About Us

Dr. Adam Zaher chose to become a dentist because he wanted to help people through personalized personable medical care.

With a 14-year career in dentistry, Dr. Adam is an adjunct clinical lecturer at the University of Michigan’s School of Dentistry. His broad skills allow Battle Creek Family Dentistry to provide an extensive menu of services, greatly reducing the chance of patients needing to be referred to a dentist they don’t know.

Dr. Adam is intent on providing excellent care – from the moment you step into our practice – but what he likes to emphasize is that it’s given with gentle hands and gentle hearts. His claim to fame is that he never gives up … even anxious patients of all ages discover ease under his care. There’s no limit to Dr. Zaher’s caring and gentle nature. Three years ago he saved a turtle found in the streets of Chicago. Ninja Turtle has resided with him ever since.

“Go blue!” pretty much sums it up! Dr. Adam loves to watch Wolverine soccer and playing himself is a favorite hobby. He also likes to relax with Netflix and is always interested in what patients are watching. Going to the lake with family and friends is top of the list too!

Dr. Prachi Tyagi and her husband Sourabh chose Battle Creek because it is a wonderful community in which to raise their daughter Saachi.

Treating her patients like her own family is the forefront of Dr. Prachi’s practice philosophy. Knowing that there are no shortcuts to expert dental care, Dr. Prachi takes the time to fully understand your goals so she can ethically present you with choices that help you meet those goals.

After hearing so many wonderful things about our community from her husband, Dr. Prachi is thrilled to take part in community dental camps so that everyone in Battle Creek has access to and education about the importance of regular dental care.

Away form the practice Dr. Prachi stays busy caring for her growing daughter and planning for the day they can bring a husky into their household. She also enjoys hosting get togethers for friends and family and taking long walks exploring her neighborhood.

Dr. David H. Long, our practice CEO, has a great love for our patients and the dental profession.

Dr. David began his career in 1987 with his associateship in a Galesburg practice. His first “owned & operated” clinic was in Kalamazoo, but shortly after purchasing Battle Creek Family Dentistry in 1990, Dr. David sold Kalamazoo to focus 100% on serving patients right here in our neighborhood.

After 31 years practicing dentistry, Dr. David’s career took a new trajectory when he became Battle Creek Family Dentistry’s CEO. Guiding the team, his focus allows us all to benefit greatly from his experienced leadership and management skills. Along with this is the exciting vision of our practice future. With the passionate support from Dr. Adam and team, Dr. David ensures your visits and care are the best they can be. Dr. David continues to keep his dental memberships active, including the American Dental Association and the Michigan Dental Association.

Dr. David married Diane in 1987, right out of University of Detroit Dental School, and they have 2 daughters, Jennifer and Lauren. In his spare time, Dr. David enjoys family time, playing golf, brewing his own beer, cooking up a good meal, and performing (acting & singing) in productions at the Franke Center for the Arts in Marshall.

Julie – Julie joined our team in the fall of 2017 and brought with her 30 years of experience in dentistry including 31 years as a Certified Dental Assistant. Her goal is to give excellent patient care by treating every patient like family. Julie’s favorite aspect of her job is helping you receive the best dentistry possible to create a beautiful healthy smile that automatically raises your self-esteem. A firm believer in doing the right things for the right reasons, Julie also believes kindness is the golden rule. When choosing where to apply her skills, she looked for a practice where she found this kindness, but also integrity, excellent communication, and a love of education (for both the staff and our patients).

Julie grew up in Hudson (Go Tigers Go!!) and moved to Marshall with the love of her life Terry. While she’s everybody’s mother (she just can’t help it!), she’s Mom to Anastasia, Austin, Allie. Austin. Shes also blessed to have Kayla, Eric, Daniel and Rachael in her life. Vinny is her grandson and owns her heart. Being "GiGi" is such an honor. Julie and Terry also have the best dog ever named Bowser. Her dream is to spend the rest of her life with her family and friends, visit the Isle of Capri in Italy, and travel.

Emily – Emily has been with us since January 2018. She’s eager to make your wait short and your experience great! She’s a real people person and meeting new people is a favorite part of her every-day, focusing on how she can take care of each of you in a personal, direct, one-to-one fashion. Her smile philosophy is, “Smile while you still have teeth!” and you can bet, with Emily’s efficiency and mission to ensure your excellent dental and oral health, you’ll have your smile for a lifetime!

Away from the practice, Emily loves to live adventurously. She’s really into the arts – she was a theatre major – and loves to be active in our community by volunteering and helping in any way she can. When it’s time to relax, Emily likes to settle in with her cat Minnie. Someday, Emily hopes to become a hygienist … and well … she’s in the right place to go after her dream!

Heather – Heather joined Battle Creek Family Dentistry in March 2018 – the newest member of our team! Every day she demonstrates how she does her best work with efficiency and grace. She loves our fun team atmosphere and helping patients feel good about themselves … and part of that is helping you to ensure your visits to our practice are regular and consistent to improve and maintain your quality of life – now and in the future – because your overall health is directly linked to the level of your oral health.

Heather is married and has 2 children, and when she’s not at the practice, she likes to stay active, have a positive attitude, and spend time with her family and their pets, a cat and a dog. A Calhoun County native, she’s lived in Battle Creek since 1999. Heather’s dream is to travel the world.

Debbie – With 14 years at Battle Creek Family Dentistry, Debbie knows her way around! She’s worked in all aspects of non-clinical duties over the years, and now holds the role of Account Specialist. She is focused on helping to keep you informed about your treatment plan and your insurance, so that you can achieve the dental and oral health goals that you want to achieve. Her favorite aspect of her role is the positive relationship she builds with our patients.

When not at the practice, Debbie likes to contribute to several organizations as volunteer and a fund raiser. She also likes to attend live theatre with her husband Tim – that is, when she’s not in the actual production singing, acting, directing, or working in the background on costumes. With Tim, she has a menagerie of cats and dogs, all helping her achieve her goal of being active. It’s Debbie’s dream to travel more.

Sarah – Sarah’s number-one goal is to give you a reason to smile! She joined our team because she was looking for a practice with an amazing team who is goal driven and fun to be a part of. Sarah’s dental care philosophy is simple and fun, but 100% true: Floss the teeth you want to keep! Sarah is a jack of all trades and a great listener.

Born and raised right here in Battle Creek, she is married to Isac and working on her dream – to raise healthy and successful children who will make a difference in the world. Three cats (Camil, Chica, and Frankie) and one pup (Jax) round out her family. Sarah volunteers, supports our city shelters, and makes sure she shops at local businesses. She never thought she’d work in the dental field, but said, “Here I am rocking it out and loving it!” When not at the practice, Sarah is a dance instructor/choreographer and her favorite style is Hip-Hop. She’s also had cosmetic dentistry – and if you’re considering cosmetic treatment, she welcomes your questions!

Aleechia – When asked about the favorite aspect of her job, Aleechia easily answered: helping others to look and feel their best. Her main focus is excellent patient care and developing a good rapport, so all patients feel comfortable. It’s important to Aleechia that her patients access and benefit from necessary oral health care that is delivered with excellence every time. Before becoming a hygienist, Aleechia was a dental receptionist for 3 years.

Married to Jake, she likes to relax with him and their family, go for walks through our parks, and spend time on the lake. Aleechia grew up in itty bitty Hanover, about an hour away, and she commutes from Jackson County every day because she loves our great atmosphere and our strong united team! The noses of their 2 cats – Penelope and Henry – may soon be out of joint as Aleechia and Jake are in the “waiting” phase to adopt a child. We all can’t wait for their family to grow!

Diamond – An Associate in Applied Science in dental hygiene, Diamond focuses on educating and motivating you to achieve the best dental and oral health you possibly can so that you can enjoy your best state of health … and your rewards will be confidence, comfort, satisfaction, and a more-youthful appearance. Like her coworkers, “team” is very important to Diamond – one that works together to provide you with the very best care and customer service and who support each other so every day she can give her best.

There’s a beach wedding in Diamond’s future: she’s engaged to Chaz and they’ll be married in August 2018. Outside of the practice, she and Chaz like to work out, bowl, play volleyball, and travel. A good run with her dogs Grizzly Bear and Gustin is also top of the list. Diamond grew up in Detroit and her dream to travel is getting closer every day!

Kylee – Joined us in December 2017 right out of school as an Associate in Applied Science in dental hygiene. Kylee loves providing quality care and education that ensures each of our patients have excellent dental and oral health awareness. This aligns with her dental care philosophy: everyone deserves to have a smile that is healthy and gives them confidence.

Kylee and her husband Patrick just bought their first home in Battle Creek, where she’s lived since her senior year of high school. They have two Yorkies – Taz (13 years) and Delbert (2). Kylee loves to volunteer with her church and sing on the Praise Team on Sundays. In her spare time, she seeks the company of friends and family and cares for her many houseplants.

Kristal – Intent on helping her patients achieve excellent oral care, Kristal loves meeting all our patients and ensuring their visit “in the dentist’s chair” is comfortable and efficient. One thing that Kristal especially likes is the patient engagement side of being a Dental Assistant – talking with you about your oral health goals, offering and finding answers to all your questions, and making sure you feel welcomed and comfortable as she takes impressions, x-rays, discusses your medical history, and assists Dr. Adam.

Kristal and her husband Larry have 6 kids: Amy, Scott, Kylie, Larry III, Sam, and Sarah … plus 4 pets – Zack, Zoe, Shep, & Zinc. To say she has a busy household, well, it’s an understatement! When not spending time with her family, Kristal loves to travel and shop.

Shanelle – For the full 5½ years that Shanelle has been at Battle Creek Family Dentistry, her main focus has been to help patients improve their oral care. She loves the chance to engage patients and provide them with continuing personalized and quality dental care.

When Shanelle’s not in the practice, she loves to travel, shop, and spend time with family and friends … and of course, her dog Tyson is a great love. She also supports our community by helping to feed the homeless in Battle Creek and Kalamazoo. Shanelle has lived here her whole life and she’s thrilled to be able to share her knowledge and skill with her neighbors, helping you to smile more!