Our Team
Renaissance: a renewal of life, vigor & interest
I am Dr. Sarah Pless – welcome to Renaissance Dental Studio, the finished product of my professional “rebirth.” Upon the birth of my second child, the timing seemed right for a new phase in my career. I spent a year off taking advantage of time with my growing family but also really exploring how I could best serve patients in my role as their dental provider. Technology has revolutionized dentistry—like so many industries—so I went on a search to find the things to help us achieve the most comfortable, best outcome possible for our patients. With digital dental health scans, 3D printing and imaging, and lasers, Renaissance Dental Studio truly is where science and art merge.
SARAH PLESS, D.D.S.
As a preacher’s kid originally from Salisbury, NC, I grew up in several lovely communities in the Carolinas. I was awarded the Park Scholarship at North Carolina State University and graduated Magna cum Laude in Microbiology. During college, I spent summers abroad in London and decided I was ready to jump ship from “home” for a while, so I chose to attend dental school at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Living in the Windy City was a very special experience, but home was calling so I moved to Wilmington after graduation in 2006. I spent 10 years working alongside an incredible team in a group practice setting. Renaissance Dental Studio opened its doors in January 2018, and I am so happy to welcome our family of patients.
While I work closely with Dr. Cook and Dr. Bell in planning your dental care, I primarily use my skills honed over the last 12 years utilizing Invisalign as everyday dentistry to help patients preserve their smiles, now including Invisalign services for children to give them the straightest smiles from the get-go. I currently serve as a Key Opinion Leader of the American Academy of Clear Aligners (AACA) and achieved AACA Fellowship status for my mastery of Invisalign, a feat of which I am enormously proud as there are only 59 Fellow dentists in North America. I have shared my Invisalign experience lecturing at the AACA Annual Convention, national Study Clubs, Webinar Wednesdays as well as with international dentists as a presenter at the UK/Ireland Invisalign Annual Summit.
My husband, Nate, and I are the parents of two little ones, Marin (10) and Teddy (8)
Christian Cook, D.M.D.
A full-on local (as much as an upstate-NY-born transplant can be), Dr. Cook is so happy to be back seaside. He’s a Laney grad, Seahawk grad, and ECU Pirate Dental grad. He and his wife, Anna, are new parents to baby girl Kennedy as well as 2 rescue fur babies, Toby and Maya. Dr. Pless met Dr. Cook as an emergency patient when Cuddles the doggy broke his front tooth as a kid on a Saturday. Dr. Cook handles all of our patients’ restorative needs, root canals and extractions, and 3D smile design finishes.
“It is nice to enjoy a visit with dentists and a team who collaborate with you. Dr. Cook provided me with knowledgeable insight and a plan for my dental goals. Their current, more modern practices are personalized with care as if you are family. It is a refreshing spin on high quality, modern, dental culture with five star hospitality.”--Jennifer R.
Our highly skilled team is trained and invested in your comfort. Our dental assistants (front L to R: Andrea, Hannah; back L to R: Kayla, Anna, Christine) work chairside with our doctors.
Our Dental Hygienists are your #1 dental health connoisseurs. Denise leads our Hygiene Team that will care for your gum health at cleaning appointments and use our digital scanners annually to check for changes.
L to R: Dr. Christian Cook, Dr. Sarah Pless, Dr. Kyle Bell
