Dr. Airey started Appalachian Dental Care when he moved to Boone, North Carolina, back in 2006 so he could provide dental treatments for the people of North Carolinas High Country. Our family dental office is one of the most advanced in the area, allowing us to provide comprehensive but affordable dental care to you and your family.
Sympathetic and Honest Dental CareMost dental offices can give you the basics like dental cleanings and X-rays, but dentistry should include people skills. You want to be treated like a real, live person, not just a walking insurance plan. At Appalachian Dental Care, Dr. Airey and our whole team know how to treat you with respect and kindness. We are sympathetic to your situation, and we will always explain your treatment options honestly so you can make the best decision for you and your familys dental care.
Latest Dental TechnologiesBecause life is changing so much these days, we stay on top of the latest changes in dentistry and invest in new technologies that can help improve your dental care. For example, our CEREC system can make beautiful dental crowns the same day as your visit, and our Galileos imaging unit and CBCT technology can create three-dimensional images of your teeth for extremely accurate care.
The whole dental team at Appalachian Dental Care lives and works in High Country, so we want to help give back to our communities here. That is why we volunteer our dental services at the local community care clinic and work with the Salvation Army and Mission of Mercy events. After all, we are a family dental office and the people here are our family as well.
Our dentist and team are proud to provide comprehensive dentistry in Boone, North Carolina, and the surrounding areas of Charlotte, Hickory and Wilkesboro, including Catawba, Mecklenburg and Wilkes counties.
Dr. Steven Airey grew up outside of Kansas City, Missouri, in a blue collar, union area. He attended the University of Missouri Kansas City for both undergraduate and graduate degrees, earning a Bachelor of Science in biology and a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry before eventually earning his dental degree in 1980. He practiced dentistry in Missouri for 10 years before relocating to Naples, Florida, where he continued being a dentist for another 15 years while he and his wife raised their four children. Finally, he moved to Boone, North Carolina, where he has continued to offer dentistry for over 10 years.
Dr. Airey has completed a diplomate in implantology fellowship from Dr. Arun Garg. He is also a mentor for the Scottsdale Center trainees (CEREC/Spear education) and a member of a local study club. Despite all of this education, Dr. Airey continues to take continuing education courses to remain on top of the latest dental technologies and procedures, completing well beyond the minimum requirement, especially in implants, CEREC and oral surgery. As a dentist, his goal is to provide leadership that inspires and creates a fulfilling environment for his team and to provide life lasting healthcare for our patients through caring for their oral health.
Samantha joined our practice in 2009 on an internship. After graduating from high school in 2010 she decided to further her passion for dentistry by training alongside Dr. Airey to learn skills necessary to be an office-trained assistant. She completed her radiology and coronal polishing certifications at Wake Forest, and completed her nitrous oxide certification at UNC-Chapel Hill. She also completed courses in medical emergencies for the dental office, OSHA and CPR Training, and she became a dental assistant II in 2011. She enjoys all types of dentistry, but she especially loves the modern technology integrated into the practice with CEREC same-day crowns and Galileos 3D imaging. After ten years of assisting alongside Dr. Airey. Samantha now works alongside Marie at the front office as the Office Treatment Coordinator, working one-on-one with patients to help them understand and best utilize their insurance. She has great passion for working with patients to help them understand their care and how to reach their ideal oral health!
Leah joined our dental team in 2010. She received her associate degree in dental assisting at Wilkes Community College, and she received her nitrous oxide certification at UNC-Chapel Hill. She completed phlebotomy training at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute in 2015 to provide patients undergoing surgical dental procedures faster healing times and better results. Leahs focus is on ensuring optimum patient care. She strives to further her education throughout the world of dentistry with continuing education courses, which help her stay up to date with the latest and greatest technologies and innovations. Leah works chairside with Dr. Airey on various procedures and in the in-house dental lab, and she specializes in using CEREC technology to create same-day crowns and bridges.
Autum graduated from Appalachian State University with her Bachelor of Science degree in 2016 and joined our team in March 2020, bringing tremendous organizational skills with her. Her smiling face and friendly personality are the first thing our patients see when they come into our office. Autum has always had an interest in healthcare and, knowing how oral health affects overall health and wellness, has found dentistry to be the perfect fit!
Cheryl joined our practice in August 2017. She completed the dental assisting program at Portland Regional Technical School. She has also completed courses in medical emergencies for the dental office, OSHA and CPR training. Cheryl enjoys all types of dentistry, especially assisting Dr. Airey with oral surgery procedures, and she takes pride in providing the best care possible to our patients.
Nicole graduated from dental hygiene school in 1997 and joined our team in March 2021. She is currently pursuing further education and will graduate in December 2022 with a bachelors degree in psychology. Nicole enjoys establishing relationships with her patients as they work together to achieve optimal dental health and wellness, and she loves how much the staff is like family everyone works together as a team for the best interest of each patient!
Mindy joined our team in 2021 with 15 years of experience. She has branched out to work in specialties such as endodontics, but she most enjoys how general dentistry gives her the option to work with a wide variety of dental procedures. During her many years in the field, she has volunteered with Mission of Mercy, worked with a group to help provide dental care to our military and spent two weeks providing dental care in Bolivia. Mindy has a great passion for dentistry and feels right at home here where she works with a doctor and team that believe in the same dental philosophy as she does.