About us
Local care. World-class support.
Our Mission: Empowering Practices, Elevating Care
Family Smiles Dentistry was founded on a simple, powerful belief: the best dental care is local.
It’s built on trust, established over years of seeing the same friendly faces. It’s built on compassion, rooted in a deep understanding of the community.
As a Dental Service Organization (DSO), our job isn’t to change that. Our job is to protect it.
We are a support system, not a corporate mandate. We partner with elite, community-driven dental practices to clear the administrative hurdles that get in the way of patient care. By managing the complexities of human resources, marketing, technology, and procurement, we free our clinical teams to focus entirely on you.
The Family Smiles Difference
Our philosophy is built on partnership, not acquisition. We seek out the best practices in the Southeast—practices already known for their clinical excellence and community heart—and we ask them, “How can we help?”
For Our Patients: This means you get the best of both worlds: the personal touch of a neighborhood dentist combined with the stability and resources of a larger network. You get access to modern treatments and technology, all while being cared for by the team you’ve come to trust.
For Our Practices: This means clinical autonomy without the administrative burden. We give our dental partners the tools to grow, the support to thrive, and the freedom to lead their teams with a singular focus on patient outcomes.
Meet our amazing team.
We are a dentist-led organization dedicated to serving our teams. Our executive team works behind the scenes to provide the world-class support our practices deserve.
Matthew Allen, DDS
Founding Dentist and Chief Executive Officer
As our founder and CEO, Dr. Allen is the heart of Family Smiles Dentistry. A dentist by training, he built this organization on the firsthand belief that clinicians should be able to focus on patient care, not just business operations. He has stepped away from the dental chair to focus full-time on leadership, guiding our dentist-led culture and ensuring every decision we make supports the clinical autonomy and success of our partner practices.
Melinda Allen
Chief Financial Officer
Melinda oversees the financial health and strategic planning for Family Smiles Dentistry. Her expertise ensures our organization remains stable and strong, allowing us to reinvest in our practices, provide advanced technology, and offer robust benefits to our teams. She is the steward of our long-term growth and success.
Kirk Clanton
Chief Operations Officer
Kirk is the operational backbone of our organization. He ensures that our partner practices—Godley Station Dental, Satilla Family Smiles, and Lexington Family Smiles—have the seamless support, systems, and resources they need to operate efficiently. From technology integration to procurement, Kirk’s leadership allows our teams to focus on delivering exceptional patient experiences.
Rebekah Lingenfelser
Director of Marketing and Public Relations
Rebekah leads our marketing and communication efforts, helping our practices connect with their local communities. She is dedicated to sharing the unique stories of each office, managing community relations, and ensuring that new patients can find the high-quality, personal care our teams provide.
Llaritza Martinez
Bookkeeper
Llaritza is essential to our financial support team, managing the detailed bookkeeping that keeps our practices running smoothly. Her precision and dedication ensure that financial operations are accurate and streamlined, freeing up local office managers to focus on patient needs and team leadership.
Hanna Palmer
Executive Administrator
Hanna is the organizational hub for the Family Smiles leadership team. She provides high-level administrative support, coordinates communication between our practices and the central office, and ensures our day-to-day operations are efficient. Her work is vital in helping our executive team effectively serve our partners.