Hayes Family Dentistry expands to four dentists and 13 treatment chairs

Hayes Family Dentistry in Cookeville has added three operatories, new dental assistants and a fourth dentist, increasing capacity for patients across Putnam County and the Upper Cumberland. The expansion is designed to shorten wait times and make it easier for families to get care, including sedation dentistry, on more flexible schedules.

Why it matters: - Hayes Family Dentistry says the expansion increases local access to routine and specialized care in Cookeville and the broader Upper Cumberland. - More treatment rooms and a larger dentist roster are meant to create more appointment times for families, including patients traveling from surrounding counties. - All four dentists now offer sedation dentistry, which can help patients who delay treatment because of anxiety, a sensitive gag reflex or longer procedures.

What happened: - Hayes Family Dentistry expanded from 10 treatment chairs to 13 and from three dentists to four. - Dr. Kevin Hayes, DMD, owns and leads the Cookeville practice. - The practice added three operatories and new dental assistants to support the larger clinical team. - The office is at 620 E 10th St. in Cookeville, Tennessee. - The practice treats patients of all ages.

The details: - The associate dentist team includes Dr. Sandy Hayes, DMD; Dr. Gerard DiFusco, DMD; and Dr. Justin Ellis, DDS. - Dr. DiFusco has practiced at Hayes Family Dentistry for nearly two years. - Dr. Ellis joined the practice this year. - Dr. DiFusco brings more than 40 years of general and restorative dentistry experience. - Dr. DiFusco graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in 1980. - Dr. DiFusco founded and led a dental practice in Webster, New York, for four decades before joining Hayes Family Dentistry. - Dr. DiFusco is a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry and the International Congress of Oral Implantologists. - Dr. Ellis is beginning his ninth year serving the community. - Dr. Ellis earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery from the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry in Memphis. - Dr. Ellis also holds a master's degree in pharmacology from Tulane University and a bachelor's degree in molecular biology from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. - Appointments can be scheduled by calling or texting (931) 526-1614. - More information is available at the practice expansion page.

Between the lines: - The expansion appears designed to solve both staffing and space constraints, not just add names to the schedule. - Dr. Kevin Hayes framed the move as growth, not succession planning, signaling that the practice expects continued leadership from his team. - Dr. Sandy Hayes said the added room should help the practice see more families sooner and provide timely treatment. - The practice is leaning on continuity, keeping the staff and patient relationships that already define its local reputation. - The hiring of Dr. Ellis also reinforces the practice's local ties, since he has long worked in the community and plans to continue raising his family there.

What's next: - Hayes Family Dentistry is now positioned to absorb more demand from Cookeville and surrounding Upper Cumberland communities. - The larger team should give patients more choices for scheduling and reduce dependence on any single dentist's calendar for sedation visits. - The practice is expected to continue serving families across Putnam County and the 14-county Upper Cumberland region.

The bottom line: - Hayes Family Dentistry is betting that more chairs, more staff and four dentists will translate into faster, easier access to care without changing the patient experience.