In the late 1990s, Jarrod and Stacey Jones married and moved to Houston, Texas where they each attended separate professional schools for dentistry and optometry. They were twelve hours away from their family and friends in Kansas, so they began writing an annual newsletter detailing their lives as newlyweds. The newsletter was and is still known as the EyeTooth Annual Newsletter. Their shared email address has always been known as the itooth address. When they began thinking of a name for their new shared business, numerous people suggested or asked if it would be called EyeTooth. They had branded themselves without even knowing it! After trying to come up with MANY alternative names, and hoping to find something different, they landed on the (almost same) name EyeSMILE. They both felt that it maintained their old brand while also telling the world who they are and what they do together in business. As Dr. Jarrod says, I work on smiles, not a tooth!
This joint venture has been something they dreamed about since those early days in school. After much contemplation and prayer, they knew that they needed to make a change in 2017. Within days of making the decision to leave their practices, they discovered an old gas station in downtown Hays that could accommodate both the dental and optometry practices. The idea of being part of the downtown Hays community, while also bringing a piece of history back to life, was inspiring to both doctors. Rethinking a beautiful, historic building from 1932 was definitely a labor of love.
Dr. Jarrod Jones is a native of central Kansas growing up in LaCrosse, Kansas, the Barbed Wire Capital of the World! Dr. Jarrod grew up spending many summers and weekends working on the family farm. Upon high school graduation, he attended Kansas State University and received a B.S. in Agriculture. Dr. Jarrod met the love of his life, Stacey, while at Kansas State. They were married on January 16, 1999. Immediately after they were married, they moved to Houston, Texas to attend professional schools.
Dr. Jarrod attended the University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center Dental Branch (UTDB) and Dr. Stacey attended the University of Houston College of Optometry. Both graduated in 2003, Dr. Jarrod with a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree and Dr. Stacey with a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree. They returned to Hays to serve the dental and optometric needs of western Kansas. Dr. Jarrod went to work for Dr. Mark Ruliffson and Dr. Stacey went to work for Dr. Kendall Krug. In December 2004, Dr. Jarrod bought Dr. Ruliffsons practice. He was in solo practice until January 2011. At this time, he combined his practice with his brothers practice, Cedar Lodge Family Dental, forming what is currently Cedar Lodge Dental Group.
Dr. Jarrod is a member of the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), the American Dental Association (ADA), the Kansas Dental Association (KDA), and the Oil Belt Dental Study Club. Since 2013, Dr. Jarrod has been serving at the honor of the Governor of the State of Kansas as the Member-At-Large on the Kansas Dental Board. In 2017, he was re-appointed and is serving a second 4-year term.
Dr. Jarrod has attended many hours of continuing education to further his knowledge in orthodontics, dental implant placement and restoration, IV sedation, and full mouth rehabilitation. He is a graduate of the Kois Center in Seattle, Washington, an advanced post-graduate program for practicing dentists with the latest advances in esthetics, implant and restorative dentistry to continue to better serve all of his patients, young or old. Dr. Jarrod is dedicated to providing optimal dental care based on the latest scientific research. His goal is to give you the best bang for your buck!
Dr. Stacey Jones is a therapeutic optometrist born and raised in northwest Kansas. She is a Registered Dietitian as well as a Diplomate of the American Board of Optometry. She is currently in private practice in Hays, Kansas. Her dedication and personal commitment to serving her patients provide for a thorough, comfortable and overall personal and precise experience each time.
After graduating with honors from Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas, Dr. Jones went on to obtain her Doctor of Optometry at the University of Houston College of Optometry in Houston, Texas. She completed a rural family practice externship at York Eye Associates in Gainesville, Texas and an Ocular Disease rotation at the Eye Center of Texas in Houston, Texas. While at the University of Houston, her emphasis was in ocular disease management and pediatrics. Her motivation to become an optometrist began at an early age when she helped her younger brother with vision therapy after he was diagnosed with a vision related learning disability. Her background in nutrition and dietetics gives her a strong clinical background allowing her to excel in ocular disease management.
Dr. Jones prides herself in her ability to provide a high level of care to patients with a myriad of conditions including glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, emergency eye care, dry eye disease, and vision-related learning disabilities. She enjoys working with patients of all ages and has experience treating patients ages 6 months to beyond 100 years of age. After going on a service trip to Guatemala in 2017, Dr. Stacey became passionate about international optometry. Since then, she is committed to working with a team of professionals who provide eye exams, glasses, and surgery to people in underserved countries who desperately need their vision restored. Her experiences while practicing optometry abroad have expanded her clinical knowledge as she cares for her patients back home.
Dr. Stacey worked for Kendall Krug, OD in Hays, Kansas for over fifteen years before opening eyeSMILE Vision and Dental in January 2019 with her husband, Jarrod, who is a dentist. They have made Hays their home and always dreamed that they would one day practice together under the same roof. Together they enjoy spending time with their two daughters who are very active in their school and community. In her downtime, Dr. Stacey enjoys family vacations, cooking, gardening, and fitness activities.
Leigh Ann Edmonds, Registered Dental Hygienist at eyeSMILE Vision and Dental. I graduated from Fort Hays State University in 1999 with an Associates in Business and decided to fulfill my dream of Dental Hygiene and graduated from Colby Community College in 2002. Please dont start doing the math because this definitely puts me over 40.Yikes! When I was in middle school, Dr. Ruliffson talked to me about a career in Dental Hygiene because I expressed the desire to work in the field of Dentistry. This stuck with me and from then on I soaked up everything about the dental world when I would go visit my hygienist at his office.
I have been working with Dr. Jarrod Jones for more than 16 years and it has led to a great relationship and career. My favorite part of hygiene is getting to come to work and interact with my clients. I have enjoyed many laughs, tears, and life achievements with my patients. I love 80s music so I do, at times, serenade my patient whether they like it or not. I live in a fun, crazy, blessed household that includes my hubby of 17 years, Casey Edmonds, and my 3 children, Georgia, Jett, and Claire. Casey and I met in college at Fort Hays and it has been a fairy tale love story since! He might beg to differ on this, but this is my bio.right? We do have a fur baby that is very loved and her name is Duner. She has been with us for 15 years. I love to go to concerts from country music (Garth Brooks) to rock (Metallica). I enjoy traveling, four-wheeling, camping, and having lots of family time with my parents, in-laws, brothers, and their families. Family is very important to me. I am guilty of enjoying a good book and puzzle also.