April 28, 2025 • 12 mins
Veteran and Dr. Ben Taylor of Dunwoody Dental Care shares his journey from military dentist to community practitioner serving the Dunwoody area for over 30 years.
Dunwoody Dental Care is owned by Dr. Taylor with a team that places the patient first. In an industry becoming corporate, this office remains a practice where quality care, strong patient/doctor relationships and personal attention remain foundational. Being a third-generation dentist this ethical approach stems from Dr. Taylor’s 12 years of experience and service in the U.S. Army. This produces clinical expertise in a friendly environment the whole family can call home.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, north Atlanta,
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, stacey Risley.
Hello friends and neighbors,welcome to North Atlanta's Good
Neighbor Podcast.
Today I'm here with Dr BenTaylor of Dunwoody Dental Care
here in Dunwoody.
So welcome, dr Taylor.
How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:21):
I'm great, Stacey.
Thanks so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
I'm thrilled to have you on.
As a local Dunwoodyan and as afellow Dunwoodyan, rather, I
love introducing Dunwoodybusinesses, so I'm really
excited to have you on today.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Oh, happy to be here.
Yeah, I work and live inDunwoody.
I have the pleasure of having a1.5 mile commute, so I stay in
the Dunwoody bubble commute, soI stay in the.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Dunwoody bubble.
It's a nice bubble to be inright.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
I agree, I agree.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Well, let's get started by just telling our
listeners a little bit aboutyour business.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Yeah, thanks.
So Dunwoody Dental Care is thename of our office.
We're a general dental officeoffer nearly all dental services
that you may need.
The office is obviously locatedin Dunwoody, up near
Chick-fil-A on Jet Ferry, andit's been there for a little
over 30 years.
I am the third dentist andowner there and purchased the
(01:18):
practice from a retiring dentistabout three years ago.
I'm the only dentist there andthe sole owner, so that's us.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Nice, 30 years.
That's quite a legacy thatyou're following here.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Big shoes to fill.
That's right.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
That's right.
Well, tell listeners about yourjourney into this, what led you
down this path, and tell us alittle bit about that.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Yeah, I grew up in McDonough.
All my family is actually stilldown there.
My uncle and grandfather aredentists and that is probably
where my attraction started.
Went to college at Mercer andMacon and then dental school in
Augusta, so hung around Georgiafor a while and felt like it was
(02:02):
time to get out for a littlebit.
So I joined the Army, I got ascholarship through them and so
went out to Fort Lewis,Washington for a year where I
did a one-year residency andthen did some payback time in
Washington DC.
And now I moved back, me and mywife.
We bounced around a little bittrying to figure out where we
(02:25):
fit in, but ultimately settledin Dunwoody and bought our house
, got the practice.
So we've established roots andnot going anywhere.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
That's awesome and I love that.
So you were originally you saidfrom McDonough.
My first teaching job was atMcDonough Elementary School.
So we share that in common nowthat we're fellow Dunwoodians
and also from McDonoughElementary School.
So we share that in common nowthat we're fellow Dunwoodyans
and also from.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
McDonough.
Mcdonough is home.
It's a great place.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
It is.
It is Well.
So when you're not working,we're going to steer away from
your profession for a minute.
And when you're not working,what are you doing for fun?
I?
Speaker 2 (03:02):
love exercising, being active, getting out.
One thing that attracted us toDunwoody is all the sidewalks
everywhere, and so I loveexercising, being active,
getting out.
One thing that attracted us toDunwoody is all the sidewalks
everywhere, and so I lovegetting out and going for a run,
and the hills here willdefinitely keep you healthy.
So on the weekends, me and mywife you know it kills two birds
with one stone get out and havesome fun, but also do something
active.
So kayaking, mountain biking,things like that, but more on
(03:26):
the relaxing side of things.
We're big foodies and so welove getting out and trying the
restaurants, and it's beenexciting to see what Dunwoody's
doing and Shambly real.
You know close by as well.
So finding the fun spots to getout and hang out, that's where
you'll find us.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
This is a really good place to be a foodie, isn't it?
Absolutely, and it's seeminglygetting better and better.
Right, I could not agree more.
I feel the same way, and it isum every restaurant it seems
like I try lately it has just Ilove it yeah, yeah, you don't
have to go far no, you reallydon't.
we can stay inside our Dunwoodybubble.
(04:02):
It's very easy to do here Well,so we're going to shift gears
again and get into something alittle more serious than fun.
But can you describe a lifechallenge or a hardship that
you've been through that you cansay now, for having come out on
the other side of that, you'rebetter or stronger for that
today?
Sure.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Yeah.
So after my active duty time inthe military, I stayed in and
I'm in the National Guard, whichI drill one weekend a month out
in Marietta, and been doingthat for about seven years.
But 2020 was a really big yearfor us.
I got deployed to Iraq for fourmonths and doing dentistry in a
(04:46):
combat zone was something thatI would never want to sign up to
do ever again.
And, um, but, but I'll tell youum, you know you can either.
Um, you can go at it two ways,and a lot of guys get deployed
and you know they check that boxand that's fine.
But I felt like for me, I wantedto see how good of a person it
could make me, and there are noamount of self-help books that
(05:10):
you can read, that the lessonsyou'll learn from being stripped
away from your family andeverything you love for four
months, and so I learned a lotabout myself.
I felt like I became a betterperson, a better man, but really
just gained a perspective onwhat's really important in life.
And you know, when you, whenyou don't have your family and
you're by yourself, it, itreally makes you focus on what's
(05:33):
important, and so nowadays it'sa good perspective to have to,
even if you know the day ischallenging.
You know being an owner andtaking care of patients there is
constantly something coming atyou.
But you know, if you can makeit through something like that
and you can hold on to whatyou've been through, then you
know that seems easy.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
So like I said, it challenged me in a lot of ways,
nothing I'd ever want to doagain, but but happy to have
made it back.
Well, and it's so importantthat you were able to take those
lessons from that experience.
You know, and and it does makeyou value family more value,
your loved ones more value beingable to practice dentistry not
in a combat zone, you know.
You know and, and, like yousaid, that be able to view the
(06:20):
challenges of owning your ownbusiness and running a dental
practice and just the normalstressors that go along with
those things, compared to whatyou've been through, you know
those are the best life lessonswhen you can apply it and come
out stronger.
You know, like you said, abetter man, a better person and,
(06:41):
I would imagine, also a betterprovider for that.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
I learned how to MacGyver some teeth back
together whenever you don't haveany supply.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
So yeah, I imagine so .
Oh, my goodness, I can'timagine um practicing any any
sort of medicine in the combatzone.
So that had to be terrifying.
Um, but also very rewarding,and um, that had to be
terrifying but also veryrewarding and you learned from
that so well.
If there was anything else thatyou would like our listeners to
(07:13):
know about your business, now'sthe time Is there about
Dunwoody Dental Care.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Yeah, I think the biggest thing for us and the
goal that I have is, you know,we dentistry has changed a lot
in the past couple of years,whether patients are aware or
not, and it definitely isbecoming a little bit more
corporate in a lot of ways.
And one of my goals and there'sa lot of ways to be a dentist,
you know, could have stayed inthe military, could be an
(07:41):
associate, but I felt likeownership was my way to provide
the best care to my patients inthe way that I see best fit.
And the one big benefit of beingan owner is I can do what's
best for the patient withouthaving something behind me in my
ear or on my back or aninvestor saying this or that.
And that's becoming harder andharder to do, because being an
(08:04):
owner and also being theprovider is a huge challenge and
not every dentist can keep thatwork-life balance.
So a lot of these privatecorporations see that and I'm
not saying there's anythingwrong with that, but for me I
just felt like that was my bestavenue to fulfill that goal and
(08:26):
that's what I want patients toknow is that you know at Done
what you Don't Care, I'm theowner, you know, there is no
other.
It's me and the patient comingup with treatment plans and
what's best for them, andthere's no other motive or
anything else other than that,and there's no red tape.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
You know that you're having to jump through to give
them the best care possible, andI just realized that I skipped
a question that I ask everyoneand that's about myths and
misconceptions of your industryor your practice, and I
apologize for that.
So we're going to circle backto that right now.
Are there any myths ormisconceptions?
And you may have just kind ofcovered a little bit of that,
(09:03):
but about your industry or aboutyour, you know your specific
practice and you know, inparticular, Well, not really so
much related to that, but justmore as dentistry in a whole is
one of the biggest.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
I think challenges with discussing treatment with
patients is.
The most common thing I'll hearis well, doc, it doesn't bother
me, or it doesn't hurt, or Idon't even notice it.
You know, and that's that isdefinitely a something that
comes up daily.
That requires some discussion,and so that is just one thing I
want patients to know is thatjust because something's not
(09:38):
bothering you doesn't alwaysmean there's not a problem.
And the analogy I always use ishigh blood pressure.
You know you can have highblood pressure and not even know
it, and yet we treat high bloodpressure before it becomes a
problem of a heart attack.
And a lot of two things are likethat, and we as dentists try
and be preventative as we can.
That way we can be asconservative in our treatment.
(10:00):
So sometimes if you're gettingrecommendations of this or that
that you don't really notice,that may be a good thing.
(10:23):
And if you trust your dentist,then you know that is them got
to be a two-way trust back andforth.
You know the patient has totrust you, you have to trust the
patient, and so that's wherethat relationship is really
important and that is where Ifeel like going back to my whole
goal of Dunwoody Dental Care isif I have that trust and have a
relationship, then I can keeppatients healthier with that.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
Yeah, I love the analogy that you use that you
don't you know you have highblood pressure.
Just because you don't feel itor notice that doesn't mean you
don't treat it.
You know that's your, it's yourhealth, and so that was.
I think people can relate tothat.
That was a really good, goodexample.
Well so, dr Taylor, if peoplewant to get in touch, if they
want to learn more or get intouch with Dunwoody Dental Care,
(11:07):
what is the best way for themto do that?
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Yeah, our website's probably easiest has all our
contact info.
All our social media is onthere.
Dunwoodydentalcarecom.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Well, that's easy.
They're going to be able toremember that one.
Dunwoodydentalcarecom.
Love it when people keep itsimple.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
That's right carecom.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Love it when people keep it simple.
That's right.
Well, thank you so much forbeing here.
It has been an absolutepleasure getting to know you and
a little sneak peek, for wehope to be featuring Dr Taylor
and his family in an issue laterthis year so that you can get
to know him in DunwoodyNeighbors Magazine.
So thanks so much for beinghere, Dr Taylor.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
It's been a pleasure.
Thank you so much, Stacey.
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Well, that's all for today's episode.
Atlanta.
I'm Stacey Risley with the GoodNeighbor podcast.
Thanks for listening andsupporting local businesses and
nonprofits of our greatcommunity.
Thanks for listening to theGood Neighbor podcast North
Atlanta.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses, visit
gnpnorthatlantacom.
That's gnpnorthatlantacom.
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, north Atlanta,
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, stacey Risley.
Hello friends and neighbors,welcome to North Atlanta's Good
Neighbor Podcast.
Today I'm here with Dr BenTaylor of Dunwoody Dental Care
here in Dunwoody.
So welcome, dr Taylor.
How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:21):
I'm great, Stacey.
Thanks so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
I'm thrilled to have you on.
As a local Dunwoodyan and as afellow Dunwoodyan, rather, I
love introducing Dunwoodybusinesses, so I'm really
excited to have you on today.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Oh, happy to be here.
Yeah, I work and live inDunwoody.
I have the pleasure of having a1.5 mile commute, so I stay in
the Dunwoody bubble commute, soI stay in the.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Dunwoody bubble.
It's a nice bubble to be inright.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
I agree, I agree.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Well, let's get started by just telling our
listeners a little bit aboutyour business.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Yeah, thanks.
So Dunwoody Dental Care is thename of our office.
We're a general dental officeoffer nearly all dental services
that you may need.
The office is obviously locatedin Dunwoody, up near
Chick-fil-A on Jet Ferry, andit's been there for a little
over 30 years.
I am the third dentist andowner there and purchased the
(01:18):
practice from a retiring dentistabout three years ago.
I'm the only dentist there andthe sole owner, so that's us.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Nice, 30 years.
That's quite a legacy thatyou're following here.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Big shoes to fill.
That's right.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
That's right.
Well, tell listeners about yourjourney into this, what led you
down this path, and tell us alittle bit about that.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Yeah, I grew up in McDonough.
All my family is actually stilldown there.
My uncle and grandfather aredentists and that is probably
where my attraction started.
Went to college at Mercer andMacon and then dental school in
Augusta, so hung around Georgiafor a while and felt like it was
(02:02):
time to get out for a littlebit.
So I joined the Army, I got ascholarship through them and so
went out to Fort Lewis,Washington for a year where I
did a one-year residency andthen did some payback time in
Washington DC.
And now I moved back, me and mywife.
We bounced around a little bittrying to figure out where we
(02:25):
fit in, but ultimately settledin Dunwoody and bought our house
, got the practice.
So we've established roots andnot going anywhere.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
That's awesome and I love that.
So you were originally you saidfrom McDonough.
My first teaching job was atMcDonough Elementary School.
So we share that in common nowthat we're fellow Dunwoodians
and also from McDonoughElementary School.
So we share that in common nowthat we're fellow Dunwoodyans
and also from.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
McDonough.
Mcdonough is home.
It's a great place.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
It is.
It is Well.
So when you're not working,we're going to steer away from
your profession for a minute.
And when you're not working,what are you doing for fun?
I?
Speaker 2 (03:02):
love exercising, being active, getting out.
One thing that attracted us toDunwoody is all the sidewalks
everywhere, and so I loveexercising, being active,
getting out.
One thing that attracted us toDunwoody is all the sidewalks
everywhere, and so I lovegetting out and going for a run,
and the hills here willdefinitely keep you healthy.
So on the weekends, me and mywife you know it kills two birds
with one stone get out and havesome fun, but also do something
active.
So kayaking, mountain biking,things like that, but more on
(03:26):
the relaxing side of things.
We're big foodies and so welove getting out and trying the
restaurants, and it's beenexciting to see what Dunwoody's
doing and Shambly real.
You know close by as well.
So finding the fun spots to getout and hang out, that's where
you'll find us.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
This is a really good place to be a foodie, isn't it?
Absolutely, and it's seeminglygetting better and better.
Right, I could not agree more.
I feel the same way, and it isum every restaurant it seems
like I try lately it has just Ilove it yeah, yeah, you don't
have to go far no, you reallydon't.
we can stay inside our Dunwoodybubble.
(04:02):
It's very easy to do here Well,so we're going to shift gears
again and get into something alittle more serious than fun.
But can you describe a lifechallenge or a hardship that
you've been through that you cansay now, for having come out on
the other side of that, you'rebetter or stronger for that
today?
Sure.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Yeah.
So after my active duty time inthe military, I stayed in and
I'm in the National Guard, whichI drill one weekend a month out
in Marietta, and been doingthat for about seven years.
But 2020 was a really big yearfor us.
I got deployed to Iraq for fourmonths and doing dentistry in a
(04:46):
combat zone was something thatI would never want to sign up to
do ever again.
And, um, but, but I'll tell youum, you know you can either.
Um, you can go at it two ways,and a lot of guys get deployed
and you know they check that boxand that's fine.
But I felt like for me, I wantedto see how good of a person it
could make me, and there are noamount of self-help books that
(05:10):
you can read, that the lessonsyou'll learn from being stripped
away from your family andeverything you love for four
months, and so I learned a lotabout myself.
I felt like I became a betterperson, a better man, but really
just gained a perspective onwhat's really important in life.
And you know, when you, whenyou don't have your family and
you're by yourself, it, itreally makes you focus on what's
(05:33):
important, and so nowadays it'sa good perspective to have to,
even if you know the day ischallenging.
You know being an owner andtaking care of patients there is
constantly something coming atyou.
But you know, if you can makeit through something like that
and you can hold on to whatyou've been through, then you
know that seems easy.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
So like I said, it challenged me in a lot of ways,
nothing I'd ever want to doagain, but but happy to have
made it back.
Well, and it's so importantthat you were able to take those
lessons from that experience.
You know, and and it does makeyou value family more value,
your loved ones more value beingable to practice dentistry not
in a combat zone, you know.
You know and, and, like yousaid, that be able to view the
(06:20):
challenges of owning your ownbusiness and running a dental
practice and just the normalstressors that go along with
those things, compared to whatyou've been through, you know
those are the best life lessonswhen you can apply it and come
out stronger.
You know, like you said, abetter man, a better person and,
(06:41):
I would imagine, also a betterprovider for that.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
I learned how to MacGyver some teeth back
together whenever you don't haveany supply.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
So yeah, I imagine so .
Oh, my goodness, I can'timagine um practicing any any
sort of medicine in the combatzone.
So that had to be terrifying.
Um, but also very rewarding,and um, that had to be
terrifying but also veryrewarding and you learned from
that so well.
If there was anything else thatyou would like our listeners to
(07:13):
know about your business, now'sthe time Is there about
Dunwoody Dental Care.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Yeah, I think the biggest thing for us and the
goal that I have is, you know,we dentistry has changed a lot
in the past couple of years,whether patients are aware or
not, and it definitely isbecoming a little bit more
corporate in a lot of ways.
And one of my goals and there'sa lot of ways to be a dentist,
you know, could have stayed inthe military, could be an
(07:41):
associate, but I felt likeownership was my way to provide
the best care to my patients inthe way that I see best fit.
And the one big benefit of beingan owner is I can do what's
best for the patient withouthaving something behind me in my
ear or on my back or aninvestor saying this or that.
And that's becoming harder andharder to do, because being an
(08:04):
owner and also being theprovider is a huge challenge and
not every dentist can keep thatwork-life balance.
So a lot of these privatecorporations see that and I'm
not saying there's anythingwrong with that, but for me I
just felt like that was my bestavenue to fulfill that goal and
(08:26):
that's what I want patients toknow is that you know at Done
what you Don't Care, I'm theowner, you know, there is no
other.
It's me and the patient comingup with treatment plans and
what's best for them, andthere's no other motive or
anything else other than that,and there's no red tape.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
You know that you're having to jump through to give
them the best care possible, andI just realized that I skipped
a question that I ask everyoneand that's about myths and
misconceptions of your industryor your practice, and I
apologize for that.
So we're going to circle backto that right now.
Are there any myths ormisconceptions?
And you may have just kind ofcovered a little bit of that,
(09:03):
but about your industry or aboutyour, you know your specific
practice and you know, inparticular, Well, not really so
much related to that, but justmore as dentistry in a whole is
one of the biggest.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
I think challenges with discussing treatment with
patients is.
The most common thing I'll hearis well, doc, it doesn't bother
me, or it doesn't hurt, or Idon't even notice it.
You know, and that's that isdefinitely a something that
comes up daily.
That requires some discussion,and so that is just one thing I
want patients to know is thatjust because something's not
(09:38):
bothering you doesn't alwaysmean there's not a problem.
And the analogy I always use ishigh blood pressure.
You know you can have highblood pressure and not even know
it, and yet we treat high bloodpressure before it becomes a
problem of a heart attack.
And a lot of two things are likethat, and we as dentists try
and be preventative as we can.
That way we can be asconservative in our treatment.
(10:00):
So sometimes if you're gettingrecommendations of this or that
that you don't really notice,that may be a good thing.
(10:23):
And if you trust your dentist,then you know that is them got
to be a two-way trust back andforth.
You know the patient has totrust you, you have to trust the
patient, and so that's wherethat relationship is really
important and that is where Ifeel like going back to my whole
goal of Dunwoody Dental Care isif I have that trust and have a
relationship, then I can keeppatients healthier with that.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
Yeah, I love the analogy that you use that you
don't you know you have highblood pressure.
Just because you don't feel itor notice that doesn't mean you
don't treat it.
You know that's your, it's yourhealth, and so that was.
I think people can relate tothat.
That was a really good, goodexample.
Well so, dr Taylor, if peoplewant to get in touch, if they
want to learn more or get intouch with Dunwoody Dental Care,
(11:07):
what is the best way for themto do that?
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Yeah, our website's probably easiest has all our
contact info.
All our social media is onthere.
Dunwoodydentalcarecom.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Well, that's easy.
They're going to be able toremember that one.
Dunwoodydentalcarecom.
Love it when people keep itsimple.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
That's right carecom.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Love it when people keep it simple.
That's right.
Well, thank you so much forbeing here.
It has been an absolutepleasure getting to know you and
a little sneak peek, for wehope to be featuring Dr Taylor
and his family in an issue laterthis year so that you can get
to know him in DunwoodyNeighbors Magazine.
So thanks so much for beinghere, Dr Taylor.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
It's been a pleasure.
Thank you so much, Stacey.
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Well, that's all for today's episode.
Atlanta.
I'm Stacey Risley with the GoodNeighbor podcast.
Thanks for listening andsupporting local businesses and
nonprofits of our greatcommunity.
Thanks for listening to theGood Neighbor podcast North
Atlanta.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses, visit
gnpnorthatlantacom.
That's gnpnorthatlantacom.
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