Our Team

Kristy graduated from the University of South Dakota with a degree in Dental Hygiene. She has worked at the office for many years and loves caring for all her patients. Above all, she works hard to provide her patients with a positive and pleasant experience during  their visit. Kristy likes spending  time traveling with her husband, reading, drinking piña coladas and getting caught in the rain.

Susan is a Registered Dental Hygienist who grew up in Wessington Springs, SD where her father was the local dentist for decades.  She attended school in Wessington Springs and loved spending her summers camping, water skiing, and fishing with her family. After high school, Susan attended Lake Area Technical Institute where she completed the Dental Assisting Program and began taking prerequisite courses for her entrance to the Dental Hygiene Program at the University of South Dakota where she completed her quest to become a dental hygienist in 1999.  It was then that she started her career in Aberdeen, SD before joining the current team at Pierre in January of 2001.  Susan and her husband, Dustin, stay busy following their three kids’ activities.  Whenever they have a little free time, they enjoy camping and spending time on the Missouri River.   Susan loves a good cup of coffee and an audio book for times when her husband is fishing or hunting without her.  Susan is passionate about dental hygiene and likes to share an important piece of advice whenever she gets the chance:  You don’t have to floss all your teeth just the ones you want to keep.

Heather was born and raised in Pierre,SD. She graduated from TF Riggs in 1994 an attended the University of SD from 1994-1998. She graduated in May of 1998 and began her career as a dental hygienist June 1st, 1998. She joined Swenson and Cowan dental office in October of 2019. She enjoys hanging out with her family: husband Ryan and children Aubrey-9, William-8, and Theodore-4. She loves spending time camping and on the water in the summer and following her children in their sporting events in the fall and winter. She believes in the philosophy that you treat people the way you would like to be treated and with humor, as she knows the dental office is not everyone’s favorite place. She is also not afraid to tell you how it is!

Katie is a Registered Dental Hygienist from Yankton, SD. She grew up with 7 siblings and learned many valuable lessons from her large family that helped make her who she is today. In 2014, she graduated from Dental Hygiene school at the University of South Dakota. While at USD, Katie spent 4 years on the Dance Team and was the captain her senior year (go ‘Yotes). Katie moved to Pierre after graduation and began working at our office in July 2014. She has enjoyed connecting  with her coworkers and patients in the Pierre community. She is not only passionate about each patient’s oral health, but also their overall health. Katie and her husband, Jacob, have two young children, Marlow and Jagger. When she isn’t being a mom to Marlow and Jagger, Katie enjoys spending time out on the boat, exercising, or reading a good book.

Samantha has been a part of the Swenson and Cowan Dental team since May of 2020. She attended Lake Area Technical College in Watertown, SD where she studied in the Dental Assisting program and earned her degree to become a Registered Dental Assistant. She grew up in Highmore, SD and attended Highmore High School where she was active in sports and other school activities. Samantha is currently engaged to her fiancé, Glenn, and they have the most lovable, energetic, and spoiled dog named Copper. Samantha’s hobbies include working out, reading, cooking with her fiancé and hanging out with friends and family. Her favorite part of being in the dental field is making sure every patient feels special and has a great experience at every appointment. Samantha feels very blessed to be a part of such a wonderful office that works together as a team to make every patient have the best experience possible.

Sadie Hoyt is originally from Harrold, SD. She Grew up on her family ranch 15 miles outside of Harrold. She attended Stanley County school in Fort Pierre. She stayed busy with rodeo, basketball and helping with the family ranch. She has one older brother that lives in Rapid City with his wife and two daughters. Sadie attended Lake Area Tech in Watertown, SD for large animal tech for 3 years. She then moved back to the family ranch for 3 months before moving out to Rapid City where she attended Western Dakota for dental assistant. In the 2 years there, she welcomed a baby boy named Kashton. Sadie Graduated in May of 2021, she then moved back to the Pierre area to finish up her internship at Swenson and Cowan and then started her career with them. Her list of hobbies would include spoiling her son, hanging with friends and family, playing cornhole, traveling and boating. She brings a fun, compassionate nature to the practice!

Kylie is a Registered Dental Assistant that joined the office in 2005 working with Dr Swenson.

Kylie was raised in Highmore where she was active in several extracurricular activities, graduating in 2003 from Highmore High School. Following high school she attended SDSU one year before transferring to Lake Area Tech to complete the Dental Assisting program.

Kylie spends as much of her freetime outdoors as possible. Her primary hobbies include hunting, fishing, gardening, canning, and more recently reloading shotshell ammunition.

Margaret is a native of Fort Pierre , SD. Margaret graduated high school from Stanley County in 2002 before attending Lake Area Technical Institute, where she graduated from the Dental Assisting program in 2004.

Most of Margaret and husband Ryan’s time outside the office is spent following their kids, Caycee and Jeffrey to every volleyball, football, gymnastics, wrestling, and rodeo event they are a part of. When not on the road for sporting events she likes to spend time her family, who almost all are in the Fort Pierre area.
Margaret started her first internship at Hermanson dental office in May of 2004 and to this day is still part of their wonderful team.

Molly grew up in a small town forty-five minutes south of Ft. Pierre in Draper SD. She attended Jones County High School while being active in volleyball and basketball, where she then graduated in 2017. Molly has been with the Swenson and Cowan Dental team since June of 2020. She currently lives in Ft. Pierre with her boyfriend, Kevin and their two dogs Hank and Huxley. Molly enjoys camping, walking their dogs, volleyball league on Wednesday nights and hanging out with her boyfriend and friends. Molly feels very fortunate to be working with a team that comes together each and every day.

Leslie grew up in Pierre, SD attended T.F. Riggs High School after graduation she attend Black Hills State and Lake Area Technical College (formerly known as LATI) graduating with an associate’s degree in dental assisting. It only took me 3 times to apply at Hermanson and Swenson before they finally hired me J. She enjoys spending as much time as she can with her husband, two sons, and her loving dog Maddie. In the summer months you will find her riding motorcycle, boating, camping and spending time with family and friends.

Over the past 14 years with Swenson and Cowan, my co-workers have become my family.