Our Staff

Graduated from The University of Michigan Dental School in 1977 and has enjoyed the practice of general dentistry since that time.

Member in good standing of the American Dental Association, Michigan Dental Association, and the OBI Foundation for Bioesthetic Dentistry.

Foundation for Bioesthetic Dentistry. Enjoys taking continuing education courses, watching good movies, and participating in mission trips with his church.

Creating Beautiful Smiles

Relaxing dentistry. This is Dr. Askari’s goal when patients visit, offering gentle care and spa comforts to put them at ease. She and her staff believe that too many people have negative experiences at the dentist, which is why Grand Ledge Smiles provides a light-hearted and pleasant environment for dental care. We offer a number of solutions to relieve pain quickly, while also using spa elements to create a calm atmosphere. 

Dedicated to Education
Dr. Askari is committed to excellent dental care. She is passionate about learning new dental techniques and expanding her knowledge of the field. She attends over 200 hours of CE courses every year pursuing new treatment methods and technologies. Her education speaks to her commitment to providing the best dental care possible. She has received comprehensive training for a variety of advanced procedures including full-mouth reconstruction, implant placement, oral surgical procedures, cosmetic dentistry, personalized smile makeovers, and sedation. 

She earned her Bachelor's in Pharmacology from University of Sciences in Philadelphia and later graduated from Temple University School of Dentistry with the prestigious combined DMD/MBA Degree. She was also awarded a degree in Advanced Education in Dentistry by the University of Michigan. Dr. Askari keeps her practice updated with the latest advances in dentistry, taking pride in offering state-of-the-art technology that enhances her treatments. 

Certifications and Accreditations:

• Selected as Top Dentist by Michigan's Prestigious Hour Magazine
• Sustaining member of American Association of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD)
• Passed Laser dentistry Proficiency exam of Academy of Laser Dentistry.
• Certified Sedation Dentist by the Dental Organization of Conscious Sedation (DOCS)
• Member ADSA - American Society of Dentist Anesthesiologists
• Member AACP - The American Academy of Craniofacial Pain / TMD
• Completed Course in Advanced Aesthetics by the Hornbrook Group Center for Advanced Clinical Education
• Certified Invisalign® Clear Braces Provider
• Certified Six Month Smile System Provider
• Certified Fast Braces Provider
• Published a book on Cosmetic Dentistry
• Certified in BOTOX® and Dermal Fillers
• Member American Academy of Facial Esthetics

Special Interests:
TMD and Migraine Relief: Our dentist addresses the direct source of TMD issues four different types of massage therapy - manual massage, ultrasound massage, micro-current nerve stimulation, and cold laser muscle treatment. She can also create a precise mouth guard using a computer-assisted bite analyzer called a T-Scan. 

Sleep Apnea: Dr. Askari works with sleep clinics to help patients get better rest through sleep apnea treatments and snore guards.
Periodontal Therapy to Treat Oral-Systemic Issues: Dr. Askari is at the forefront of this area, working with medical doctors to raise awareness of recent studies. This research connects oral health to a variety of health risks including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, Alzheimer's, cancers, MS and more.

Dr. Rajaee was brought up and graduated high school in Germany. He studied Psychology at the Maastricht University in the Netherlands earning his Bachelor and Master of Science.

Dr. Rajaee did his undergraduate studies in the U.S. at Michigan State University and earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Detroit Mercy.

Dr. Rajaee lives in Lansing and loves being in close proximity from his parents and siblings home. He is also an ardent sportsman enjoys playing soccer, exercising, staying fit! He is a keen student of different languages, speaks fluent in 4 languages: Farsi, German, Dutch, and English.

Dr. Rajaee enjoys dentistry because he gets to act as a doctor, engineer, and artist in one profession. Dentistry is very rewarding to him because he can transform people’s lives by providing them the beautiful smile and self-image they deserve.

Dr. Rajaee sees himself as a life-long learner and he believes it is his duty to constantly improve his knowledge and skills so he can serve his patients with the highest standard of care. He has had extensive training at the Kois Center which is an evidence based teaching center with the latest advances in esthetics, implants and restorative dentistry. While being passionate about Laser and implant dentistry Dr Rajaee believes in Comprehensive Proactive Dentistry, preventing emergencies and giving us many reasons to smile. 

Dr. Ayah Zaki graduated from dental school year 2007. Dr. Zaki is an exceptional General Family and Cosmetic dentistry with over 10+ years of experience in preventative, restorative and cosmetic dentistry.

As a member of Kois Dental Coaching program Dr. Zaki remains current with Modern Dentistry as it evolves, also enrolled in continuing education offered by Academy of General Dentistry, American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, and Michigan Dental Association.

Dr. Zaki love's spending time with her three children and husband who is a renowned Doctor practicing in Lansing. In her free time, Dr. Zaki likes traveling, exploring Michigan, playing sports like soccer, attending events, having fun.

Member - American Dental Association

Member - Give Kids a Smile

Dr. Alexandra Plonka completed her Residency and Master of Science in Periodontics at the University of Michigan, where she also earned her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and Doctor of Dental Surgery degrees. She is a board-certified Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology. Prior to dental school, she worked as an engineer in medical device manufacturing. Her interest in dentistry was inspired by her grandfather, Francis P. Blake, DDS, who practiced in Grosse Pointe for over 25 years. 

Dr. Plonka has been honored for academic and clinical excellence. While in dental school, she was recognized as the top first-year dental student by the dental honor fraternity OKU. She graduated in the top of her class, receiving  the American Academy of Periodontology dental student award. As a periodontics resident, she received the Michigan Periodontal Association Outstanding Soft Tissue Case Award, the Benson Duff Scholarship, and the Graduate Periodontics Teaching Fellowship. Dr. Plonka completed her thesis project on periodontal bone regeneration, and published scientific articles on tissue engineering and dental implants. She is a member of the University of Michigan School of Dentistry periodontics faculty.

Dr. Plonka serves on the American Academy of Periodontology Membership Advisory Committee, and is a member of local and national dental organizations such as the Detroit District Dental Society Eastern and Macomb Dental Society.

Outside of periodontics, Dr. Plonka enjoys spending time with family and friends, running, skiing, yoga, and Michigan Football.

Bio coming soon

Bio coming soon

Dr. Scott Pelok is a well know exceptionally talented Dentist, as well as a Mentor, Trainer for many other dentists at the University of Michigan AEGDprogram where he first met Dr. Askari in 2003 since then they have been in regular contact. One of the things that really sets him apart is that hespent a decade at the University of Michigan teaching others how to be Dentists! Dr. Pelok's inner teacher is easily seen and heard whenever hespends time with his patients ... he explains things, answers questions and puts you at ease. Every patient is an individual to Doctor Pelok andtreated as such. It's very obvious that he is a dentist who really cares; his down to earth, easy-going, friendly style is very comforting. Makingpatients feel and look their best while gaining better overall health is something Doctor Pelok really loves to do.

Very early on in his career, Dr. Pelok took interest in treating challenging/complex dental patients and has continued to develop the skills needed for smile makeovers. In fact, Dr. Pelok's advice and opinion concerning complex dental issues are often requested by other area dentists. This desire for dealing with complex dental issues started back in his dental school days. He attended the Ohio State Dental School. While attending dental school, oral surgery was a specialty he really liked and pursued. During his freshman and sophomore years, he volunteered to provide dental care to prisoners. This experience taught him all about the importance of triage, making him very good at assessing and properly treating problems quickly. It also accelerated his learning tremendously and gave him the ability to work under pressure. He was doing hands-on treatment long before his peers even did any clinical work. During school breaks or spare time, Dr. Pelok volunteered to do oral surgery, tooth extractions, and anything he could to gain experience. At that time, a requirement to graduate was to successfully extract at least 25 teeth. Dr. Pelok says he lost count at 1500! Talk about a work ethic! He completed his dental requirements the first two months of his senior year, giving him the rest of the time to work on his oral surgery skills.Dr. Pelok also learned CEREC crown making and that has become a big part of his current practice. As an undergraduate, he completed an IV sedation certification, and this was, and still is a very rare accomplishment! Dr. Pelok currently performs IV sedation as part of his General practice with us. Very few dentists are trained in IV sedation administration. Area general dentists and specialists contract Dr. Pelok to perform this specialized service on their patients. Dr. Pelok did his first dental implant back in 1992, it was his birthday and he remembers it well ... he decided to learn all about this procedure because he felt it was going to be a big part of the future of dentistry. During his time at the University of Michigan, he ended up doing more implants than most of the faculty.

Dr. Pelok spent time at different dental practices in Vermont, Ohio, and Michigan. While he was trying to find the kind of dental practice that suited him, the Chair of the Periodontal Department at the University of Michigan asked him to come there and teach. He accepted this offer and taught for a decade while continuing to practice. Over the years, his past experiences at other dental practices left him wanting more. Some practices were small and didn't allow him to offer his patients all the services that he wanted to. Dr. Pelok also spent time at some large multi-location assembly-line-style practices that didn't offer a personal, friendly style that he believes in. Trust is very important to Dr. Pelok and the way some of these practices operated bothered him ethically. Dr. Pelok's ethics, professionalism, and desire to offer patients the kind of dental experience he believes kept driving him to find a practice where he could offer patients his unique style of dentistry. Eventually, this leads him to his current location and Pelok Dental. He prides himself on being able to offer his patients a one-stop dental practice. There is very little that he ever has to send out to specialists.

Dr. Scott Pelok comes from a family of dentists. His father was a dentist and his younger brother is a dentist. Dr. Pelok actually wasn't planning on being a dentist originally. He says that being the oldest child in a large family and having old fashioned parents, meant that whatever he wanted to accomplish, he was going to have to be totally on his own. He worked as a carpenter to put himself through college and dental school. Dr. Pelok is very proud of how hard he's had to work to accomplish his goals. He's very thankful for finally ending up with the kind of practice, doing the kind of dentistry, that he's wanted to do all along. Dr. Pelok is a perfectionist and very artistic. When he's not doing dentistry Dr. Pelok enjoys woodworking, carpentry and amateur nature and wildlife photography (he's even been published in Ontario Outdoor Life). He also enjoys fishing, and his family has been visiting a Northern Canada fishing camp for generations. His wife, Geri, was educated as a Naturalist/Biologist with a Masters in Information Technology. She currently works at the University of Michigan. Dr. Pelok met Geri at Bowling Green University where he was a grad student. He asked her out in October of 1984 and they got married on New Years' Eve 1987! She is very artistic and does watercolors and ceramics. They enjoy hiking, camping, fishing, and especially ... spending time with their beloved Rottweilers. They've helped heal and also raised a number of injured and unwanted Rottweilers. In addition to being a very important and loved part of their family, they also raise Rottweilers for search and rescue training. The Pelok's have also completely remodeled and renovated an 1853 home during any spare time they could find along the way!

If you're looking for a general dentist with the skills of a specialist. If you're looking for a dentist that other dentists go to for advice and information. A dentist who has spent years teaching other dentists ... how to be dentists. A dentist who is very down to earth cares deeply about his patients and spends the time needed to explain and comfort them. Dr. Scott Pelok is that dentist. He is a dentist you can trust. 

Dr. Scott Pelok completed his Fellowship Award in the Academy of GeneralDentistry!

Achieving Fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry (FAGD) is one of the few added distinctions a general dentist can achieve. The Academy of general Dentistry (AGD) is the only professional association dedicated to exclusively serving the interests and needs of the general dentist. Dr.Scott Pelok DDS, MS, FAGD is one of only 5 percent of general dentists who have achieved this honor. To earn Fellowship in the AGD, dentists must take more than 500 hours of educational courses in various disciplines. Candidates must also pass a rigorous exam.

Dr. Gregory J. Young is distinguished with an award of - 'Diplomate and Board Certified' by the American Board of Oral Implantology/Implant Dentistry since May of 2007. He is also an Associate Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry. Additionally, he provides education, training, and mentoring to his colleagues in all phases of implant dentistry. He has over 37 years of experience having earned his degree from the University of Detroit in 1979. In 1985, he started placing implants/training at the world-renowned Misch International Implant Institute.

Anyone who has a missing tooth/teeth can potentially benefit from implants, either alone or as anchors for a bridge or dentures. Dental implants can often be used as part of an overall dental restoration plan. If you are looking for a proven, credentialed, and highly experienced dental implantologist? Dr. Young will be the best choice for a consultation!

Dr. Young has also received special certification in Intravenous Conscious Sedation from Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton under the guidance of Dr. Daniel Becker.

Dr. Young and his wife, Sandy have been married for more than 35 years and have two wonderful daughters. Dr. Young and Sandy are also proud grandparents of their grandchildren.

Bio Coming Soon