# Richard Dest

> Richard Dest is a Charlotte-based dentist, founder, and operator whose career moved from a single practice opened in 1985 to a network of private offices and mobile dentistry programs serving nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, and workplaces. He formed Dest Dental Management to support that expansion, created Senior Dental Care and Senior Smiles for mobile delivery, acquired Coronado Dental Services in Arizona in 2019, launched Moving Smiles in 2020, and sold Dest Dental Management to Aria Care Partners in 2021.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO, Senior Dental Care in North Carolina
- **Organizations:** Senior Dental Care, Senior Smiles, Dest Dental Management, Moving Smiles, American Dental Association, American Mobile Dentistry Alliance
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- **Known for:** Expanded from one dental practice opened in 1985 to eleven private-practice locations by 2013., Built Dest Dental Management to support a multi-location practice network., Created Senior Dental Care and Senior Smiles as mobile dentistry services.

## Career timeline

- **1985** — Opened the original Dest Family Dentistry at a university-area location in Charlotte, North Carolina.
- **2007** — Dest Dental Management began supporting the practices; Aria later described the mobile dentistry operation as serving North Carolina facilities since 2007.
- **2013** — Had added ten private-practice locations beyond the original office.
- **2019-05** — Purchased Coronado Dental Services of Arizona and relaunched it under his own brand.
- **2020** — Launched Moving Smiles to provide workplace dentistry.
- **2021-05** — Aria Care Partners acquired Dest Dental Management after a long clinical partnership.
- **2021** — Listed as a member of the American Dental Association National Elder Care Advisory Committee.
- **2022** — Participated in an American Dental Association panel on delivery of care in non-traditional settings.

## Achievements

- Expanded from one dental practice opened in 1985 to eleven private-practice locations by 2013.
- Built Dest Dental Management to support a multi-location practice network.
- Created Senior Dental Care and Senior Smiles as mobile dentistry services.
- Expanded into Arizona through the 2019 purchase of Coronado Dental Services.
- Launched workplace dentistry service Moving Smiles in 2020.
- Sold Dest Dental Management to Aria Care Partners in 2021.
- Served on an American Dental Association elder-care advisory committee and joined its 2022 non-traditional care delivery panel.

## Latest updates

- **2022** — Participated in an American Dental Association panel titled 'Delivery of Care in Non-Traditional Settings.'
- **2021-05** — Aria Care Partners acquired Dest Dental Management.

## Links

- Website: https://ariacarepartners.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richarddest

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/richard-dest
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-26