For Dr. Bell, seeing a patient happy and confident because he’s given them a comfortable, functional, and healthy smile is one of the best feelings in the world. But when it comes to his favorite part of his profession, he says it’s the connections he gets to build every day with his patients and their families. These bonds enrich his life in countless ways, and he’s grateful that he gets to serve people and use his skills to uplift the entire community.
Why Did You Decide to Become a Dentist?
Dr. Bell’s father and grandfather were both physicians, and he initially thought he wanted to follow in their footsteps. One of his best friends in college was applying to dental school and convinced him to do some shadowing. Dr. Bell had always enjoyed working with his hands, so he was amazed at how quickly you can change someone's life through dentistry. The results are often immediate and can be seen by the patient. It didn’t take long before he knew it was the perfect fit for him.
Where Did You Study Dentistry?
After graduating from NC State University and earning his DDS at Virginia Commonwealth University, Dr. Bell completed a one-year general practice residency in Burlington, Vermont. It was heavily focused on surgery, so he spent half the time in the hospital seeing dental emergencies/trauma, and the remaining time at rural rotations throughout the state. Additionally, he has advanced dental implant training from the Triangle Dental Institute as well as extensive CEREC training from their headquarters in Charlotte.
Outside of the Dental Office, What Do You Like to Do?
Dr. Bell met his wife, Lauren, while in college, and they are now the proud parents of three wonderful daughters. Their family is completed by a black lab, Bumblebee, who they adopted from the police department (he failed out of the drug detection program but has found the good life being fed constantly by all three girls).
An avid outdoorsman who grew up in New Bern, Dr. Bell frequently went scuba diving off the NC coast throughout his childhood and has his advanced nitrox certification. When he isn’t hunting, fishing, or doing projects around the house, you’ll often find him on the sidelines each weekend coaching his daughters’ soccer team.
