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.
Brandon Bulloch, DDS, MS
For Dr. Brandon Bulloch, the call to dentistry began under the guidance of his father, Dr. Scott Bulloch at their family-owned oral surgery clinic located in St. George, Utah.
He spent his summers between high school and college assisting at the office, enjoying his interactions with patients and observing oral surgery procedures. Seeing how his father restored not only confidence to patients’ smiles but renewed their overall health inspired Dr. Bulloch to consider entering the dental field.
Over the next few years, Dr. Bulloch would become even more dedicated in his mission to provide excellent patient care through medical service trips to Haiti, where he would treat people with urgent dental conditions.
“The gratitude that these individuals expressed after having their dental pain reduced was a profound experience that helped kindle my passion for pursuing a career in dentistry,” said Dr. Bulloch.
Dr. Bulloch attended the University of Maryland Dental School in Baltimore, MD, where he decided to pursue a career as an oral surgeon. However, he would soon discover that his vocation was to be found in prosthodontics, with many of the patients he evaluated during his residency rounds displaying complex dental needs and health histories that required advanced care in the prosthodontics wing.
“I knew right away that I wanted training to treat these complex cases from start to finish,” says Dr. Bulloch. “Being able to see all the pieces and people come together to produce a successful outcome for the patient is very rewarding.”
Going on to complete a three-year surgical prosthodontics residency, Dr. Bulloch would graduate from Maryland University with his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree, a certificate in prosthodontics and a master’s degree in biomedical science. His academic accomplishments include researching new technology that would improve the longevity of dental restorations, earning him a Master of Sciences degree for his work, in addition to winning the Hanau Best Award for outstanding knowledge and study in prosthodontics.
In his free time, Dr. Bulloch enjoys biking and going to the gym, reading books on subjects like Quantum Physics, Rocket Science and World War Two, spending time with his wife Rhonnie and taking Nova, their Yorkshire Terrier, on walks together.
Alma L. Salazar-Rios, DDS, MS
Those who know Dr. Alma Salazar-Rios can attest that she typically has a smile on her face, but, like many of her patients, she also suffered from congenital dental defects while growing up.
“Throughout my teenage years, I was very self-aware and felt a bit embarrassed about my smile,” said Dr. Salazar Rios. “When I was able to improve my smile several years later through dentistry, I became a whole new person and was able to smile without shame, so I want to help patients improve and maintain their optimal oral health, so their beautiful smiles can take over.”
Her own personal dental experiences not only informed Dr. Salazar Rios of the heartfelt impact that dentistry and prosthodontics can have on others but shaped her compassionate approach to patient care. Apart from feeling rewarded by serving patients’ needs and bringing positive dental experiences to their lives, she also believes that being in the dental field means understanding the emotional complexity of her cases.
“Dentistry is not just a tool to create pretty smiles, but it goes beyond the superficial layers, especially when we sincerely care about helping others,” says Dr. Salazar-Rios.
The enthusiasm and passion that Dr. Salazar-Rios holds for her profession has earned her multiple awards, degrees, and certificates from the Texas A&M University College of Dentistry. Her numerous achievements include obtaining her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree, a master’s in oral biology and education for healthcare professionals, in addition to her graduate certificate in advanced education in general dentistry and community leadership recognition. Additionally, Dr. Salazar-Rios also holds a certificate in prosthodontics, along with an advanced oral oncology and maxillofacial prosthodontics certificate from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Refining and continuously enhancing her background in academia is also important to Dr. Salazar-Rios. Her commitment to providing the best patient care possible and progressing in the knowledge of her profession has led to her research being featured in several publications, including the Journal of Prosthodontics: Official Journal of the American College of Prosthodontics, the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry, Frontiers in Dentistry, and more.
Becoming a part of the Ozark Prosthodontics family means a lot to Dr. Salazar-Rios, as she gets to share her love of the dental profession with staff who feel just as strongly as she does.
“The OP team is amazing! Everyone here is extremely caring and compassionate,” Dr. Salazar-Rios said. “I feel very welcome, and I’m sure that all our patients will feel the same way.”
When she’s not working, you can find Dr. Salazar-Rios traveling with her mother, trying new and exciting foods, enjoying quality time with her family and cherishing her senior goldendoodle named Roli.
