Business Profile: Melissa Owen, DDS

Aesthetic Dentistry at Magnolia Village welcomes Dr. Melissa Owen who believes in practicing relationship-based and patient-centered dental care.

Have you ever really considered the uniqueness of oral health? Teeth go hand-in-hand with self-confidence, how you smile, how you chew, how you speak, how and what you eat and your overall health and well-being. For all these reasons and more, including the holistic impact that dentists can have on their patients, it’s no wonder that a career in dentistry can be personally fulfilling.

Dr. Melissa Owen couldn’t think of anything else she would rather do in life. In fact, she comes from a dental family. Her dad was a dentist and her mom was the office manager at the family’s practice. Owen’s two siblings are also dentists. “What can I say, we love teeth!” she says with a laugh.

In August 2020 Dr. Owen joined Dr. Jon Ludwig in his practice, Aesthetic Dentistry at Magnolia Village in Leland, which strives for a good patient experience with high-quality care. Dr. Ludwig’s dental practice has always been relationship-based and patient-centered, which is one of the things that Dr. Owen is passionate about. Building relationships with patients is something she first learned from her dad.

Growing up in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Dr. Owen loved watching her father work at his dental practice. She enjoyed learning everything she could about the science and nuances of dentistry, but she also noticed that her father took the time to get to know his patients. It’s something she values as she practices today. “Dad was a wonderful role model,” she says. “I decided to follow in his footsteps. He had a good work-like balance and was such a people person, which I am too.”

Dr. Owen received her undergraduate degree from James Madison University and then attended dental school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After graduating dental school in 2015, she completed her General Practice Residency in the Veterans Administration near Los Angeles, California. She also practiced in Charleston, South Carolina, before moving to Wilmington, North Carolina, where she and her husband, Conally, had lived previously while he pursued his master’s degree at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

What Dr. Owen enjoys most about working at Aesthetic Dentistry at Magnolia Village, and what sets it apart from other practices where she has worked, is the well-organized, communication-centric relationships between the entire staff, doctors and patients.

“Everyone in the practice is so good at their jobs and in making people feel comfortable and relaxed,” she says. “We’re not just taking care of their teeth but the patient as a whole.”

Something else that Dr. Owen believes sets the practice apart is the comprehensive new patient exams. Each new patient receives an hour and a half consultation with a thorough exam, but that time allows the doctors and staff to get to know the patient and learn about their families and what they have going on in their lives.

“I know it’s cliché, but I really love being able to help people,” Dr. Owen says. “When someone comes to you in pain or has a problem, knowing they leave feeling so much better is what I like about being a dentist.”

Visit them at:
Aesthetic Dentistry at Magnolia Village
108 Eastowne Court, Leland
(910) 371-5965
teethbythebeach.com