About Dental
Career Academy

Dr. Summer Kassmel is owner of Castle Peak Dental, Avon Dental, and Ladder5 Mentorship & Resources.  

She also owns and operates Vail Valley Dental Assisting School, DA Schools Delivered, and Dental Career Academy in the Vail, Colorado area where she has built a life she loves in the mountains with her family. 

Leaving the clinical chair of her offices in 2014 has allowed Summer to focus on scaling and maximizing profit in her 2 large offices, as well as create DA Schools Delivered and Dental Career Academy. These products help doctors grow high culture DA and front office departments that minimize staffing costs and increase profitability in their own offices.   

Summer is currently a Black Belt Coach for the Dental Success Institute, where she coaches other doctors to implement elite systemization and control their overhead. She loves utilizing numbers and metrics to help doctors make intelligent decisions and work with intention rather than at a frenetic pace. She is also faculty for Dental Success Network where she facilitates the Lady Leader Group to encourage and help other women. 

She is passionate about helping doctors build successful practices and lives of their dreams but is especially enthusiastic about supporting women doctors to grow thriving practices they love through her personalized Ladder5 Mentorship.

Dr. Mark Costes is the Founder of the Dental Success Institute, a company committed to helping dentists achieve their full potential while recapturing their passion for dentistry. He is also the Co-Founder and CEO of Dental Success Network, a positive and collaborative group of nearly 1,000 dentists focused on providing the tools and resources necessary to excel within the profession of dentistry...

Far from a typical dentist and dental coach, Dr. Costes has acquired 16 successful dental practices during some of the profession’s most challenging times. Of course, his journey is not without its setbacks. He actually credits much of his success to the mistakes he made in his 1st year of owning his private practice. But what separates him from the masses is the fact that he viewed each failure and roadblock as a learning experience and an opportunity to improve his business and, ultimately, his entire life. 

Dr. Costes is the International and #1 Amazon Best Selling Author of the book Pillars of Dental Success. His internet radio show, The Dentalpreneur Podcast now has listenership from over 150 countries worldwide. 

Outside of dentistry, Mark lives in the Prescott area of Arizona with his wife Leslie, their 3 sons: Bryce, Brendan, and Brady, and their dogs, Bear and Haze.

Debbie has been in the dental field for 25 years. She was a Registered Dental Hygienist for 10 years, before moving to the administrative side of the dental team.

She has taken extensive courses in dental insurance utilization and customized treatment planning. She has received certification in Dentrix and SoftDent.

Her knowledge of dental insurance and her true desire to help each patient maximize their benefits make Debbie an invaluable member of the team.

Julie started her career as a dental assistant before graduating with her Associate of Science in Dental Hygiene degree.

She moved to the administrative side of the field where she could bring quality care to patients without having to be in their mouths to do so.

Julie enjoys seeing her patients and hopes to bring a smile to each individual.

Amy is exceptional at educating patients on whole health and wellness, which includes customized plans for each patient’s oral health. She has extensive training in periodontal disease and uses diode lasers to improve healing. 

Amy maintains her continuing education by attending over 30 hours of coursework every year.

She has been in hygiene for over 20 years and maintains her passion for helping people attain oral health and the beautiful smile they deserve.

Kylee was born and raised in Grand Junction, Colorado. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Health and Exercise Science degree at Colorado State University, where she met her husband, Ben.

She then got her license in Dental Hygiene at the Community College of Denver and moved back to the Vail Valley to begin practicing.

She has been working in the dental field since 2013 and has gone through extensive training in periodontal disease and uses diode lasers to improve healing.

Brittany is a local to Vail Valley and has been working with Dr. Kassmel since 2014. She graduated from Battle Mountain High School in 2008 before earning her certification as a dental assistant in 2010 from Intellitec Medical Institute in Colorado Springs.

She has extensive training in Invisalign's clear aligner therapy and Trios scanning. She also participates in many continuing education hours to further her expertise in the field of dentistry.

Brittany enjoys building relationships with her team and patients and is exceptional at assisting with pediatric procedures.

Krista grew up in Eagle, CO after her family moved to the area from Albuquerque, NM, where she was born. From there she moved to Colorado Springs to attend UCCS, where she graduated with a B.S. in Communications. After college, she found herself back in the mountains pursuing a career in management.

Krista and her husband Jason have 3 children, Teagan, Kinsley, and Cooper, as well as their Aussiedoodle, Tucker. As a family they enjoy camping, skiing, snowboarding, fishing and spending time with family and friends.

Krista has a passion for helping our patients feel comfortable and at ease to ensure they have the best dental experience.

Delsey has lived in Colorado for 19 years and absolutely loves it here. Delsey graduated from Eagle Valley High School and attended Colorado Mountain College where she received her certificate as a CNA.

When Delsey began working for Dr.David she realized how much she really enjoyed her job. She’s a really friendly individual and loves people overall. She enjoys working with others just as much as she enjoys her job.

She has two beautiful children, Jordan and Sophia with her high school sweetheart whom she has been married to for several years.

Family means everything to her! When she is not at work, she’s out exploring the world with her beautiful family.