Our Team
Meet Our Dental Staff
All professionals at Challenger Family Dental maintain the highest levels of accreditation and pursue ongoing education to stay abreast of the latest technology and trends in the dental field. Read on to learn more about our staff’s experience and training.
Dr. H. Russell Challenger
Dr. Challenger is originally from the northern California area and now resides in NC with his wife and five children.
In 2008, he received his bachelor’s degree in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior from the University of California Davis. Dr. Challenger received his doctorate from Loma Linda University School of Dentistry located in Southern California, where he was a published author of research in the Journal of the California Dental Association (click here to view article).
He was also the recipient of the Alumni Award at Loma Linda University School of Dentistry. He is a member of the American Dental Association and North Carolina Dental Society. In his spare time, Dr. Challenger enjoys spending time with his family, being in nature and learning new things.
Nicole
Nicole joined Challenger Family Dental in October of 2017. She has fifteen years of healthcare administrative experience and holds a bachelor's and master's degree in healthcare management.
For the past ten years, she has worked in various roles within dental administration and has a passion for helping patients with every step of their dental visit. From making patients feel comfortable, scheduling their appointments, planning their dental treatments, and processing their insurance claims.
In her free time, she loves anything crafty, traveling, spending time with family and spending time with her fur babies.
Cindy
Cindy is originally from Mexico but grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. She attended NC Dental U for dental assisting and reception. She joined our team over 2 years ago and has been helping to put smiles on our patients ever since. Cindy loves to work with kids and always wants patients to feel comfortable at our office.
She does a little bit of everything around the office and is always willing to help in any way possible.
Outside of the office, she enjoys spending time with her family. She also enjoys cooking and spending time outdoors.
Cathy
Meet Ms. Cathy! She is one of the dental assistants in the practice. Cathy has a pleasant and welcoming demeanor and her priorities are patient safety and comfort. She will make sure all questions are answered and patients are at ease before and after their procedure.
Cathy has been in dentistry since 2002. She graduated from Los Altos Hills Community College dental assisting program in California with an associate’s degree and shortly after earned her BS degree in Health Science from Sacramento State University. Continuing education is very important to her and learning new technology and dental techniques are essential.
Cathy is from the Bay Area, California and moved to North Carolina in 2016. She resides in Johnston County with her husband and three young children. She enjoys eating different cuisines from around the world and in her spare time, she likes to read novels and cook.