BayouLife Top Docs 2020
DAVID D. FINLEY, DDS, FAACD, FAGD Bayou Dental Group 2501 Tower Drive | Monroe 318.855.2411 smile-creator.com Dr. Finley was born into a family of educators. His mother was a second-grade teacher, and his father was a math professor. When Dr. Finley was in the fourth grade, the family moved to Monroe, where his father accepted a faculty position at Northeast Louisiana University (now the University of Louisiana at Monroe). Dr. Finley’s desire to become a dentist was influenced by his uncle, who was a dentist in Missouri and enjoyed his work a lot. His uncle noticed that from a young age, Dr. Finley was particularly skilled with his hands. After attending University of Louisiana at Monroe, where he played baseball as a freshman and received his bachelor of science degree, Dr. Finley decided to pursue a career in dentistry. He knew it would be fulfilling because dentistry would allow him to work with his hands, use his artistic abilities, and help people. He obtained his degree as a doctor of dental surgery from LSU New Orleans School of Dentistry. “I have always seen the science and art of dentistry as a neverending learning experience, and because of this I have always strived to learn as much as I can about my craft.”
TOP DENTIST 88 JANUARY 2020 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM
Dr. Finley loves people and the relationships that dentistry creates with patients. He has multiple generations of patients. He says: “I also love being able to give a patient a shot and have them tell me that they didn’t feel it. Or doing a root canal and hearing a patient ask, ‘Is that all there is to it?’ I love it when a patient says that they hate dentists but not me, or that the only reason they come to the dentist is me. I love helping children not be fearful of the dental visit. I love the true complexity of dentistry and solving the puzzle. And of course, I love cosmetics and helping patients smile. Creating smiles lets me use my artistic eye, my hands, my knowledge, and my heart to help a patient.”Dr. Finley and his wife, Valerie have five children—Megan, Ashton, Kaleb, and twins Kristin and Coalton—and one grandson, Parker. They also have five dogs. In his leisure time, Dr. Finley enjoys fishing, target shooting, working in the yard, and completing Valerie’s honey-do list. For 15 years, he coached boys’ youth leagues.