Ed, and her extended family, who have given her their unconditional love, support, and patience. Her hobbies include art and makeup projects, where she showcases her ability to reproduce amazing looks inspired by characters from stage, screen, and works of fiction of all kinds. She also has the creativity and mastery to bring characters from her own imagination to life — all with various aesthetics that some may find beautiful, outrageous, or even chilling!