There are lots of great dentist offices out there, but only one Starr General Dentistry. Since 1974, weve worked hard to provide our patients the best family dental care we can. Here are a few things youll appreciate about our practice:
At Starr General Dentistry, youre assured of receiving top-level care from our dedicated dental team. Your comfort is one of our highest priorities, so we have soft pillows and cozy blankets on hand for a touch of home. Plus, our two sedation options will make sure your procedure or exam is completed without you experiencing anxiety.
Were a true family dental practice. Dr. Kent Starr practices alongside his two sons, Drs. Taylor Starr and Martin Starr. Your family will receive only the best dental care here with our skilled team and advanced technology like digital X-rays, electronic cavity detectors, and E4D system with CAD/CAM capabilities for making same-day crowns. Plus, you can save a significant amount of money on your dental care when you join our dental membership plan. There are no deductibles or waiting periods, and you wont have to deal with any insurance companies. We invite you to pay us a visit soon to receive an exceptional level of care delivered as pleasantly as possible.
Dr. Kent loved being a dentist. He loved working with his hands, solving problems, and helping others. Most of all, he loved the personal interactions and relationships he built with you, his patients. Since 1974, when Dr. Kent opened his dental practice here in Waco, he always treated others the way he would want to be treated. With his gentle touch, charming personality, and desire to always do the right thing, Kent built Starr General Dentistry into the premier dental practice in Waco. Not only was he an excellent dentist technically, but also he genuinely cared about and loved his patients. He always wanted what was best for his patients. Always.
Dr. Kent grew up here in Waco and received his Bachelor of Science from Baylor University. He went on to receive his Doctor of Dental Surgery from the Baylor College of Dentistry (now Texas A&M College of Dentistry). He founded our practice in 1974 and treated our patients until his passing in April 2020.
The joy that Kent and his two sons, Taylor and Martin, shared in practicing dentistry together for 16 years was immeasurable. The same love and respect for each other, for dentistry, and for the patients we serve drew them together in a way not many fathers and sons get to experience.
Dr. Kents greatest gift he left to his sons is the life he lived. He taught them to follow Jesus, to do the right thing, to live with integrity, to love others, to be honest in everything, to go the extra mile for others, to be kind, to treat everyone with respect, and countless other life lessons.
The reason I got into dentistry was actually, I didn 't know what I wanted to do in college. There were a few things. I thought I might want to be an orthopedic surgeon. I thought I might want to be a wildlife photographer, maybe a psychologist. And I was speaking to my dad one day and he said, 'Taylor, everything you love to do, you love to work with your hands, you love to figure out problems, you love working with people, you love psychology. All those things are in dentistry.' And so the more I looked into it, I couldn 't agree more. So, really everything that I love to do, any giftings that I have, especially working with other people, that 's probably my favorite part of dentistry. But all those things are true. I get to do all the stuff that I really enjoy.
The most rewarding aspect of dentistry is a relationship with patients. I do enjoy the... I like the technical side. I love doing the actual dental work, but I really love the relationships that I've formed with patients that I've gotten to know over many years, seeing their kids grow up and just getting to know people and form those relationships. It's been really special. I went to undergrad at Baylor University and then I went to dental school in San Antonio, UT branch there. And I really have focused a lot of my continuing education on implant and surgery. I really love implant surgery and implant restorations. I think continuing education is extremely important for dentists. So as the technology changes, as procedures change, it's so important to keep up with it because it's more beneficial to patients as we continue to learn that they get better services and less invasive type in services. So, the continuing education is very important for all dentists.
In 2000, Dr. Taylor Starr received his Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Baylor University, then his Doctor of Dental Surgery from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in 2004.
For Dr. Taylor, dentistry offers many of the aspects of life he is most drawn to. First, he loves people, especially getting to know new people, learning about them, and learning from them. He enjoys building relationships with others based on mutual respect and trust, and he loves helping and serving others.
Dentistry also offers him the challenge of solving both simple and complex problems and allows him to work with his hands to build and fix things. He appreciates the psychology behind dentistry and the multitude of different interpersonal communications he engages in daily. The relational aspect is what drives him most getting to know so many people from different backgrounds with varied stories. Plus, he enjoys the opportunity to share his faith with his patients.
Dr. Taylor is kind, caring, and relational with his patients. He works to build rapport with each patient by listening to them, engaging them in conversation about their life outside of their dental needs, and setting them at ease with empathy and by understanding their situation.
Away from the office, Dr. Taylor spends time with his wonderful wife, Sarah, and their two boys, Carter and Henry. He has been active coaching multiple sports for his sons. He also loves spending time in nature and the great outdoors, especially hunting, fly fishing, hiking, biking, exploring, and skiing in the Rocky Mountains.
Dr. Taylor also enjoys reading and learning new things, and the Bible is his favorite book. He is a pet lover, especially when it comes to golden retrievers. He has had multiple goldens since he was 7 years old. Dr. Taylor has participated in dental mission work locally, in Mexico, and most recently in Uganda.
At a really young age, I knew that I wanted to do something with my hands. I was always really interested in art. I love painting, drawing and I also love people and have always been someone that enjoys being around people and I thought, watching my dad in the dental office, he thoroughly enjoyed what he did.
I think the most rewarding aspect of dentistry would be when you have someone come in, that is either fearful of the dentist or has a lot of dental problems, reassuring them and getting them through the process, laying everything out for them and them having a good experience where they know that they can trust you and seeing someone who may have multiple dental issues, multiple problems, cavities, periodontal disease and getting them to a point of good oral health.
I think the other thing that would be equally as rewarding is building the relationships with people over time. After you've done it long enough, you have little kids that had their first visit to the dentist, and here they are now in college or getting married and you really do get to build a lot of neat relationships with families.
I started my undergrad degree at Baylor University in 1998 and graduated from Baylor in 2002. Joined my brother at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio for dental school and finished there in 2006. Joined my dad and my brother in 2006 and then since then I've participated in a lot of different types of continuing education.
Being raised by a father who was a dentist had a positive influence on Dr. Martin Starrs career choice. His father, Dr. Kent, was always present in his life, whether it was coaching him in sports or enjoying family time on weekends. He saw that his father worked hard but had a very predictable schedule. From an early age, he knew he wanted a career that afforded him the same opportunity to work hard but have a great balance in life. He has also always enjoyed art, mainly drawing and painting, so he felt dentistry would be an excellent fit for using his hands and artistic ability.
After receiving his Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Baylor University in 2002, Dr. Martin attended the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and received his Doctor of Dental Surgery in 2006.
Dr. Martin strives to stay on time and not let his patients wait very long. His sense of humor also puts people at ease who might otherwise be nervous. His favorite part of his job is getting to meet new people, then building relationships with those patients over the years.