Our Team

Joe Blalock, AKA Big Joe, didn’t earn his nickname just by eating too much of his Granny’s amazing cooking. Coming from a big family with three sisters, he developed a big personality and was never afraid to work hard. His faith has always guided him through every step of his life. While growing up on his family farm he learned many life lessons, none more valuable than if you pull a bull’s tail you will probably get kicked in the teeth. 

During the grind of Big Joe’s higher education, he completed his undergraduate degree an hour from his home at Tennessee Technological University in 2013. Moving to Lexington, he then went on to earn his Doctorate in Dentistry at the University of Kentucky in 2017. 

After graduation, he returned to Tennessee where he began work as an associate dentist for a local established practice. A few years post-grad, he moved closer to his beloved Tennessee Vols and opened Lakeside Dental in Lenoir City. Starting from scratch he took an old pizza place and built a top of the line office, providing amazing care for his patients. Even though he sometimes regrets not keeping the pizza oven for an afternoon snack. 

He definitely married up in 2014 when Kayla agreed to change her name and feed him for the rest of his life. One dog, Reece, and one son, Brody, round out their full house. Brody can often be found repping Lakeside Dental and promoting Daddy’s work! In his free time, Big Daddy Joe can be found out on the lake making memories, and cheering on the Tennessee Volunteers.

If you don’t know already, Cole is one of the most deceivingly talented guys in our group! Cole grew up in Paducah, KY on a small family farm. He was even featured in a family living magazine once! He went to college at Murray State University and graduated as valedictorian.  He went on to dental school at the University of Kentucky where he met the rest of the Life and Dentistry gang. 

During his time at dental school, his primary mission was to help Big Joe graduate. After dental school he was accepted into the University of Florida AEGD program where he focused primarily on surgeries and becoming an expert user of multiple dating apps. He became a fellow in the ICOI while at UF. After residency, he tried to move back in with his parents but they wouldn’t let him so he settled back in Lexington. He practices at Audubon Dental and Implant center. He is one of the top Heartland producers in the country. Cole loves his family, cigars, bourbon, and his fiancé Abby.

Madison Hackett grew up in Western Kentucky on a small hobby farm where her family worked to provide healthy food for themselves and their community. When she joined our crew, our two biggest questions were, ‘What did Cole bribe her with?' and ‘Why didn’t he do it sooner?’ As you can probably infer from the last name, Madison and Cole are related. As we all know, looks and brains skipped the first born and graciously were bequeathed to Madison and her younger brothers.  

Cole has been a role model to Madison for many years and because of his passion for dentistry, Maddie, or “MadDawg”, as she is known around here, found her passion in oral health as well. As a dental hygienist she has made her appearance on the podcast multiple times. She brings a unique and valuable perspective as a member of the team and as someone passionate about helping create a solid hygiene program in the dental office. 

Madison’s attention to detail and skill with planning have been an invaluable asset to our motley crew and we love the good ol’ dose of realism she brings. We wouldn’t stay on track without her and definitely would look way less...color coordinated (a full time job in and of itself). We are truly thankful for her friendship and the part she plays as both a part of our team and in dentistry. She has an incredibly cute goldendoodle named Boone, and in her spare time, she enjoys cooking, traveling, and checking out local restaurants and coffee shops. 

Friend – yes that is his real name, a.k.a. ‘Migo'–  is what you call a high functioning stud! Adrenaline and building relationships is what he strives for. If people are there, you can bet Friend is down. Knowing that he grew up on a small hobby ranch in Idaho, we attribute much of his need to socialize due to the lack of there being people in Idaho - or so we have heard.

After leaving Idaho, Friend moved to Kentucky to attend Asbury University in Wilmore, KY, where he was a member of the swim team. This is also where he met his better half, Riley, who is now the mother of their new baby, Dayne. Post-undergrad, Friend operated a small construction business and has continuously acquired more real estate over the past several years.  

He started dental school in 2017 at the University of Kentucky and just graduated in 2021. During his first year of dental school, he discovered podcasts which ignited a flame that led to founding the Student Dental Business Organization to help himself and his peers prepare for the world to come. Currently, Friend is in the midst of a practice acquisition and is passionate about joining our field as our most ambitious team member. Friend’s pastimes include dirt bikes, broken skis, rock climbing, and many trips to the ER.

Matthew Whitson, or “The Whitsonian” as he’s lovingly called around here, was born and raised in his small hometown in Jackson County, Tennessee. Growing up he spent most of his time on his Nanny and Pa’s farm, learning the value of hard work. The strong values and faith in God he learned from his family have truly made him the person he is today - gracious, compassionate, and the kind of generous that gives you the shirt off his back…and his pants...and his socks...and whatever other articles of clothing one might need. We always make sure he at least keeps his skivvies on, though. 

Matthew is a 2008 graduate of Jackson County High School in Gainesboro, Tn. In 2012, he graduated from Tennessee Tech University. After undergraduate studies, Matthew attended Dental School at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, where, in 2017, he officially became a DMD. Matthew has been married to his beautiful wife, Kali since 2014. On August 11, 2017, they welcomed their first child, Knox McGuire, into the world, and their second child, Noah, was born in the summer of 2021. They round out their family with their little dog, Marco. 

When Matthew is not at the office, he loves spending time with his family and keeping up with Tennessee Football. (We don’t know how he can stand that horrible orange - it doesn’t look good on ANYONE! That UK blue though...) He also loves to spend his time outdoors hunting, fishing, and playing golf. Having genuine, lifelong friends means the world to Matthew, and that is seen through the relationship that he has with every one of us. He says he wouldn’t be where he is today without the Life and Dentistry folks, but we know for a fact that they wouldn’t be who they are without him either!

John Wesley Halliburton, a.k.a. JDUB, was born and raised in the small community of Defeated, Tennessee. He is a lanky, laid-back, basketball-loving, country, coffee connoisseur. His family owns a farm where they raise cattle and maintain an annual vegetable garden. His family and their way of life has instilled in him strong values that taught him the foundation that he applies in all endeavors of his life. 

Growing up, dentistry was a large influence in his life, as his grandmother was a dental receptionist for over 20 years at the local dental office, and he frequently accompanied her to work. It wasn’t until he started his undergraduate career, though, that he decided to pursue a career in dentistry. In 2009, after graduating High School in Smith County, TN, “JW” began his undergraduate career at Tennessee Technological University in  Cookeville, TN. After receiving his degree in 2013, he was accepted to the University of  Kentucky College of Dentistry’s DMD program in Lexington, KY, where he graduated in 2017. John Wesley currently co-owns three dental offices in Middle Tennessee. He is married to his beautiful wife, Samantha, and they have been blessed with three wonderful children: Sebastian, Abigail, and Jeremiah James. 

In his spare time, in addition to spending time with his family, playing basketball, hunting, fishing, and cheering on the Tennessee Volunteers, he loves watching his favorite show, "Ancient Aliens", and dreaming of his idol, Rich Fronning, the fittest man on earth. Even though he is an avid outdoorsman, he still dreams of being as good of a hunter as his buddy Scotty one day. Without JDUB, there would be no Life and Dentistry because he was the original brains and the founding member, or you could say, the "Podfather" of the Life and Dentistry Podcast. He sure is one cool dude! 

They say all good things come from Valdosta, GA. According to Scotty, it’s where Jesus was born. It’s where the best country music artists are from. It’s also probably where dentistry was invented. However, most importantly, it’s where Scotty became a national championship winning football player. Before his days running with the pigskin, Scotty was a little boy in Sylvester, GA where he is known to this day for benching 250lbs by the age of 5 and winning the town’s Natty Light beer olympics at the age of 10. 

Scotty’s interest in dentistry originally came from his dad who was a dental assistant in the Navy. After further encouragement from his life-long dentist, mentor, and friend Dr. Larry Daugherty, Scotty applied to dental school.  He was somehow accepted at the University of Kentucky, and he immediately left his job as a used furniture salesman. He was further assisted with scholarship money due to his extensive Cherokee family ancestry.

After dental school Scotty moved back to Georgia and now practices as a general dentist in Baxley. He is married to his amazing wife Lauren, who he met in college at Valdosta State. We all wonder how in the world she puts up with him every day, but then we remember all good things come from Valdosta. Scotty and Lauren now have two sons: Jake and Jax.

Their family enjoys their free time at the Blanchard resort, complete with a mansion, large fenced in pool, pond, and bulldozer. Scotty’s ultimate dream is to be on a stage one day as a bodybuilder with a speedo and a fake tan. He is currently taking synthol to help him reach his goals.

As a native of Brazil, Luis Mariusso is the only diversity we have within the Life and Dentistry crew. Luis and his family moved to the US when he was 8. He grew up in Tampa, Fl where he attended USF. During his time in college he somehow convinced his wife Tori to fall in love with him. He and Tori both went to dental school at the University of Kentucky where he formed quick bonds with the rest of the L&D gang. 

Lu always had a passion for implants, and while we were in school he became the first dental student to place implants in the student clinic. He kept with his passion of implants after graduation and is a fellow in the International Congress of Oral Implantologists and American Academy of Implant Prosthodontics. Lu and Tori opened a start up practice in Knoxville, TN in 2020 right down the road from his best buddy, Big Joe. Lu has one of the biggest hearts of anyone you will meet. He loves his wife and his dog, Oliver, and is a dedicated Christian. We also suspect him to enjoy manicures, pedicures, long walks on the beach, and breakfast in bed.