Prentice Dental | Meet Your New Dental Team | Spotlight

By Meredith Knight | Photos by Karen Gnepper Photography

“My uncle made dentistry seem like such a fulfilling career.”

Growing up, Joshua Prentice spent many happy summer afternoons hanging around his uncle’s dental practice. “I was the oldest of six, and during the summer, we’d often fly to visit our aunt and uncle in Alabama,” he reminisced. “My aunt was an optometrist, and my uncle had a family dental practice just a block from their home.”

Many an afternoon, Josh and his siblings walked down to the dental office where they’d hang out, eat ice cream, and listen to his uncle play the banjo. “I got to watch him interact with his patients and see what an impact he had on their lives,” Josh said. “He talked and laughed so easily with patients of all ages and really seemed to know them and care about them. I saw how he was able to relieve someone’s pain and help them have the smile they wanted. It seemed like a very important job.”

When it came time to choose a vocation, Josh vacillated between optometry and dentistry. “My dad was an engineer, and I definitely inherited his love of problem-solving and working with my hands,” he said. In the end, he decided dentistry included those elements plus art, science, technology, and that human element he’d so admired in his uncle’s practice.

“I couldn’t do it without my wife.”

Josh met his wife, Ashley, when the two were in sixth grade. They started dating in high school and were seldom apart after that. They went on to Oklahoma University together where Ashley studied nursing. “She helped put me through dental school and I eventually accepted a job with a rural dental practice in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where we’re both from,” Josh said. For the next few years, Ashley worked as a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurse, Dr. Prentice gained valuable dental experience, and the two started their family. But he hadn’t forgotten his dream of becoming a solo practitioner.

That’s when they vacationed in Oregon and fell in love with the little mountain town of Bend. “We had one baby and another on the way,” Josh said. “We figured if we were ever going to do this, now was the time.” They bought an existing practice from a retiring dentist in Bend and began to grow their patient base.

It wasn’t long before Dr. Prentice caught the attention of some of the nation’s top dental technology companies. Before he knew it, he was dividing his time between a thriving family dental practice, being called upon as a keynote speaker at dental conferences, training other dentists in the latest dental technology, conducting webinars, pioneering advancing dental technology, and contributing to magazine articles on the latest and greatest dental AI.

“Flower Mound is everything we’ve dreamed of.”

Life was full and full-speed-ahead. The Prentices were now a family of six and really wanted to be closer to extended family. “The kids were growing up so fast. They’re 10, seven, five, and one now,” Dr. Prentice said. “I had so many great childhood memories of my extended family and I wanted the same for them.”

They began looking for a dental practice to purchase in a family-friendly community with great schools and medical facilities and family close by. “The first time we visited Flower Mound, we knew this was it,” Dr. Prentice said. “We bought our house sight unseen three days before school started. It’s been everything we’d hoped for and more. The community has welcomed us. The kids are thriving in school. They’re making friends and playing sports and we can drive to see family — not fly.”

“I have been that white-knuckle patient.”

Joshua admits that, even now, he’s a little nervous when he sits in the dentist’s chair. “It’s easy for me to put myself in the patient’s shoes. I used to be that patient who asked for nitrous just to have my teeth cleaned,” he said. “But dentistry has come so far and new technologies make dental care faster, more comfortable, more efficient, and less painful. I’m always investigating new technology that can make my patients’ time in the chair as pleasant as possible.”

A self-proclaimed technology nerd, Dr. Prentice is often the first dentist in his area to pioneer the latest technology breakthroughs. “Digital 3D technology eliminates the need for gooey impressions and is far more accurate,” he said. “Same-day crowns mean a patient can come in, have their work done, and walk away with a permanent crown — no more temporaries.” Prentice Dental is the only single-doctor practice in the U.S. with three Glidewell milling machines in their office. They provide same-day permanent crowns made from BruxZir, the hardest tooth-colored material available.

Another exciting technology is Overjet, which allows Dr. Prentice to review a patient’s X-rays with them. “The technology analyzes X-rays and tracks changes over time,” he said. “Then, it allows the patient to see everything I see, and we can co-diagnose together. I’m able to do 95% of an exam digitally, which makes for a more comfortable and engaging patient experience. We can truly work together.”

Dr. Prentice recently invested in new Align iTero Lumina intraoral scanners. “The iTero Lumina uses a much smaller device to capture images from multiple angles at once, allowing for faster, smoother, more accurate scans,” Dr. Prentice said. “It gives super lifelike images of even tricky mouth regions, like narrow palates, edentulous spaces, and partially erupted teeth. We’re committing to continuing to invest in any technology that allows us to better care for our patients.”

“I love helping people.”

Dentistry has been the perfect career for Joshua and his family. “I love making people feel healthy and confident in their smile,” he said. “That’s what drives me. I look forward to caring for the families of Flower Mound for years to come.” Find out more at PrenticeDental.com.