Our Practice

Our practice, now celebrating its 26th year, has its origins in the 20-year career of Dr. Kenneth E. Hornowski. Over that period of time, Dr. Hornowski built a reputation for excellence in clinical dentistry, practice management and customer service. It was the relentless pursuit of excellence in these areas that lead Drs. Hornowski and Gillespie to merge their private practices together in 1996. Dr. Bart Martin joined our practice in 1998 and as the progression of a degenerative neck condition lead to Dr. Hornowski’s eventual departure, our practice evolved into Drs. Gillespie & Martin. In 2006, Drs. Gillespie and Martin decided to amicably end their partnership and now practice separately.

Many of the original staff remain with the practice and the majority of our employees have been here for over five years. The tradition of care and expertise developed by longterm staff serves as our standard as we continually improve our attention to detail, and attention to you.

Our Department

Hygiene Department:

We are fortunate to have four of the area’s most experienced and dedicated hygienists in our office. Colene, Donna, Belinda and Doreen have almost 60 years of combined experience! However, they stay abreast of the latest techniques and advances in oral hygiene. Taking care of and helping you to keep your smile healthy is their top priority, each of them, in their own gentle and caring way.

Colene House, RDH, is an Asheville native.  She has 37 years of experience in dental hygiene, including periodontal office experience, and has designed Soft Tissue Management programs for several offices.   Colene is a graduate of CPCC in Charlotte and is a past member of the Accreditation Board of Dental Hygiene at AB Tech.  Recently, Colene has taken on the additional role of New Patient Coordinator in our office and has enjoyed learning all the new technology of photography and smile re-imaging that goes along with this new position.   Playing golf with her husband, Johnny, is one of her favorite pastimes!

Donna Barnhart, RDH, is another member of our hygiene team.   She has been with our office since 1997, having started out as an office assistant.   Donna received her degree in Dental Hygiene from AB Tech.   She has been happily married to Chris for over a year, and they enjoy hiking, biking, spending time with their many friends and relatives, as well as playing with their dog, Sydney.

Belinda Region, RDH, was born and raised in NJ. She attended Fairleigh Dickinson University School of Dentistry where she received her degree in dental hygiene.   Before moving to the Asheville area 13 years ago, Belinda lived and worked in Charlotte, NC, for 5 years and Frankfurt, Germany for 6 years.   She and her husband Steve have 2 very active girls, Krista and Jamie.   Belinda enjoys spending time with her family camping, boating, and watching various sporting events and band concerts that her girls are involved in.   In her spare time, Belinda volunteers for several community groups.

Doreen Ferguson, RDH, was born and raised in New Jersey.  After graduating from Jefferson Township High School, she moved to Charlotte, NC, and there met her husband, Rich.  Doreen is a graduate of AB Tech, where she received her Dental Assisting Certificate and Associate Degree in Dental Hygiene.  Her interests include mountain biking, camping, and canoeing.  She also enjoys hiking and spending time with Rich and their boxer, Max

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Assisting Department

Dr. Gillespie's assistants are an invaluable asset to our practice! Yvette and Rebecca have been with Dr. Gillespie for many years and assist with the many procedures performed throughout the day. Wendy is the newest addition to our practice. Each of the assistants is thoroughly trained and certified, and takes continuing education on a yearly basis.

Yvette Manny, CDA, was born in NJ, but has spent most of her life in Fort Lauderdale, FL.  She has been married to Marc for 25 years and has been with our office since 1996.   Yvette and Marc lived in Montreal for one year, where Yvette learned to speak French--she speaks Spanish as well.   They have 2 children, Brentton (19) and Krista (16).   The whole family is very active in sports and outdoor activities, including enjoying their new hot tub and swimming pool!

Rebecca Allen, CDA, is a North Carolina native.  After graduating from North Buncombe High, she obtained her Dental Assisting Certificate from AB Tech.  Rebecca works hard to keep up with the three men in her life:   Her husband, Billy, and her 2 sons, Hunter (14) and Nash (5).   She is a huge fan of the Georgia Bulldogs and can be seen most Saturdays in Athens, GA with her family "Between the Hedges."   She is currently trying to decide between Tim McGraw, Keith Urban and David Beckham as to who will be her date for the office Christmas Party!   Either way, she'll be flashing that beautiful smile!

Wendy Long, CDA , is one of our Certified Dental Assistants, having graduated from AB Tech.   She has been with our office for 2 years.   Wendy moved to Asheville from Florida in 1991 and has been married to Kenny for 6 years.   They enjoy being together outdoors hunting or riding their Harley's.

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Office Staff

Michelle and Darlene are usually the first contacts you will have with our office, whether it is with the first phone call or your first visit in our office. Our business office includes Cindy (who has been with Dr. Gillespie since he started practice). She has extensive training and experience in dealing with insurance and financial arrangements.

Michelle Baber, one of our Office Coordinators, has been with our office since 1992.  She started with us as a dental assistant and soon became a familiar face at our front desk, greeting our patients with her warm and friendly smile.   Michelle has been married to Jack for 13 years and has 2 children, Angela and Brandon.   Just in case you haven't seen the pictures on her desk, Michelle is the very proud "Mimi" of granddaughters, Chloe (3) and Sydney Michelle (2).

Darlene Brinson, started out with us as our office assistant, then a chairside assistant, and now she is one of our Office Coordinators!   Darlene was born in Detroit, grew up in Miami, FL, and moved to Asheville in 1982.   She has 3 daughters, Amy, Mandy and Kaitlin, and her extended family includes 5 grandchildren.   Darlene has been married to Russ for 14 years and enjoys boating at Lake Keowee, sewing, and gardening.   She has worked in the dental field since 1971.

Cindy Chapman, is a native of Balsam.  Our other Office Coordinator, she has an A.S. in Business Administration and is also a Certified Dental Assistant.  She has been in the dental field for 22 years.  Cindy is an animal lover and gets pleasure out of caring for her three dogs.  Cindy is married to Richard, with whom she loves to spend time enjoying the great outdoors and working on unlimited projects around their scenic home.

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