Where did you go to school?
University of Louisville 2018 (DMD), Louisville 2017 (MS Oral Biology)
Can you share some career highlights?
- Getting into dental school after being a dental assistant in Atlanta, Georgia
- Earning two master’s degrees (physiology/biophysics in 2013 and oral biology in 2017)
- Helping plan and organize four different service trips during dental school
- Working as a D4 dental student on the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian Reservation in Cherokee, North Carolina, and becoming a Rural Outreach Scholar in 2018
- Purchasing two practices during the chaos of 2020 and COVID shutdowns
- Hiring my dental school classmate, Dr. Taryn Wilson, as an associate and then having her buy-in as partner in January 2024
- Being chosen as an ACD fellow and recipient of the Smigel Scholarship with the American Society of Dental Aesthetics Being selected as chair of the ULSD Alumni Council
What are some wins and challenges associated with building your own practice?
Wins:
- Getting to create a personality and brand for the office
- Having full control over materials, technology, practice management software, and staffing
Challenges:
- Competing in the same hiring space as DSOs, we need to be able to provide comprehensive benefit packages to attract high quality employees Delivering the highest levels of clinical dentistry while also managing A/R, hiring/firing, accounting, ordering, etc.
What CE has made an impact on your patient care?
Becoming a member of the Crown Council and getting to learn side by side with instructors such as Dr. David Hornbrook and Dr. Tommy Nabors has been both awe-inspiring and humbling. The Young Dentist curriculum was a great jumpstart to my career. The annual meeting being focused on providing the highest levels of customer service and care is a great way to recenter our goals and vision every year.
What are your current goals?
Our office is working on being on the cutting edge of using 3D printing technology in our patient delivery. As a young dentist, using technology to create opportunities for patient-facing education and understanding is a big part of our practice. We currently have three scanners, three 3D printers, and a mill.
How do you maintain work-life balance?
I limit my clinical hours to 28 hours/week and use my off day from patient care to tackle administrative tasks instead of trying to manage those on days when I am prioritizing being present in delivering clinical excellence to our patients. My wife is a recently graduated OB/GYN, so we try and take a week-long vacation once a quarter to help avoid burnout and embrace our hobbies.
What advice would you give dental students/new grads?
- Buy an established practice that is profitable ASAP, then make it yours.
- Find great clinical and business mentors you can lean on.
- Maintain your ADA membership and leverage those contacts.
Are you ready to shine the spotlight on the brilliant young dentists who are revolutionizing the world of dental care? Submit your nomination today!
