Dayton's first dentists

In one tiny, high-tech patient room in Dayton Valley Dental Care, Dr. Jonathan Bauter worked on a young patient. The sound of the drill between her teeth wasn't quite as loud as the pounding of the hammer on the other side of his office wall. The dental office's neighboring suite is still under construction.

The professional complex at 5 Pine Cone Road is a a new spot of earth-toned development in Dayton's residential haven. Down below - the dental office is on the second floor - children raced by on ATVs and dirt bikes, stirring dust into the air. Dayton has lacked commercial and professional development while its residential development has flourished.

But that's all changing.

Carson-Tahoe Hospital plans to start construction on an acute-care hospital in Dayton by April, a hospital spokeswoman said. It will be attached to the Carson-Tahoe Professional Building at 2450 Highway 50 E. Other medical offices have opened, and another dental office is under development.

And then there are Drs. Jonathan and Nick Bauter, the first dentists working full-time out of Dayton. Jonathan - most family and friends call him "Jono" due to a childhood pronunciation mishap - opened the office in September.

His brother, 25-year-old Nick Bauter, graduated from the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry in San Francisco and joined his brother at the practice this month. As the younger brother, he has some privileges, like a laid-back schedule. He only works on Mondays and Thursdays, which gives him plenty of time for traveling, skiing and golf, the leisure of choice for many doctors.

Both are Carson High School graduates and grew up in the capital city. Their father, Robert Bauter, has been a dentist in Carson City for more than 30 years.

"Dentistry allows you to be your own boss," Nick Bauter said. He wore frayed-cuff jeans and black-and-orange Pumas. His brother looked more the part of the dentist: scrubs and pressed pants.

"You call your own shots. Doctors who work in a hospital don't have the autonomy," he said. "And I can have days off when I need them."

Jonathan Bauter, 28, a graduate of Creighton University in Omaha Neb., said dentistry is a well-rounded combination of science and customer service.

"We're needed out here," he said. "With all the influx of new residents and no dentists, there was a need."

He works at Bauter & Holmes dentistry, 525 W. Washington St., on Mondays and Thursdays and is in Dayton on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

n Contact reporter Becky Bosshart at bbosshart@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.