Meet Our Doctors

Dr. Richard Zeller .

Dr. Richard Zeller, .

Dr. Richard Zeller founded Five Pines Dental in 2016. Originally from St. Louis, he graduated from dental school at the University of Missouri Kansas City in 2011 and has called Portland home since 2012.

Dentistry combines Dr. Zeller's passions for art, craftsmanship, problem-solving, and serving people. In his practice, he focuses on honest communication, informative care, and using advanced technology and techniques for better patient outcomes.

Dr. Zeller's dedication to craftsmanship continues outside of the office, too. When he finds the time, Dr. Z loves working in his woodshop and dreaming up new projects. Some of his woodworking is on display at Five Pines Dental, such as the sliding barn-style doors in our patient operatories and the bookshelf in our waiting room.

Along with his wife, Catharine, you'll also find Dr. Z hiking, snowboarding, cooking, and going on adventures with their two kids.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DR. ZELLER

Q&A With Dr. Z

Where are you from?

I was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. I went to school in the Midwest as well, I studied business and math at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, and then went to dental school at the University of Missouri Kansas City.

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When did you know you wanted to be a dentist?

Growing up I loved building things and working with my hands. I went off to college focused on engineering but became more and more interested in healthcare. I ended up choosing dentistry which combined science, business, and my love for mechanical problem solving. I really enjoy having a skill that helps people.

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What is your practice philosophy?

I want to help my patients make informed decisions about their dental care. It used to be the doctor just told you what to do and patients weren't really involved in the process. I think all of medicine is trending away from that. My goal as a dentist is for patients to understand all their options for treatment and then work collaboratively to find the best approach for their needs.

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‍What's your favorite part about being a dentist?

I enjoy being involved with my community, and as a dentist, you get to meet a lot of people and potentially help a lot of people.

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What is your favorite thing about Portland?

The people are great, the food and beer are excellent, and I like having all the outdoor activities nearby. I also appreciate the climate and vegetation – everything grows well and suddenly I became such a good gardener!

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What do you like to do when you're not at the office?

I have lots of hobbies that keep me busy. Mostly working in my woodshop, maintaining my '96 Jeep, beekeeping, and gardening. My wife and I enjoy hiking, snowboarding, cooking, and traveling.

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What's one thing people might not know about you?

Craftsmanship is very important to me as a person and a dentist. I love to make things, and you can see some of my woodworking and concrete projects throughout my practice. I take a lot of pride in the things I create, and I love that dentistry fits in with that so well.

Dr. Marissa Medina .

Dr. Marissa Medina, .

Born and raised in Houston Texas, Dr. Marissa Medina is new to the Pacific Northwest but not to dentistry. After earning her bachelors in biochemistry and Spanish linguistics at the University of Texas, Dr. Medina graduated from UT School of Dentistry at Houston in 2021. She practiced for four years at a private practice in Houston before making the move to Portland and joining Five Pines Dental in 2025.

Dr. Medina is a compassionate dentist with a commitment to delivering exceptional and gentle care to her patients. She is driven to continually expand her skills and knowledge and has advanced certification in implantology, surgical extractions and root canal treatment.

Ella habla español and enjoys many mediums of creative art outside of dentistry, such as digital art, painting, whittling, and hand embroidery. She even does hand painted nail design - feel free to ask her to take off her gloves so you can see her latest work!

LEARN MORE ABOUT DR. MEDINA

Q&A With Dr. M

Where are you from?

I’m from Houston, Texas! I grew up in a suburb southeast of Houston and then moved to Austin, Tx for my bachelors degree in biochemistry. After that, I moved around to different parts of Houston proper throughout dental school and while I was working as an associate dentist.

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When did you know you wanted to be a dentist?

As far back as I can remember, my family always told me I should be a physician when I grew up and I just followed that pathway throughout my education. During my junior year of college I was lucky enough to go on a medical brigade to Honduras and while there, I was able to teach some of the community proper brushing and flossing techniques. It was really rewarding seeing so many people go from being reserved to excited about their oral health and see them smiling and laughing. It helped me to step back from this path I had been on and pause to think about what I wanted. It made me realize what an impact dentistry can have and how this was the part of healthcare and the type of doctor that I wanted to be.

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What is your practice philosophy?

It’s really important to me that my patients feel safe. I have heard so many times from patients that they have had bad experiences at the dental office in the past. It is always my goal to create a judgement free zone where we are a team working together to achieve improvements in oral health that work for each individual's needs.

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‍Why do you choose to practice at Five Pines?

I really appreciate the family style environment between staff members as well as the excitement towards gaining knowledge and skill. This helps to feel comfortable and have fun at work while still learning and providing better care for our patients.

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‍What's your favorite part about being a dentist?

I feel really lucky that my job gets to be artistic while helping people get out of pain. I love seeing people’s comfort and confidence improve throughout the process of their treatment.

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What is your favorite thing about Portland?

I’m new to Portland, but there are already so many things I’m loving! So far, all of the people have been my favorite. Everyone is so nice and fun and accepting of everyone else. I’m really enjoying getting to walk around and go places to enjoy this community.

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What do you like to do when you're not at the office?

My favorite thing to do when I’m outside of work is spend time with my wife, Isabelle, and all of our loved ones (both animals and friends/family). When I’m not spending time with any of them, I’m kind of a serial hobbyist. The most recent hobby I tried out was whittling and I made a cute little baby and momma elephant.

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What's one thing people might not know about you?

I have a terrible sweet tooth. I feel like as a dentist I’m not supposed to, but what do you do!?