Rockin’Smilesputsnew spinondentistry

With video games on one wall of the waiting area, playable musical instruments hanging on the others, a guitar-shaped Lego table and other small musical instruments, a visit to Rockin’ Smiles feels like anything but a trip to the dentist. And that’s the idea.

Dr. Morrie Graves opened Rockin’ Smiles in Sparta two years ago with the idea of making kids feel welcome without evoking a trip to Disney World. “We were looking for a theme, something kids could grow with, and it’s difficult to find something timeless,” Graves says. “By the time kids are 9 or 10, they’ve outgrown Mickey Mouse.”

When Graves — a music lover himself — saw a study about music therapy and its ability to relieve anxiety, it struck a chord. Now, the dentist’s office provides some of the most state-of-the-art technology in a space where patients ages 21 and under — or their parents — can jam while they wait. Any instrument hanging vertically can be removed from the wall and played. Numerous other instruments serve as office decor.

Graves and his wife, Michelle, grew up in Utah. He worked in pediatric dentist offices in Texas, Washington, Las Vegas and Utah before establishing the practice in Sparta.

The oldest of 12 children, Graves has sisters in Atlanta and Louisville. After his parents moved to Cookeville, he and his wife wanted to be closer to family, so they looked for a location to open a practice between Knoxville, Chattanooga and Nashville, discovering Sparta in 2021. “We had been praying about a location,” Graves says.

The couple was driving by a vacant former car dealership when they saw someone taking down a for sale sign. Intrigued, they stopped in to inquire. Bill Boriff and his wife owned the building, and when they learned the Graveses wanted to open a pediatric dentist office that would also provide dental service to TennCare Kids patients, they worked with the Graveses on the purchase. “We’re the only pediatric dentist office in the area that provides service through TennCare Kids,” Graves says.

Graves became friends with Dr. Ryan Jolley while they were both in dental school at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. Now, Jolley, who has an orthodontist practice in Las Vegas, comes to Sparta one day every two weeks to provide orthodontic care for all ages.

“We have learned that by working together, we can catch things early when it comes to a patient who might need braces,” Graves says. “We are able to prevent some of the situations that lead to the need for braces. It just makes sense to combine pediatric dentistry with orthodontics.”

Combining treatments can also save on costs like extra X-rays and other procedures and appointments. “To have a dentist and an orthodontist in the same office is pretty rare,” Jolley says.

Graves’ brother, Dr. Andy Graves, specializes in pediatric dentistry, and is joining the practice this summer.

Part of the overall Rockin’ Smiles plan is to create a comfortable setting while providing some of the most up-to-date technology available.

The musical theme carries through from the waiting area into the patient care area. The Graves family spent quite a bit of time acquiring musical instruments and decor for the office. One wall features a tribute to Sparta native, and bluegrass legend, Lester Flatt. Graves especially loves bluegrass music, and he doesn’t believe it’s a coincidence he was drawn to the Sparta and Cookeville areas with their rich musical history. Sparta’s mayor presented Rockin’ Smiles with a framed poster commemorating the 100th anniversary celebration of Flatt’s birth in 2014, and it hangs on the wall with other posters, album covers and instruments honoring the musician. “We knew it was important to have something fun that Sparta loves, and a tribute to Lester Flatt is so appropriate,” Graves says.

When it comes to technology, Graves has seen a lot of innovative ideas in the pediatric dental offices where he has worked, and he combined some of those ideas to create the optimal patient experience. For example, in the large patient room televisions are mounted above the five dental chairs so when they are leaned back for treatment, patients can easily see the screen.

“We combined some of the best methods we’ve seen to come up with some pretty great ideas that better serve our patients,” Graves says. That includes capping off an appointment with a cone of soft-serve ice cream.

Dental services include cleanings and exams, restorative dentistry, extractions, orthodontics and first visits for young children. Technology has eliminated the need for that gooey mixture used for impressions. Now, digital cameras can capture an image and scans are used to create models for orthodontics, as well as for crowns and other dental work.

From updated cameras and equipment to online software, appointment calendars and an interactive website, access to technology through fiber internet from Ben Lomand Connect makes a huge difference, says Michelle Graves, who serves as Rockin’ Smiles’ office manager. “Without access to fiber internet, we wouldn’t be able to have the full benefit of the technology we have,” she says. “Our video games wouldn’t even work.”

The technology powered by Ben Lomand Connect’s service enhances the overall positive patient experience Rockin’ Smiles aims to achieve. “We take pride in providing the best patient care possible,” she says. 