Meet Our Team
Our valued team members are talented, compassionate, and dedicated to expanding access to oral health in our community.
Our Core Values
Complete Communication
We believe in being open and honest. As advocates for total transparency in the workplace, we encourage an environment where our friendly team has the confidence to communicate all things appropriate to everyone necessary all the time! We believe that trust, sincerity and collaboration foster strong relationships and inspire us to achieve at the highest level.
Chosen Excellence
We actively choose excellence, whether we are answering the phone or performing a clinical procedure. How do we do that? We ask ourselves, “what is the best way to do what needs to be done?”. We choose excellence because we have a shared vision, and a mutual commitment to achieve our goal of expanding access to oral health care at the individual level. It is also the fact that working at a dental office provides the opportunity to put vital skills to use where they are needed and make a difference to the community.
Initiate Gratefulness
We promote and encourage an environment where you get to feel good about yourself and the people you work with. We value the relationships we have and those we come in contact with. We believe that being grateful, even for the small things, fosters a workplace where people want to be and stay.
Each of our team members reflects the spirit of our Practice and our unique values-based approach to oral health. We’re proud of our team and how they work to make us successful in our endeavor to expand access to dental care in our community.
Our Doctors and Management Team
Take a moment to get to know the people who make our practice exceptional.
Dr. Michael Vaughan
Dr. Vaughan’s favorite aunt was a dental assistant. She loved her job and the people she worked with. Seeing someone who loved where she worked and the profession she chose made an impression on him. In high school and college, he loved the sciences and loved learning new things. Dr. Vaughan grew up in Knoxville, TN and attended Vanderbilt University, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in economics. He studied German and History at the University of Regensburg in Germany. Dr. Vaughan graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry and completed a 2-year general practice residency at Vanderbilt University in 1993.
Dr. Vaughan has been involved in community missions with Generation Changers Church and has led medical mission trips to Mexico, Honduras, Brazil and inner-city Nashville. He met his wife Carla on a mission trip to Brazil in 1999. They stayed friends after the trip and married in 2011.
In his free time, Dr. Vaughan enjoys gardening, growing his orchard, running, hiking in parks and playing tennis with his daughters. Dr. Vaughan would love to skydive one day. He has gone bungee jumping in the past and says skydiving is the next step. His greatest accomplishment is taking care of his three grandchildren, between ages two and five, and getting them back to their parents. Dr. Vaughan loves working with talented people who are working in their area of giftedness. Changing smiles and changing lives brings him satisfaction.
Jason Taylor
Operations Director
Jason has a passion for people and lives life with the understanding that we were created for community. With a background that spans working with children and adults Jason takes a life on life approach to meet people where they are. Jason started working with IDD adults in 2009 as a support coordinator. Before joining Dr. Vaughan he was the Middle TN Area Director for an ISC company. He has served on the Middle TN planning policy council for IDD services, and he continues to serve as an advocate to improve access to care for the most vulnerable members of society.
Some of Jason’s developmental life experiences include living for two years without electricity as an instructor at therapeutic camp. Riding his bicycle coast to coast across the United States. Being a husband and father to his two children and most importantly his faith and relationship with God.
Moses Barbalat
Technology Director
Moses met Dr. Vaughan some years ago and was amazed at how we were delivering oral care. Moses has been a strong member of our team since he joined. He is our go-to guy for every technological question, problem or concern. He has 12 years of experience working with startup companies. Moses says his biggest accomplishments have been creating high productivity teams, hiring excellent people and creating a nice company culture. He has certainly used his experience to help our Practice grow into the company it is today.
In his free time, Moses enjoys being outside biking, hiking or running. He was a professional athlete in his early years, so he tries to maintain a connection to a healthy life. He one day dreams to swim on the English Channel. Moses says, “It’s been a pleasure to work here. I really want to create the most incredible place for our patients. I know that it will take a lot of work to get there, but I don’t see it any other way. We have to improve our world, our community and do good.”
Marisa Guerrero
Registered Dental Assistant
Marisa has spent most of her life in Northern California before making the exciting decision to move across the country to Nashville in 2022. The transition opened her mindset to new experiences, new perspectives, and a deeper appreciation for the welcoming community she’s found in Tennessee. She’s embraced the slower, more pleasant way of living that Tennessee offers and has met many friendly people and coworkers who have supported her journey and strengthened her passion for helping others.
Pursuing her long-standing interest in dentistry, Marisa began working as a dental assistant and quickly discovered how rewarding it is to play a role in patients’ oral health. She has always been fascinated by teeth and is driven by the joy and confidence patients gain when they leave with brighter, healthier smiles.
Outside the dental office, Marisa enjoys staying active at the gym, spending quality time with friends and family, and unwinding with a cozy movie night and a warm meal—usually with her two cats and her dog curled up nearby. She also loves baking sweet treats and playing the piano, two hobbies that let her relax and get creative. Marisa looks forward to continuing to grow in her dental career while connecting with the wonderful people in her community.
Austin Smith
Expanded Functions Dental Assistant
Lauren Burris
Scheduling Coordinator
Ready to Get Started?
Would you like to know more about us or schedule an appointment? Contact us and we’ll be in touch to discuss how we can meet your unique needs.