WHEELING, W.Va. – When Dr. John T. Pappas, DDS decided it was time to take his dental practice to Peoria, Ill., it created an opening, and a need, for a dentist in the Elm Grove section of Wheeling.

It also created an opportunity for a pair of young, enthusiastic members of the dental community to start their own practice.

That was just the thinking of Dr. Chris Wine and Dr. Joy Harr, who decided to purchase the building that houses Pappas’ practice and branch out on their own.

”We had an opportunity to purchase a practice in an area we grew up in and it just seemed like the right thing to do,” said Wine, a Wheeling native and 2007 graduate of the West Virginia University School of Dentistry.

Both Wine and Harr, a Summa Cum Laude graduate from The Ohio State University, had been working with Drs. Ron Presutti and Mike Derosa out of their St. Clairsville office.

”The plan is to work a couple days a week in St. Clairsville and a couple of days a week here,” Harr admitted.

Harr and Wine officially open their practice Monday. It is located across the parking lot from Riesbeck’s Food Market in Elm Grove.

”We will perform fillings, root canals, extractions, all aspects of general dentistry,” Wine said.

They will be open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. and from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. Fridays. Saturdays will be available by appointment.

Pappas, who offered general dentistry services in addition to prosthodontics at his practice, is planning on concentrating on his specialization in Illinois.

The time was right for him to move on, but he said he feels both Harr and Wine will do nicely in his absence.

”These two are both young and enthusiastic,” Pappas said. ”They will do well.”

Since Pappas performed general dentistry work, Wine and Harr are planning to send mailers out to his patient list to inform them that the same services will still be offered at the same location.

Pappas’ secretary is even staying on board to assist in the transition.

Harr, a Bellaire native, is a valedictorian from the 1996 class of St. John Central High School. She finished her undergrad degree at Wheeling Jesuit before moving on to Ohio State.

The readers of The Times Leader voted Harr, a member of the American Dental, Ohio Dental and Eastern Ohio Dental Associations, the top dentist in the Ohio Valley.

She is a member of OSUs Phi Kappa Pi honor society and participates yearly in the “Give Kids a Smile Day.” Harr also has her doctorate in dental surgery.

For more information or to make an appointment, call (304) 242-9600.

Hughes may be reached at mhughes@timesleaderonline.com