Dr. Roger Childress

Oral surgery isn’t the kind of thing most people plan for. When the need arises, though, Dr. Roger Childress is one of the names that comes up in Chattanooga. The office sits at 1350 Mackey Branch Dr #110, just off Gunbarrel Road—a stretch better known for its chain restaurants and retail strips than medical practices. Oral surgeons here handle everything from impacted wisdom teeth to corrective jaw procedures, the kind of work that’s as much about precision as it is about keeping patients at ease during recovery.

Most referrals start with a dentist’s recommendation, but some arrive after an emergency—maybe a knocked-out tooth or a sudden infection that won’t respond to antibiotics. Either way, the place deals in the kind of procedures that sound worse than they often are: bone grafts, dental implants, cyst removals. Calling ahead is the move, especially for consultations, and they answer at (423) 296-8210. No one’s rushing into surgery without a thorough exam first, so expect a conversation before anything else.

The area’s grown fast, with new subdivisions pushing farther east, but this part of town still feels like a crossroads between suburban sprawl and the older, leafier parts of Hamilton County. If you’re coming from downtown, take I-75 and exit at Shallowford—it’s the most direct route. For anyone mapping it out, directions are here. And if you’re dreading the drive, just remember: the actual procedure’s the part you’ll sleep through.