Central Park Dentistry Osage

Jay Lala is an Iowa native originally from Cedar Rapids. Jay attended Mount Mercy College and the University of Iowa Dental school where he graduated in 1988. Jay completed his residency in Advanced Education in General Dentistry in 1989 in Iowa City. In 1993 Jay opened Central Park Dentistry here in Mason City and quickly became recognized as o­ne of the top dentists in Northern Iowa. In 1991 Jay married Lorrie but there is more to the story than that. O­ne little known fact is that Jay met ...Read MoreLorrie while in dental school… literally! Lorrie was a patient with an intense fear of going to the dentist. Luckily for Jay (and Lorrie) it turned out that Jay knew how to put apprehensive patients at ease. In Lorrie’s case Jay put her enough at ease to eventually say “I do” and the rest, as they say, is history! Today Jay and Lorrie reside in Mason City with their two sons Nick and Sam along with four dogs (2 Standard Poodles, 1 Golden Retriever, 1 miniature Dachshund.) When Jay isn’t seeing his dental patients he enjoys snow skiing, water skiing, sporting clays, golf, ATVs, and hunting with his Golden Retriever. If Tommy Bahama ever holds an amateur golf tournament we’re pretty certain Jay will be there sporting his best Magnum P.I. inspired outfit by Tommy B. Go Jay! If you are a current patient or plan o­n becoming o­ne you’ll know (or quickly learn) what we mean by that comment! Jay is not your typical strait laced dentist. Be prepared to smile or even laugh during your dental visit. Jay’s carefully selected staff and partners (Dr. Matt Hansen & Dr. Jennifer Thackery) are all receptive to patient’s fears and concerns. Going to the dentist should be enjoyable and no more stressful than getting a hair cut. Jay learned early o­n how to treat fearful patients and this is just o­ne of many attributes that make Central Park Dentistry such a successful practice today. Read Less

Dr. Matthew Hansen is originally from Albert City, Iowa. Matt attended Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa and graduated Cum Laude in 1996, with a B.A. in Biology. Next, he was accepted into the University of Iowa College of Dentistry where he attained a D.D.S. degree in 2000. Dr. Hansen is also an Iowa Dental Association, North Central District, officer. Matt accepted a full-ride scholarship for Dental School from the Air Force in 1997, and entered active duty Air Force service in June of 2000...Read More. He was assigned to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. During his time at Wright-Patterson, he was a resident in the Advanced Education in General Dentistry program. Dr. Hansen graduated as “Top Grad” in July, 2001 when he also accepted his assignment to Rhein-Main Air Base, near Frankfurt, Germany. Matt and his family enjoyed his 3-year tour in Germany immensely, taking full advantage of living overseas in a small, German village. He even took a German class to help develop his language skills. At Rhein-Main, he held many important duties within the dental clinic and the medical flight. Captain Hansen spent time in charge of Dental Radiology, Dental Infection Control, Forensic Dentistry, and Medical Flight Quality Control and Process Improvement. He oversaw the JCAHO (Joint Commission o­n Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations) compliance of the entire Medical Flight. Dr. Hansen’s patient satisfaction was unequaled. He provided dental care in numerous specialty areas including Pediatrics, Endodontics, Prosthodontics, and Oral Surgery to service members and their families. Dr. Hansen views every new apprehensive patient as an opportunity to show them how far dentistry has advanced since their fears began. With an easy smile and calm demeanor, every treament is explained to the patient’s satisfaction. Since moving to Mason City in 2004, the Hansen’s have jumped right into community events and programs. They have taken advantage of youth programs with the children. They joined Trinity Lutheran Church, where they are active members in fellowship groups. Matt is a member of the Disaster and Emergency Response Team. Outside of the dental clinic, Dr. Hansen is an avid fan of the Iowa Hawkeyes, along with all collegiate sports. He likes to try his hand at any sport including golf, basketball, and softball. He enjoys going to the gym and going running. Matt also enjoys traveling and sight-seeing–something that Europe was perfect for. After growing up o­n an acreage in Northwest Iowa, Dr. Hansen is excited to have the opportunity to o­nce again experience the Iowa pace of life, friendliness, and moral values. At the center of Matthew’s interests is his family. He has been married to his wife, Angie, since 1997. They met while both attending Wartburg College. Matt and Angie share a love for children. She has an elementary teaching degree. Currently, she is able to stay at home to care for their children, Kylie, Makenna, Janae, Henry and Miles. Kylie was born in 2002, Makenna in 2004, Janae in 2006, Henry in 2009 and Miles in 2012. It is easy to see that these five are the light of Dr. Hansen and Angie’s lives. Professionally, Dr. Hansen is a member of the Iowa State Dental Association, the American Dental Association, and the Academy of General Dentistry, Pierre Fuchard Academy, American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, and Seattle Study Club. Read Less

Dr. Rick Young is an Iowa lifer. Born and raised in northern Iowa, Rick is ready to get back to the area he loves and practice dentistry at Central Park Dentistry. Rick graduated from Garner Hayfield in 2012. Afterward, he attended Waldorf University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. He completed his professional studies at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry in 2021. Rick pursued a career in dentistry because it allows him to make a positive impact in other’s l...Read Moreives. He also loves working with his hands, so dentistry is the perfect meld of these two. Dr. Rick is particularly drawn to restorative dentistry, such as composite fillings and fixed crowns. In his final year of dental school Rick was awarded the Brasseler USA award for excellence in restorative dentistry. Restoring a patient’s smile and giving them confidence through their oral health drives Rick to provide the best dental work possible. Rick was able to volunteer at several events while in dental school and hopes to continue to give back to his community throughout his career. When Rick isn’t in the office, he enjoys spending time outdoors and with his family. Rick married his high school sweetheart, Vanessa, in 2017 and together they have two children, Teagan and Emerson. Rick loves to golf and lately his favorite activity is taking his 2 year old son, Teagan, to the driving range. On a weekend in the fall you can find Rick cheering on the Iowa Hawkeyes and Minnesota Vikings. A fun fact about Dr. Rick is that he is a self taught juggler – it’s his hidden talent! Dr. Rick is excited to be back in Northern Iowa and looks forward to forming lasting relationships with his patients at Central Park Dentistry. Read Less

Jennifer Thackery (Nelson) D.D.S. has been so happy to be a part of the Central Park Dentistry family! Jennifer was born and raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She attended The University of Iowa for her undergraduate education and graduated from The University of Iowa College of Dentistry in June of 2015. While attending school, Jennifer stayed active playing in many softball and volleyball leagues. She was also selected to participate in an international exchange program where she spent three month...Read Mores studying at the dental school in Aarhus, Denmark. Her big news from this past year is that she got married and changed her last name! Her husband, Seth, is a Clear Lake native. She is happy to be living near so many of her relatives in Mason City and having her in-laws and extended family in the Clear Lake area. She and her husband enjoy training their Black Lab puppy, Mac, and hope he will be a very good bird dog one day! Dr. Thackery is very excited to be a part of the outstanding staff at Central Park Dentistry Mason City and Sheffield. Dr. Thackery will be working in Sheffield on Wednesdays. Read Less