Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Dr. Gerald Benson and Dr. Taylor Francis at South Mountain Dental in Liberty Park.
When Dr. Taylor Francis was a freshman in high school, she had a car accident that put her in the dentist chair more than she would have preferred.
“I had my front six teeth knocked out, so I have been in the chair with extensive dental work,” she said.
Francis was grateful for the help, but her experience also made her terrified of the dentist. So she decided to go to dental school to overcome her fear and help others who might also be afraid or need extra help.
“I was given a very unique opportunity, which I feel like a lot of people aren’t — to get my smile back,” she said. “I know what that did for me; I wouldn’t have gone to school if I didn’t have teeth. I know there are a lot of people out there who feel very similarly about their mouths, so it’s a very special thing for me to do that and give back in a way that I was given.”
She also feels like she can “relate very heavily” with patients who have anxiety.
“It’s important for me to help people feel comfortable in the dental chair, so they feel like they’re in control and taken care of,” Francis said.
That’s the kind of environment that she and fellow dentist Dr. Gerald Benson want to create at their new dental practice, South Mountain Dental Care, which is located just off Liberty Parkway at 3186 Rush St., Suite 100.
Their patients are more than “just mouths and teeth,” Francis said, and they want to care for the whole person.
“We’re trying to build a place where people feel comfortable and happy,” she said. “We want to be leaders in health, and not just dental health but overall health. We want to be a safe place, where people feel welcome and where they can come and feel like they’re being cared for.”
Francis said she and Benson — both graduates of the school of dentistry at the University of North Carolina — moved to the area because of family reasons. Francis’ fiancé is a resident at UAB Hospital.
She said she and Benson chose the Liberty Park location because it’s an up-and-coming area with a need for a local dental practice.
“We’ve had a lot of patients come in and say, ‘Finally! We’ve been in a dental desert, and I’m so glad now there’s a dentist within five minutes, so I don’t have to drive all the way to Hoover,’” Francis said. “That’s been nice to hear, and since the Birmingham area is a little densely populated with dentists, it’s helped us know we found an area where it seems like we could fill a need.”
South Mountain Dental Care provides services from routine dental care to implants and Invisalign.
“We pride ourselves on being able to do just about everything that walks through the door, Francis said. “We want to take care of our patients and their families and become an established part of the community.”
For more information about the practice, call 205-656-9175, visit southmountaindentalcare.com or follow them on Instagram @southmountaindentalcare or on their Facebook page.
