Meet Dr. Duston Connaughton, DDS

You could say dentistry has been part of Duston’s life for a very long time. His first job, at age 13, was cleaning a dental office. From there, he worked his way from janitor to dental assistant and eventually to dentist and practice owner. All these years later, he still genuinely loves what he does.

Duston earned his degree in biology from Southern Utah University, where he was also a member of the football team. He later spent time in Seattle studying chemistry and working in medical research before earning his dental degree from Creighton University School of Dentistry.

After returning to Idaho, Duston purchased the practice of Dr. John Kriz in 2003. Following several years working alongside Dr. Kriz and 10 years as a partner at Emerald Dental Associates, Duston and his team created Tree City Family Dental in 2014.

Duston has always had a passion for learning and for pushing himself to become a better dentist. He has served on the faculty of the Idaho State University Dental Residency Program and has trained and mentored dentists from across the country in digital and CAD/CAM dentistry. He continues to pursue advanced education and technology to bring modern, comprehensive dentistry to his patients. But as much as Duston enjoys the technical side of dentistry, people are what make the profession meaningful to him. He believes a great dental office should be a place built around relationships, trust, honesty, laughter, and a team that truly enjoys working together and taking care of people. That philosophy is at the heart of Tree City Family Dental.

Outside the office, Duston is a husband and proud father of five. These days, life at home mostly revolves around keeping up with the two busy littles still at home—and the seemingly endless lineup of practices, games, and other activities that comes with them. When he can sneak away, Duston is an avid mountain biker and skier and loves just about anything that gets him outside. He feels incredibly fortunate to call Idaho home and to have its mountains, trails, rivers, and wide-open spaces right in his backyard.

For someone who started cleaning a dental office at 13, things have come full circle. Dentistry is still a huge part of Duston’s life—but it’s the relationships with his patients, his team, and the community that continue to make it so rewarding.