Meet Our Friendly Team
in Columbia, TN!
We wouldn’t be able to provide exceptional dental care without our exceptional dental team. We believe that building strong relationships with our patients helps us provide the personalized, premium level of care that you and your family deserve. When you walk through our door you’ll be greeted with a smile and a warm, inviting atmosphere. We always have your best interests at heart and are dedicated to helping you achieve a lifetime of healthy smiles. We look forward to seeing you in our office!
Meet Dr. Clayton
Dr. Clayton grew up in Dayton, Ohio, and moved to Tennessee in 1998 to complete her undergraduate degree at Belmont University. She went on to attend the University of Tennessee, where she earned her Doctorate of Dental Surgery. Dr. Clayton fell in love with the state while in school and has been here ever since!
Dr. Clayton loves taking care of people and helping them feel better about themselves by improving their smiles, relieving their pain, and sharing her knowledge to help them live happier, healthier lives.
Outside of the office, Dr. Clayton likes to spend time with her family, hike, and cook. She is married to her husband, Kenny, and they have three children; Emily, Tripp, and John Cooper. The family also has two cats.
Hygiene Team
Erica Burleson
Registered Dental Hygienist
Erica is a registered dental hygienist at our office. She has worked in this practice for over 17 years and has been taking care of most of our patients for many years. She enjoys working in dentistry because it allows her to help motivate people to value their oral health and achieve a lifetime of healthy smiles. Erica loves being a team leader who is trusted by fellow coworkers and patients. Her friendliness is contagious and she works hard to make everyone feel as comfortable as possible. When she's not at work, Erica likes to spend time with her husband of 18 years and their four boys who all play basketball and baseball. Her faith and her family are the most important things to her.
Ali Walters
Registered Dental Hygienist/Myofunctional Therapist
Ali is from Columbia. In fact, her family has lived here for over 200 years, and she is very proud to continue the tradition and still be residing in the area.
Ali graduated from The University of Tennessee Health Science Center in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science degree in dental hygiene. She began working with Dr. Clayton shortly after graduating. Ali is committed to continually growing her knowledge and skills in myofunctional therapy by taking courses with The Breathe Institute. She also plans to become certified with the IAOM this year.
Ali enjoys providing exceptional, comprehensive care for patients, and she takes pride in being able to explain the root cause of dental and airway issues and help patients understand what they need to make positive changes in their lives.
In her free time, Ali enjoys spending time with her friends and family. She has also picked up photography and dance as relatively new hobbies. Ali enjoys being Aunt Ali to her friend's kids and has a cat named Gabby that always keeps her on her toes.
Dental Assistant Team
Julie Mayberry
Expanded Functions Dental Assistant
Julie is from Pelham, Alabama, and she currently lives in Hohenwald. She attended Sixth District Dental Assisting class in 2013 and Dental Staff School for Coronal Polishing in 2014. Julie went on to attend UT Memphis College of Dentistry for Expanded Functions in 2018.
Julie enjoys working in conjunction with patients to help them achieve optimal oral health and a confident smile. She was inspired to pursue a career in dentistry because she had an amazing orthodontist and childhood dentist who answered her questions and instilled a desire in her to help others through high-quality dental care.
Julie is married and has one daughter, one cat, and two dogs. She loves animals and would have an entire zoo if she could. Julie likes traveling to Asian countries, as she loves anime and Korean and Japanese culture, and she also enjoys playing video games with her friends and husband. Additionally, she loves spending time outdoors with her family, going to the river, kayaking, and hiking.
Jessica Stoica
Registered Dental Assistant
Jessica was born in Hollywood, Florida, and moved to Columbia when she was around eight years old. She attended TCAT (Tennessee College of Applied Technology of Dickson) to become a Registered Dental Assistant and graduated in September 2016.
One of Jessica's favorite services is one-visit crowns, as she enjoys the surprise on patients' faces when they learn everything can be completed in one appointment. The feeling she gets when seeing patients smile post-treatment is unmatched!
Jessica is the third oldest of six kids. She has been married for four years to her wonderful husband and they have a dog named Snow who still acts like a puppy, despite being ten years old.
Kriston Harrison
Expanded Functions Dental Assistant
Kriston is from Spring Hill. She attended Sixth District Dental Assisting School to become a Registered Dental Assistant. She was inspired to pursue a career in dentistry because she was a curious kid who always wondered what her dentist was doing to her teeth and seeing on her X-rays.
Outside of the office, Kriston enjoys spending time with her 13-year-old daughter and seven-year-old son. You can also find her buying sneakers and crafting with her Cricut.
Business Assistant Team
Brandy Rail
Registered Dental Assistant/Financial Coordinator
Brandy is from Lawrence County. She has been a Registered Dental Assistant for many moons now (over 19 years and counting), and she has been with Columbia Dental Group since 2006.
She loves helping others achieve their goal of attaining a beautiful smile and doing it affordably.
Brandy has two sons and two granddaughters who are the best things since sliced bread, according to her husband. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and relaxing at their farm, riding ATVs, and swimming in the creek.
Briana Moore
Registered Dental Assistant/Schedule Coordinator
Briana is from Columbia. She spent much of her childhood in Santa Fe, New Mexico before she eventually returned to Columbia. Briana attended the Sixth District Dental Assisting Program at MRMC from 2014-2015 to become a Registered Dental Assistant.
Briana enjoys helping others feel more confident about their smiles and working with patients to help them achieve the results that they want.
Outside of the office, Briana enjoys spending time with her husband and baby, going shopping in downtown Columbia, and decorating her house. She also has two dogs and one cat.