Dr. James Callahan, Sr. opened this practice in 1983. His son Dr. Jamie Callahan and Dr. Steve Smith own it now, and still practice the comprehensive, conservative dentistry it was built on.
years of one family practice in central Pensacola, now in its second generation.
Memberships and service of our dentists
Our story, since 1983
Dr. Callahan, Sr. retired in 2012 after some forty years as a dentist. The practice did not change hands, it changed generations.
Meet the dentists
Dr. Callahan did a hospital residency with an emphasis on surgery at the University of Washington. Dr. Smith trained in oral surgery and digital dentistry at Naval Medical Center San Diego. Between them, most of what a family needs is done here, including implants.
Joined his father's practice in 2001, after a year-long hospital residency at the University of Washington with an emphasis on surgery, across four hospitals including a children's hospital and a level one trauma center. Past president of the Escambia-Santa Rosa Dental Association, and an adviser to the dental hygiene degree at Pensacola State College.
BA and DMD, University of Florida, 2000
A Pensacola native who served seven years as a U.S. Navy dental officer. Residency at Naval Medical Center San Diego in oral surgery, digital dentistry and treatment planning, then department head at the Naval Branch Health Clinic in Atsugi, Japan, and head of the dental clinic at NATTC Pensacola.
Wake Forest, 2009 · DMD, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2014
Opened the practice off Bayou Blvd. in 1983 and worked as a dentist for about forty years before retiring in 2012. His son has been carrying the practice on since.
Meet the team
Lisa has cleaned teeth here since 2001, Helena has run insurance since 2004, and Rori has twenty years in these rooms. Between them, the team has well over a century of dentistry behind it.
How we practice
The practice sets out its mission in three lines: the highest quality care, patients who make informed decisions, and treatment that keeps getting safer and more comfortable.
The worry: being sold more dentistry than you need.
Comprehensive, yet conservative care is how the practice has worked since 1983: keep your own teeth healthy first, and choose minimally invasive treatment wherever it will do the job.
The worry: being told what you need, not why.
Part of the mission is to empower every patient to make informed dental decisions. Reviewers say it plainly: the dentists explain what they are doing and why.
The worry: the last visit went badly.
The team knows how uneasy a dental visit can feel and works to make it relaxed and positive. Sedation dentistry is available, and one patient calls Dr. Callahan the best at pain-free shots.
Dentistry in Pensacola, FL
General, cosmetic and surgical dentistry for adults and children. These are the services the practice lists, grouped the way you would look for them.
The visit everything else depends on: an exam, a cleaning with one of our hygienists, x-rays when they are due, and an oral cancer exam.
Periodontal disease is diagnosed, treated, then kept in check with maintenance visits.
Repairing a tooth rather than losing it, from a tooth-colored filling to a crown, a bridge or a denture.
Veneers, whitening and all-ceramic restorations for a smile you are happy to show.
Both owners perform oral surgery and implant dentistry here, planned with 3D imaging.
Saving a painful or cracked tooth, and seeing you when something breaks.
Family dentistry means children too, from a first visit onward.
Grinding, jaw pain and sleep apnea, each treated with an appliance made for you.
Implants & oral surgery
Both owners perform oral surgery and implant dentistry, so an implant does not mean a referral across town. When there is not enough bone to hold one, bone grafting comes first; where a full implant will not fit, mini implants are an option.
New patients & emergencies
Tell us what you need and when suits you. Appointments run Monday to Thursday, 8 am to 5 pm, in our own building on Bayou Blvd.
Call 850-476-5233 and tell us what happened. Dental emergencies are one of the services the practice lists, and the team will work to fit you in.
Call 850-476-5233When our daughter had a dental emergency, they were able to get her in immediately.Jack & Millie P., on Google
Bayou Dental accepts CareCredit, a healthcare card that spreads the cost of treatment into monthly payments.
Ask for Helena, our insurance coordinator. She has worked the front office here since 2004.
Say so when you call. Sedation dentistry is available, and the visit can be planned around it.
4.9 out of 5 · 750+ Google reviews
★★★★★I had an excellent first visit at Bayou Dental. The entire team from the front desk to the dental hygienist, Jamie and Dr Stephen Smith, everyone was so helpful and thorough, taking the time to make me feel comfortable and informed throughout my visit.William G.New patient · Google review
★★★★★Dr. Callahan and staff are great people. They’re very professional and I have to say that Dr. C is the best when it comes to giving pain-free shots (for numbing the teeth and gums)! He’s a very good dentist who explains what he’s doing.Myron S.Patient · Google review
★★★★★When our daughter had a dental emergency, they were able to get her in immediately. The care she received was compassionate, professional, and efficient.Jack & Millie P.Patient · Google review
★★★★★I had to have two teeth pulled. It’s never a great feeling having teeth pulled. But I must say it was the easy process I have had. Dr Steven Smith has impressed me with how caring and understanding he is.Billie J. F.New patient · Google review
★★★★★Bayou Dental and Dr. Smith are fabulous! Dr. Smith went out of his way to accommodate my schedule since I am from out of town.Louise S.Patient · Google review
Common questions
Yes. Call 850-476-5233 or send an appointment request with the form on this page, and our scheduling coordinator will contact you to confirm. Please do not use the form to change or cancel an existing appointment.
Monday to Thursday, 8 am to 5 pm. The office is closed Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
4461 Bayou Blvd., in central Pensacola, blocks from Sacred Heart Hospital and Cordova Mall and very near the Cordova Collection Target. It is a stand-alone building with its own parking in front.
Yes. Bayou Dental is a family practice, and pediatric dentistry is part of it: a child's first visit, sealants, mouth guards and early orthodontic treatment.
Tell us when you call. The team understands how uneasy a dental visit can feel and works to make it relaxed and positive, and sedation dentistry is available for patients who need more help to get through treatment.
Yes. Dr. Callahan and Dr. Smith both perform oral surgery and implant dentistry, including bone grafting and mini implants, and plan implants with CBCT 3D imaging.
Call 850-476-5233 as soon as you can and tell us what has happened, so the team can fit you in.
Bayou Dental accepts CareCredit, which spreads the cost of treatment into monthly payments. For insurance questions, ask for Helena, our insurance coordinator.
Visit us
Our scheduling coordinator will contact you to confirm. Please do not use this form to cancel or change an existing appointment, and do not send private health information through it.