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MICHELLE MALONE FINDS FULFILLMENT IN HER FAMILY AND HER WORK Sponsored by Bennett Dental Group Dr. Michelle Malone is a dentist in Emporia and like most busy parents, she admits that she doesn’t have a lot of time to pursue hobbies. Between chasing three kids, spending time with her husband, and working in a busy dental practice, there is not a lot of time left over. But luckily, Dr. Malone finds tremendous fulfillment in all of those roles, and she is excited to be living back in the town where she grew up and thrilled to be working with the Bennett Dental Group. She and her husband, Dustin Malone, were both born and raised in Emporia, and both left to attend college at Kansas State University. Knowing she wanted to pursue something in the healthcare field, Dr. Malone got a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology, with the consideration that she might become a physical therapist. “Through college, I would come back to Emporia to go to the dentist at Dr. Bennett’s office. He was, and is still, very excited about dentistry. Keeping dentistry in mind, I looked into several career opportunities in healthcare, and found that dentistry was a great fit.” Not only did Dr. Bennett help Dr. Malone choose her career, but he eventually helped her and Dustin make the decision to return to Emporia in 2010. The Bennett family has been providing dental care to the Emporia and surrounding areas for over 100 years. When the opportunity to work in such an established practice arose, it was one that Dr. Malone was not going to pass up. Working in a practice with multiple doctors was exactly what Dr. Malone envisioned herself doing after graduation. Being able to practice with respected dentists, Drs. Richard and Brenton Bennett, was a tremendous benefit to a new graduate. Dr. Malone believes the decision to move back to Emporia was a great one. “I get to
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work with a great group of people, and we have wonderful patients! I especially enjoy building relationships with my patients while providing them with comprehensive quality care.” The work remains interesting, with every day bringing different patients, different procedures and different challenges. In the 5 years that Dr. Malone has been practicing
with the Bennett Dental Group, she has continued to learn and grow in the dental profession. “The technology we have available in our office today greatly improves patient comfort and overall experience. It enables me to completely change someone’s smile, often in one visit. I love showing patients before and after photographs, and seeing their reactions.”