For more information about Staunton Smiles, visit stauntonsmiles.net, call 540-688-2123, or email wrightstaunton@gmail.com. Public business address: Staunton, Virginia. Service area: Staunton
Business & Innovation · Business feature
At Staunton Smiles, two dentists bring military and teaching experience to everyday care
Douglas Wright's route to dentistry began in pharmacy school. He completed that degree at the University of Maryland in 1981, earned his dental degree there four years later and joined the Navy, where his training ranged from oral diagnosis to surgery and anesthesia.
Douglas Wright's route to dentistry began in pharmacy school. He completed that degree at the University of Maryland in 1981, earned his dental degree there four years later and joined the Navy, where his training ranged from oral diagnosis to surgery and anesthesia.
That background now informs his work at Staunton Smiles, an adult-focused practice in the Shenandoah Valley offering general, cosmetic and restorative dentistry. Alongside Wright is Michael Kennedy, whose own career began with service as a Coast Guard hospital corpsman before dental school.
Wright’s career has included Navy service, private practice and the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Kennedy graduated from the University of California, San Francisco in 1988 and later ran a private practice in California. At Staunton Smiles, he works part time while teaching at Virginia Commonwealth University’s dental school.
Their clinical interests include restorative dentistry and prevention. The practice offers general, cosmetic and restorative care for adults, bringing routine examinations and more involved treatment discussions into the same office.
Their support team brings its own Valley connections. Lindsey, who grew up in Fishersville and entered the dental field in 2013, handles billing and appointment scheduling. Dental assistant Meg also grew up in Fishersville and completed her training at Valley Vocational and Technical School in 2012.
Together, those experiences give the practice a distinctive mix: military medicine, hospital work, private practice and dental education, supported by staff with local roots. For adults looking for a dental home in Staunton, the office offers a place to discuss routine care and more involved restorative needs with that team.
