Confidence Starts With a Smile

About Us

Dogwood Dental Care is a family dentist located in Athens, TN. We offer a wide range of dental services, including family and emergency, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry services.

Our practice blends traditional service with 21st-century technology to not only treat dental problems but to prevent issues before they even begin.

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Dentist in Athens, TN | Dogwood Dental Care

Our Mission

Through dedication to excellence in performance- serving the public with our very best effort.

Meet the Dentists

Dr. Dake Kennedy | Dogwood Dental Care, Athens, TN

Dr. Kennedy

Dr. Kennedy is our lead dentist and owner of the practice. He has been working in dentistry for over 40 years. Though he has a long record of experience and education, his motto is still “Seek to improve every day.”

He started his journey toward dentistry when he graduated from Meigs County High School in 1971. He began attending Tennessee Tech as a chemistry major and graduated with his bachelor’s degree in 1975. Afterward, he earned his DDS from the University of Tennessee in 1978, starting this practice about a year later.

Ever since then, the good doctor has spent each day trying to serve his community and follow his motto of improvement. He accomplishes this by making his dental practice a comfortable place for quality dentistry and by serving as a Methodist lay minister.

Outside of this community work, Dr. Kennedy enjoys snow skiing, traveling, and going to the lake, especially with his family. He has been married to his wife, Becky, for over 45 years! She, too, works with the practice as a business manager. Together they have three children: Jenni, Clay, and Ben.

Meet the Team

Dogwood Dental Care, Athens, TN
Teresa Littleton | Dogwood Dental Care, Athens, TN
Teresa Littleton

Teresa has been with our office almost as long as Dr. Kennedy. Since 1981, she works as both a dental hygienist and systems manager. She serves this community and helps to make our practice what it is today for almost forty years, and we hope for many more!

Teresa graduated from Chattanooga State in 1979. She continues to stay current with necessary dental and systems practices to ensure the continued success of our practice as well as the quality of care we offer.

One of Teresa’s great interests is actively participating in the Daughters of the American Revolution. She loves her cats and dogs but especially enjoys her new pet chickens.

Cathy Reid | Dogwood Dental Care, Athens, TN
Cathy Reid

Cathy has been bringing a sense of family and unity to our office since 2000. As a registered dental hygienist, she does amazing work helping our patients feel comfortable and heard while they are in our office.

Cathy graduated from Chattanooga State shortly before coming to work for us, and she’s been here ever since. She loves how being a hygienist allows her to help others and grow her extended family, one coworker, and patient at a time.

That love and unity spreads to her outside life as well. While Cathy also enjoys reading, her number one hobby is spending time with family and friends—especially her daughter, Abigail.

Jillian Reed | Dogwood Dental Care, Athens, TN
Jillian Reed

Jillian has worked as a bit of a jack-of-all-trades for us since 1996. Her team-oriented attitude keeps us running smoothly and efficiently as she fills the roles of the financial manager, front office assistant, and registered dental assistant.

Jillian was certified as a registered dental assistant in 1999. She also made the dean’s list as she finished her bachelor’s from Tennessee Wesleyan College in 2002.

When she’s not busy with work, Jillian enjoys participating in her local church’s activities, reading, relaxing at the lake, and keeping up with sports. She has been married to her husband Adam for over twenty years, with whom she has two kids, Ashlynn and Hudson. More than anything else, she loves spending time with them!

Jodi Davis | Dogwood Dental Care, Athens, TN
Jodi Davis

Jodi has been a valuable addition to our practice as a registered dental assistant since 2001. She has a wonderfully compassionate nature that helps every single patient feel safe and comfortable in the dental chair. No small part of our family-friendly atmosphere is due to her lovely presence in our office.

Outside of work, Jodi spends her time with her family, making beautiful memories and enjoying the warm presence of the ones she loves most. She lives with them in nearby Maynardville.

Julie Standridge | Dogwood Dental Care, Athens, TN
Julie Standridge

Julie is one of our fabulous registered dental assistants. She truly does whatever needs to be done to make our practice a place where people can get quality dental care in a warm and comfortable environment. Her can-do attitude has been improving our office since 2003!

She loves to spend quality time with her children and her husband. She enjoys traveling.

Chelsea Miller | Dogwood Dental Care, Athens, TN
Chelsea Miller

Chelsea has been a registered dental assistant with us since 2018, which is when she earned her assistant certification from Dental Staff School in Knoxville, TN. She has since become a vital part of our dental team, and we really couldn’t do without her.

She helps keep us on our toes and our office running smoothly. Her favorite part of working here is interacting with both the patients and the rest of our staff, which makes our team a little more solid every day!

Chelsea has a strong family connection to the Athens area. Not only was she was born and raised here, but she also continues to help out with the family business: the antique store called Warehouse 23. Family comes first for her. When she does have a little spare time, she loves to enjoy the great outdoors.

NaTalia Prichard | Dogwood Dental Care, Athens, TN
NaTalia Prichard

NaTalia has been a registered dental assistant since 2020, which is when she earned her assistant certification from Dental Staff School in Knoxville, TN. Although she is the newest member of our Dogwood family, we already cannot imagine our daily lives without NaTalia.

NaTalia has several years of experience working with the public. Her favorite part of working at Dogwood Dental Care is the family atmosphere and interacting with the patients and staff. She is an invaluable member of our hygiene department and an extremely hardworking dental assistant.

Born and raised in Athens, TN, family is everything to NaTalia. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Wes, and her three kids.

Becky Kennedy | Dogwood Dental Care, Athens, TN
Becky Kennedy

Becky has been managing Dr Kennedy’s business accounting needs since he began working for himself.  She loves numbers!  Dr Kennedy and Becky met at Tennessee Technological University where she graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.  They have been married for over 45 years and have 3 grown children and 3 grandsons.

Time outside of the office is spent with family at the lake boating and swimming in the summer and snow skiing in the winter. Travel is a big part of her life with a bucket list to visit all 50 states and as many National Parks as possible.

Becky is also the treasurer at the Methodist church in Decatur where Dr Kennedy is pastor.

Experience our comfortable atmosphere and amazing team yourself!
Contact us to make your appointment today!

Contact

Phone: 423-745-2630
Fax: 423-745-2632

Hours:

Monday-Thursday: 8:30 AM-5:00 PM
Friday: Select Fridays