Meet The Doctors
Dr. Buddy Hollowell
Dr. Hollowell (Dr. Buddy) grew up in Northeastern North Carolina in the small coastal town of Hertford, NC. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he received a BS in Biochemistry. Dr. Hollowell graduated with honors from the UNC School of Dentistry with a Doctorate of Dental Surgery. After practicing for a year as a general dentist in Durham, he completed specialty training in pediatric dentistry at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry in Richmond, VA and received a Masters of Dental Science degree.
Dr. Hollowell is a recipient of the prestigious Richard C. Pugh Award, an honor for scoring in the top 3% of candidates nationwide on the written pediatric dental board exam. He also received the Resident Recognition award at VCU. Dr. Hollowell’s research paper titled “Articaine Use in Children Among Dental Practitioners” has been published in the journal Pediatric Dentistry. Dr. Hollowell is a member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, American Dental Association, and the North Carolina Dental Society.
Dr. Hollowell and his wife, Stephanie, moved to Wake Forest in 2007. They have three children, Rob, Claire and John. In his free time Dr. Hollowell enjoys spending time with family, watching UNC sports, running, and coaching youth sports.
Dr. Allen Porter
Dr. Porter is a native of South Carolina. He attended The Hammond School as a high school student and excelled in academics as well as athletics. Dr. Allen S Porter graduated from the University of South Carolina and received his Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston graduating with honors. He obtained a Masters of Science (MS) degree in pediatric dentistry from The Medical College of Virginia (now known as the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine) in Richmond. After completing his residency Dr. Porter became board certified and a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. Dr. Porter’s research has been published in the journal of Pediatric Dentistry. His research was a public health survey to attempt to locate the underserved children who lack the basic access to dental care in the state of Virginia. Dr Porter is a member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Dental Association, the South Carolina Dental Association and the North Carolina Pediatric Dental Study Club.
Dr. Porter loves his profession and is extremely passionate about being able to provide the highest quality care to his young patients in the safest environment . Due to his background and credentials , he has privileges at WakeMed Hospital for patients requiring sedation, surgery, as well as treating patients with special health care needs. In his time off, Dr. Porter can be found on Sullivans Island, South Carolina. He enjoys fishing, boating, and spending time with family and friends.
Dr. Kenneth Benson
Dr. Benson has served the Raleigh area as an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon (OMFS) since 2000. He completed his undergrad degree in Biology at UNC-CH, and graduated with Distinction from the UNC School of Dentistry. He completed his OMFS training at MCV-VCU in Richmond, Va.
Dr. Benson has memberships in multiple dental and surgical societies and is a Board certified OMFS. He also retains privileges at WakeMed Raleigh and the Surgical Center for Dental Professionals. Dr. Benson is also an adjunct faculty member of the UNC department of OMFS.
Dr. Benson enjoys hobbies that primarily involve his wife and daughter. You may also find him playing golf, running, or playing basketball to keep active and healthy. Dr. Benson values his oral surgery team and looks forward to assisting patients with their oral surgery needs.
Dr. Andrew Vaughn
Dr. Vaughn (Dr. A.J.) grew up in Oklahoma in the small town of Sand Springs. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Tulsa where he received his BS in Biology and went on to be a cardiovascular technologist assisting in heart catheterization and pacemaker implantations in the hospital’s Heart Cath Lab. After three years, Dr. Vaughn went on to complete his Doctorate of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree from Tufts University in Boston, MA. As a general dentist he worked for two years in a pediatric specialty office and found his love for treating children. He went on to complete his specialty training in pediatric dentistry at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Dr. Vaughn continues to further his education and training to serve his patients in the most effective way possible. He is a board certified Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and is an Associate Fellow of the Academy of Gp Orthodontics. He has trained with numerous board certified specialists over the years and learned from their skills and knowledge to become the most skilled pediatric dentist he can be for every child he sees.
Dr. Vaughn has a true passion for nature. He loves to hike in the mountains and maintain a healthy lifestyle with diet and training. In his free time, Dr. Vaughn and his wife, Alla, enjoy traveling and spending as much time in nature as possible.