The heart of Surf City Dental is people and an amazing team dedicated to excellence in everything we do. From your first phone contact to the moment you leave our office with a happy, healthy smile, you will experience nothing but friendly smiles and a warm, friendly environment.
An Exceptional Patient Experience
Dentistry at Surf City Dental is not just about procedures and techniques; it's about the human touch. We understand the anxieties many face when it comes to dental visits.
With that in mind, we have created an environment that feels more like a calming retreat than a typical dental office. Our team is dedicated to offering a tailored experience that makes your well-being our primary focus.
A Commitment to Excellence
Every team member is devoted to being the best at what they do. They continually seek to improve their skills and knowledge by staying updated with the latest advancements in dentistry, ensuring you receive the best that modern dental care offers.
Please Get to Know Us!
We look forward to meeting you and showing you the Surf City Dental difference. Please take a moment to read through our bios and get to know the amazing people who will be serving you; then, call us to schedule your next dental appointment.
Dr. Matthew Parr, DDS
Dentist in Surf City
A native of Southeastern North Carolina, Dr. Matthew Parr is deeply committed to the communities in our region. He first completed his undergraduate degree at North Carolina State University and went on to earn his Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.
Dr. Parr's passion for dentistry and helping others stemmed from his family background in healthcare. He experienced firsthand the gravity of doctor-patient relationships in correlation with patient's health and wellness. With this in mind, in 2012, Dr. Parr purchased and took over the helm at Surf City Dental as a community-minded healthcare provider. Since then, he has continued to hone his holistic approach to dentistry while incorporating state-of-the-art technologies. In doing this, he is dedicating time to each of his patients to deliver the best plan for their oral health and their total state of wellness.
Continuing education is a top priority for Dr. Parr to ensure his patients have access to ever-evolving healthcare. He recently completed a fellowship in Dental Implantology, in addition to outfitting Surf City Dental with the proper sedation requirements.
In his free time, Dr. Parr volunteers with various community organizations and local government. He also enjoys fishing, sailing, and surfing and credits these as the reasons he came back to Wilmington after completing his dental education in Chapel Hill.
"Home is where the heart is, and Surf City is my happy place." Dr. Parr resonates with the importance of the local community in his personal life and strives to incorporate this into Surf City Dental's culture every day.
Dr. Paige Full
Dentist in Surf City
Dr. Paige Full is a proud graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, where she received both her Biology and Doctor of Dental Medicine degrees. Following dental school, she completed an additional year of advanced training in Asheville, North Carolina. Dr. Full then spent three years practicing in New York City before returning to the Carolinas.
Even from a young age, Dr. Full had aspirations of becoming a dentist. She can remember “playing dentist” with her siblings in their kitchen growing up. (Her poor brother and sister). After many orthodontist visits and shadowing different doctors in high school, she was certain dentistry was the career for her.
Over the course of her career, Dr. Full is continually reassured that she made the right choice. “I love my job because every day, I learn about someone’s story. Surf City Dental truly has the best patients, and the more time I spend with them, the more apparent that becomes.” Dr. Full strives to deliver outstanding dental care in a way that is individualized to each patient’s needs.
She believes that oral health care should be centered around patient education and takes the time to explain dentistry in a clear and understandable manner. Dr. Full creates a positive, genuine, and comfortable atmosphere for all of her patients.
Dr. Full met her husband, John, in dental school, and they welcomed their first child in August of 2022. In her free time, Dr. Full enjoys being with her family and traveling. Some of her favorite things to do include going to the beach, taking walks, watching football, and cooking.
She looks forward to welcoming you to Surf City Dental.
Dr. Carli Compton
Surf City Dentist
Dr. Carli Compton was born and raised in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and dreamed of becoming a dentist from a very young age. She moved to Raleigh to attend Meredith College and complete her undergraduate degree, then attended North Carolina State University, where she earned her master's degree. She subsequently received her Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine.
Dr. Compton finds joy in building relationships with her patients and creating a calm, comfortable dental experience. Outside the dental office, Dr. Compton loves spending time with family, traveling, being outdoors on the water, and staying active. She is very excited to be home serving her community and fulfilling her childhood dream.
Dr. Shayla Stear
Surf City Dentist
Originally from Summersville, West Virginia, Dr. Shayla Stear completed her undergraduate degree in Exercise Physiology at West Virginia University. Following undergrad, she continued her role as a Mountaineer at WVU School of Dentistry. After dental school, Dr. Stear moved to Charleston, South Carolina, to complete a one-year program of Advanced Education in General Dentistry at the Medical University of South Carolina.
Dr. Stear has a passion for oral and systemic health and is committed to helping her patients achieve both while also providing them with an award-winning smile through comprehensive restorative and cosmetic dentistry. Her energetic personality, mixed with her love of meeting and interacting with new people, creates a comfortable setting for patients.
In her free time, she loves to travel, hike, exercise, read and visit her hometown.
Ruby Eaches
Director of Operations
“We put Smiles on Faces”
Ruby was born at Ft. Sam Houston Army base in Texas and continued her own military life, which is what brought her to the Surf City area in the 90s. She was stationed at the Second Dental Battalion, Camp Lejeune. She has 35 years of love experience in the dental field and has been our Director of Operations since 2011. Ruby orchestrates the seamless operation of our practice. Her educational background and love for healthcare drive her commitment to excellence for our patients and her team.
Shannon Watkins
Registered Dental Hygienist
Shannon has been an integral part of Surf City Dental since 2010. She brings over 30 years of experience, along with genuine compassion for our patients' needs. She is kind and compassionate. When Shannon is not with her work family, she calls Castle Hayne home. She has two children, a grandbaby Candor and a pup named Chipper.
Megan Holbrook
Registered Dental Hygienist
Megan graduated from the dental hygiene program at Cape Fear Community College in 2021. Born and raised in Burgaw, North Carolina, Megan's favorite part of her job is building long-term relationships with her patients.
In her time away from the dental office, Megan enjoys baking and spending time in the sun with her family.
Chandler Gillette
Registered Dental Hygienist
Chandler Gillette, CDA RDH graduated from Coastal Carolina Community College, Dental Assisting Program in 2018 followed by the Dental Hygiene Program in 2020. Chandler was born and raised in Richlands NC. She has been apart of the Surf City Dental Hygiene team since 2021. Chandler’s favorite part of her job is providing patients the education & experience of good dental care & the feeling of a great smile. On her free time, she enjoys fishing & spending time outdoors with her husband, Daniel.
Lily Tuttle
Registered Dental Hygienist
Lily graduated from West Liberty University's dental hygiene program. She enjoys seeing the progress patients can make with the help of the Surf City Dental team.
Originally from West Virginia, Lily loves her new home by the beach and enjoys riding bikes, paddle boarding, and finding new places to go with her dog.
Courtney Allen
Administrative Guru
Courtney Allen, C.D.A. is our “Administrative Guru.” She joined Surf City Dental in 2016. Courtney goes above and beyond to assist our patients in navigating their dental benefits, financial options and giving them peace of mind that no financial question will go unanswered.
Outside of the office, Courtney and her beautiful family of five enjoy traveling and making memories!
Kelsey Smith
Treatment Coordinator
Kelsey started at Surf City Dental in 2017 and holds the critical role of treatment coordinator. Our patients appreciate her soft-spoken manner and kind smile that can be felt over the phone.
Kelsey is the Tetris master of scheduling and a magician with financing and payment options. She loves fishing, boating and watching hockey. She’s married to Justin and is a proud mom to her son and two daughters. Their three pups complete this sweet family!
Amanda Ward
Treatment Coordinator
Amanda Ward, C.D.A., is one of our Treatment Coordinators at Surf City Dental. She graduated from Miller-Motte College.
Amanda began her career with Surf City Dental in 2012 as a hygiene assistant and has been an integral part of our growth. She is loyal and smart. Amanda is your person to, help, guide, listen, and even hold your hand throughout your appointments.
The proud parent of two pups, Amanda spends much of her leisure time with friends and family.
Kyndal Shortt
Patient Coordinator
Kyndal Shortt joined our team in 2019 and is a native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. At Surf City Dental, You'll hear her sweet voice on the phone, or a quick response from a text, Kyndal handles all things to do with the schedule. She is also one of our Social media masters!
Kyndal has one fur baby named Greyson and 14 chickens. She enjoys anything outdoors, including gardening, fishing, hunting, and watching sunsets.
Ashlee Garvey
Patient Concierge
Ashlee recently moved to North Carolina and loves living near the ocean. This is her first job in a dental office, and she is happy to be part of such a kind and positive team! In her free time, Ashlee enjoys traveling any chance she gets, particularly exploring national parks while tent camping. She also loves hunting and fishing, and her two dogs accompany her.
Brooke Avery
Clinical Team Lead
As the Clinical team lead, Brooke has a lot of responsibility. She ensures that our team's day-to-day operations run smoothly. She is a natural caregiver and loves helping patients in their desperate times. The most rewarding part of her job is getting patients out of pain.
Outside of work, she enjoys fishing and hanging on the boat with her husband Justin and spending time with their two Labs, Tucker and Dock!
Kaleigh O'Dell Spoon
Dental Assistant
Kaleigh graduated from Cape Fear Community College's dental assistant program in 2020 and has been a part of the Surf City Dental team since. She loves the team and environment at SCD and says her favorite part of her job is helping patients fall in love with their smiles again.
Born and raised in Wilmington, Kaleigh played lacrosse for the Laney Buccaneers. She married her high school sweetheart Hunter, and together they raise their daughter Maisie and two Labs, Waylon and June-Bug.
Yesenia Parada Ochoa, CDA
Certified Dental Assistant
Yesenia graduated from Cape Fear Community College Dental Assistant Program in 2024. She was born in Michigan but has called NC her home since age 3. Her kind heart and ability to comfort patients have been a seamless addition to the team at SCD. She is eager to learn everything about dentistry and is interested in becoming a dental hygienist, but she remains firm in whatever role her dental career takes her; it will be to ensure patients' happiness. When Yessie is not in the office, she enjoys shopping, family, and her pitbull, Zeus.
Emily Hopkins
Dental Assistant
Emily has a passion for all things dental and strives to continue to grown and excel in her field. Emily has a very well rounded dental career with experience in multiple different specialties. Emily Graduated from Miller Motte College Dental Assisting program in 2016 and successfully passed all of her DANB exams, receiving her CDA certification.
Emily grew up in the Chicago area but is excited to be back by the beach. She Is very enthusiastic about continuing education and loves all of the opportunities Surf City Dental gives her to grow in her field.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND! I have feared and disliked dentists for decades. I have a pretty severe reaction to novacaine and not all dentists listen. This dentist DOES LISTEN. Awesome experience with EVERY facet of my visit. Comfortable atmosphere, Professional Staff, Caring and Friendly. Excellent results with my crown. I wish all dental offices were like this one!
-Terri G.