The Smile Squad
Meet The Team
We are a team made up of passionate, teeth-loving nerds. We LOVE seeing smiles change and lives transformed. We would be honored to serve you and your family with your orthodontic needs.
Dr. Sheldon Bates
Learn more about our Chief Bow Tie Wearer and Lead Smile Creator.
Living His Dream
In middle school, Dr. Bates set his sights on becoming an orthodontist and 15 years later, he arrived!
Super Smart
Dr. Bates graduated summa cum laude with an undergraduate degree in Biology from Wofford College and later attended the Medical University of South Carolina where he earned his DMD degree with high honors.
Dr. Bates received his Master’s Degree and Specialty Certificate in Orthodontics from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Dr. Sheldon Bates
Learn more about our Chief Bow Tie Wearer and Lead Smile Creator who has dreamed of being an orthodontist since middle school!
Super Smart
Dr. Bates graduated summa cum laude with an undergraduate degree in Biology from Wofford College and later attended the Medical University of South Carolina where he earned his DMD degree with high honors.
Dr. Bates received his Master’s Degree and Specialty Certificate in Orthodontics from Virginia Commonwealth University.
VCU For Life
Dr. Bates is currently a part-time faculty member at VCU’s School of Dentistry in the Orthodontics Department – the same residency program he attended.
Husband
Adventurer
Girl Dad
Dr. Ali Ghowsi
Our Mr. California brings sunshine to the office and is an amazing doctor.
Dr. Ali Ghowsi
Mr. California brings sunshine to the office and is an amazing doctor.
Also Living His Dream
In dental school, Dr. G realized he wanted to be an orthodontist and loves working with people. He enjoys making them laugh and tries to turn bad days turn into good ones.
Big Nerd
Dr. G is a total tooth nerd. He graduated magna cum laude from Cal Poly and attended the University of the Pacific for dental and orthodontic residency.
Also Living His Dream
In dental school, Dr. G realized he wanted to be an orthodontist and loves working with people. He enjoys making them laugh and tries to turn bad days turn into good ones.
Big Nerd
Dr. G is a total tooth nerd. He graduated magna cum laude from Cal Poly and attended the University of the Pacific for dental and orthodontic residency.
Brothers?
Marvel Fan
He is a superhero fanatic and loves everything Marvel.
The Whole Smile Crew
We are a team of smile experts. We have decades of combined years in orthodontics and we love helping you achieve your smile goals. We work hard to make your experience in our office a blast!
Taylor Bates
Managing Director
Abby Fulgham
Practice Manager
Jenny Cutright
Treatment Coordinator
Jess Maclin
Patient Specialist
Vannessa Gilchrist
Patient Specialist
Laura Burress
Billing Specialist
Rachelle Martin
Orthodontic Assistant
Taniqua Jones
Orthodontic Assistant
Kim Boster
Orthodontic Assistant
Madison Hackett
Orthodontic Assistant
Scout, Our Therapy Dog
Don’t let Scout’s resting sad face fool you, she loves her job. Scout is here to make your experience in our office even more enjoyable. A bit nervous? She is here to help!
Taylor Bates
Taylor has never met a chocolate she doesn’t like and is a huge football fanatic.
At Work
Taylor typically works behind the scenes trying to make your experience at Bates Ortho amazing!
Contact
The best way to reach Taylor is by email. Click here to drop her a note.
Abby Fulgham
Abby is a country girl at heart. She enjoys spending time with her family – including her sweet pups!
At Work
Abby is the glue that holds the whole office together. She is the keeper of all the details and makes everything run smoothly.
Contact
The best way to reach Abby is by email. Click here to drop her a note.
Jenny Cutright
Jenny is our forever steady eddy, the ultimate deal hunter, and is the queen of the sale.
At Work
Contact
The best way to reach Jenny is by email. Click here to drop her a note.
Jess Maclin
Jess is a twin, our second in the office! She loves going to the gym and healthy eating.
At Work
Jess spends her days welcoming you to our office – over the phone and in person. She loves seeing our patients smile!
Contact
The best way to reach Jess is by email. Click here to drop her a note.
Vannessa Gilchrist
Say aloha to Vannessa! She is a Hawaii girl at heart and lover of all things water.
At Work
Vannessa is our rock-star bilingual Patient Specialist who loves making you feel welcome in English and en español.
Contact
The best way to reach Vannessa is by email. Click here to drop her a note.
Laura Burress
Laura is a beach fanatic and loves spending time near the water. She is a West Coast girl at heart.
At Work
Laura is a Slack and Email champion as she manages her role from her home in Washington.
Contact
The best way to reach Laura is by email. Click here to drop her a note.
Rachelle Martin
Rachelle dreams of being a professional shopper when she grows up and is an A+ gift giver.
At Work
Rachelle is known for being the fastest orthodontic assistant east of the Mississippi. Her decades (you read that right) of experience make her an invaluable member of our team.
Contact
The best way to reach Rachelle is to give the office a call. We can be reached at (804) 934-9292.
Taniqua Jones
Taniqua’s second home is on stage. She loves to perform and is obsessed with karaoke.
At Work
Don’t know the song playing in the office? Ask Taniqua – she will know. She is a true ray of sunshine and is always quick to share the love and make anyone feel at home.
Contact
The best way to reach Taniqua is to give the office a call. We can be reached at (804) 934-9292.
Kim Boster
Kim’s cupcakes rival the best in the world! She is a dance mom and wife to a firefighter.
At Work
Contact
The best way to reach Kim is to give the office a call. We can be reached at (804) 934-9292.
Madison Hackett
Madison is a proud dog mom and A+ aunt and is cold 99% of the year.
At Work
Contact
The best way to reach Madison is to give the office a call. We can be reached at (804) 934-9292.
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