Meet Our Doctors
Jim Carey, DMD, PS
Dr. Jim Carey was born and raised in Bend, Oregon. He completed his undergraduate studies at Brigham Young University, earning a degree in business management. While attending school, he met and married his sweetheart, Michelle, who grew up in Richland. They have been married for twenty-five years and have six wonderful children. After graduating from dental school at Oregon Health & Science University, they moved to the Tri-Cities and have been very happy raising their family there.
While Dr. Carey no longer actively treats patients, as the practice owner, he is grateful for the opportunity to look after and manage the practice full-time. He is highly regarded among his peers for his ability to create an environment where team members thrive and find success in assisting patients in achieving dental health.
Dr. Michael Pratt, a Tri-Cities native, is thrilled to practice in his hometown of Kennewick. After graduating from Kamiakin High School, he completed his undergraduate work at Brigham Young University and his dental training at the University of Washington. In all schools, he graduated with honors.
Dr. Pratt is recognized by peers and mentors as being genuine, compassionate, and leading out in excellence. He has received extensive training in the latest dental treatments, including complex implant placement, laser usage, Invisalign and 3D imaging. He is a member of the Academy of General Dentistry and the Seattle Study Club. He is also a graduate of the WhiteCap Dental Implant Institute. Dr. Pratt believes strongly in broadening his skills and is constantly involved with formal continuing education. He is committed to provide you with the latest dental treatments and the highest quality of care.
Dr. Pratt and Kirsten, his wife of over 10 years, have four loveable children. When not involved with dentistry, Dr. Pratt enjoys water sports, rebuilding cars, playing with technology gadgets, and watching football. He is also involved with his boys’ Grid Kids football program and other sporting teams. Church and family are the highlight of his life!
Dr. Nate Watkins grew up in Ogden, Utah, and earned his bachelor’s degree in microbiology from Weber State University. He then went on to dental school at the Ohio State University College of Dentistry, where he excelled in all aspects of general dentistry—especially treating children.
Dr. Watkins is great with kids! He and his wife, Britni, have four active boys themselves. They love the Tri-Cities and enjoy spending lots of family time together, particularly in the outdoors. Dr. Watkins is an avid sports fan, and loves Ohio State football. He is active in his community and in his church. In his spare time, he coaches his son’s basketball and football teams. They also like to go camping, fishing, hunting, and hiking together.
Before joining Family First Dental, he practiced dentistry for 5 years in the underserved community of Sunnyside. There he focused most of his efforts on treating children of all ages and all levels of cooperation, utilizing various sedation methods.
Dr. Watkins enjoys seeking out new knowledge and techniques to better serve the needs of his patients. In fact, he is an active member of the prestigious Seattle Study Club, a national group of leading dentists who meet regularly for continuing education.
Dr. Bradley M. Almond was born and raised in Idaho Falls, Idaho. After high school he completed his undergraduate studies at Idaho State University and graduated from the University of Louisville School Of Dentistry in 2006. Dr. Almond practiced in Colorado for 10 years before moving to the Tri-Cities to be closer to family.
Dr. Almond recognizes that not everyone enjoys going to the dentist. His goal is to be gentle and make your experience as comfortable as possible.
Dr. Almond and his wife, Lisa, have 5 children. Some of his favorite activities include spending time with his family and playing basketball, racquetball, and golf.
Dr. Mehak A. Zentz was raised in the Seattle area where she attended the University of Washington for both undergraduate and graduate training. While attending the UW School of Dentistry, Dr. Zentz was recognized for her accomplishments in restorative dentistry and chosen for her skills by the faculty to be one of the teaching assistants to help shape the skills of younger dentists. She was also granted a scholarship by the National Health Service Corps for her willingness and desire to help serve patients in need. While in dental school, she met and began dating her now husband, Ryan. Following graduation, they moved across the mountains to the Tri-Cities!
Dr. Zentz began her career working at a local community health clinic where she not only received the Peak Performance in Patient Satisfaction Award, but thoroughly enjoyed serving her community and those most disadvantaged. Dr. Zentz always puts her patients’ care first.
Dr. Zentz has a passion for helping others and strives to provide the best possible care and comfort to her patients. We are so happy to have Dr. Zentz as part of our Family First Dental team!
In her free time, she enjoys exotic foods, traveling, hiking, reading, and working out. Most importantly, she enjoys spending time with her family, friends, husband, and her two giant “fur babies” (dogs), Apollo and Odin.
Dr. Craig Stout was born and raised in Blackfoot, Idaho. After high school, he attended Idaho State University, in Pocatello, Idaho for his undergraduate degree. Before and during college, Dr. Stout worked in Polysomnographic Technology treating sleep disorders, a skill that has transitioned into his dentistry. Dr. Stout was an IDEP scholar and attended Creighton University School of Dentistry in Omaha, Nebraska. He graduated in 2007. After dental school, Dr. Stout and his family moved to the Tri-Cities.
Dr. Stout takes pride in providing quality dentistry and enjoys fostering lasting relationships with his patients. Dr. Stout is passionate about sleep dentistry and with over 17 years of experience as a Polysomnographic Technician and a dentist, he is uniquely qualified to address and treat his patient’s sleep disorders.
Dr. Stout’s personal life is centered on his family and church. He loves spending time with his family. He and his beautiful wife, Cherish, have 8 children. Dr. Stout enjoys fishing, camping, and playing and coaching baseball.
Dr. Katie M. Storey was born in Hawaii! No fair, right? Well, she only lived there for two years before the family moved to Oregon. In Oregon, she moved around quite a bit, living in Portland, Gresham, The Dalles, Redmond, and Bend. At age nine her family moved to Tonopah, a little mining town in Nevada, where she lived until graduating from high school.
After high school, Dr. Storey attended Ricks College, now Brigham Young University, in Idaho, before deciding to serve a mission for her church in Belgium and Holland. After her mission, she returned home and finished her undergraduate studies at BYU, earning her bachelor’s degree in biology. Next, she attended dental school at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon graduating in 1997. It was there where she not only discovered her love for clinical dentistry but also her passion for helping others. You’ll appreciate her caring and compassionate way as she helps you achieve your very best oral health. With the ability to draw from her vast and varied experience as a dentist (she’s not only worked in private practice for over eight years, but also in public health and the Army National Guard), Dr. Storey ensures that each of her patients is cared for in a way that is second to none!
Professionally, Dr. Storey is a member of the ADA, WSDA, the Benton-Franklin Counties Dental Society, and the prestigious Seattle Study Club.
Dr. Storey enjoys outdoor activities ranging from gardening and yard work to camping, walking, hiking, biking, and softball. She also enjoys traveling to see new places, as well as visiting extended family and friends. She loves animals and has two yellow labradors, one shepherd mix and two cats. She currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Benton Franklin Humane Society. She is also an active member of her church.
Dr. Richard Weatherill is a gentle, compassionate dentist who spends time learning about a patient’s life and oral health goals before suggesting treatment. He understands that the best care experience and the best results come from tailored treatment plans that work for each person’s unique situation.
As a dentist, Dr. Weatherill finds great personal and professional fulfillment in helping his patients. Whether he is restoring a patient’s ability to chew comfortably, moving them out of dental pain, or improving their smile, he knows he’s making a positive difference in their life. For Dr. Weatherill, that is what dentistry is all about – improving lives and making people happy.
The greatest part of Dr. Weatherill’s profession is the connection he forms with those in his care. He loves the varied background of his patients, and enjoys their conversations. During their visits, he learns about their lives and experiences, and shares some of his own. These exchanges create bonds that go beyond healthcare providers and patients, and often a friendship develops.
Dr. Weatherill is committed to constantly expanding his knowledge and improving his skills. He understands that oral healthcare is a field with ongoing changes in treatments, new materials, and emerging technologies. By staying abreast of the changes, he provides his patients with the best care possible.
On June 20, 2015, Dr. Weatherill received a prestigious fellowship award from the Academy of General Dentistry, in recognition of having completed more than 760 hours of continuing education since he graduated from dental school in 2006. This is an award that fewer than 5% of general dentists ever receive. The current state requirement for dentists is 21 hours a year. In contrast, Dr. Weatherill’s 760 hours breaks down to about 80 hours of courses and training per year, which means his patients get the best treatment and service that dentistry has to offer.
Dr. Weatherill and his wife, Angela, have two wonderful daughters, and one cat. When not working, they enjoy going to the beach, park, swimming pool, ice skating rink, archery range and the movies. They look forward to meeting you at Family First Dental and in the community!
- Dual Bachelor of Science degrees in zoology & psychology – University of Calgary, Canada
- Dental degree – University of Sydney, Australia, an internationally recognized program
- Two years of advanced general dentistry training, residencies – University of Texas at Houston & the Northwest Dental Residency in eastern Washington
- American Dental Association
- Academy of General Dentistry
- Washington State Dental Association
- Benton Franklin County Dental Society
- Spear Study Club