Convenient Access from BYU
Between lectures, labs and campus jobs, few people have a spare afternoon to research a dentist near BYU. Matthews Smiles Dental keeps the decision simple: our family-owned Provo office is roughly 6 minutes north of campus by car. Students, faculty, staff and the households in university family housing all see the same two doctors, with cleanings, fillings, wisdom teeth care and cosmetic work handled under one roof.
Start at LaVell Edwards Stadium and follow Canyon Road north past the stadium lots. A short jog on 140 East and 2680 North puts you on University Avenue (US 189), and from there it is a straight run north to 3700 North, where you turn east to reach 3610 N University Ave #200, Provo, UT 84604. The whole drive covers about 2.3 miles, though game days around Canyon Road and University Parkway can stretch it considerably. Open our office in Google Maps for turn-by-turn help, or read about our patients in nearby Joaquin and Pleasant View.
A Campus-Friendly Dental Home for the BYU Community
University life runs on a tight calendar, and a dental office should bend around it. We are open Monday through Thursday from 8 AM to 5 PM and Friday until 4 PM, so an early slot before a late-morning class or a gap after an afternoon lab both work well. Couples in Wymount Terrace and Wyview Park can book back-to-back appointments and make one trip north instead of two.
Comfort matters when a semester already feels heavy. Patients can settle in with headphones and music during treatment, and the juice and snack bar in the lobby is a small welcome after a long day on campus. The practice has been family owned and operated for more than 45 years, and that steadiness helps when you are new to Utah Valley and starting from scratch with a dentist.
Wherever your day ends on campus, the trip north is short. Graduate students leaving the Harold B. Lee Library, staff wrapping up near the Wilkinson Student Center and fans heading out of the Marriott Center all reach University Avenue within a few minutes. Brigham Young University spreads across roughly 560 acres at the base of the Wasatch Mountains under Y Mountain, and our office sits a short drive past its northern edge.
Faculty and staff tend to want something different from undergraduates: one office that can follow them for years. Both doctors handle routine care, restorations and cosmetic work, so a professor's crown and a freshman's first independent checkup fit into the same schedule.
Dental Care Tips for the BYU Calendar
With more than 37,000 students enrolled, BYU brings thousands of young adults to Provo who are managing their own dental care for the first time. Common trouble spots for college-age adults include checkups skipped during a heavy semester, wisdom teeth that flare up near finals and constant snacking during late study sessions. Booking a cleaning early in fall or winter semester, before midterms arrive, is the easiest way to stay on track.
Students living away from home also need a local plan for urgent problems. A cracked tooth from an intramural game or a lost filling during finals week should not wait for the next trip home. Our team strives to fit urgent patients into the schedule as soon as possible, and new patients can begin with a $69 emergency exam that includes a periapical x-ray.
For BYU faculty and staff who plan to stay in Utah Valley for the long haul, continuity is the bigger advantage. One office that keeps your records, x-rays and treatment history in one place makes it easier to spot gradual changes, such as gum recession or a filling that has started to wear. That history also means fewer repeated x-rays and less time spent explaining past work to someone new.
Married students and young families face a different set of priorities. Parents juggling classes, work and small children often let their own checkups slide, and regular cleanings with fluoride help keep small problems from becoming large ones. Provo's median age sits in the early twenties, so many of the patients we meet from campus are building adult dental habits from the ground up.
Treatments We Offer as Your Dentist Near BYU
Preventative Dentistry
Twice-yearly cleanings and exams catch small issues before they turn into costly repairs, which matters on a student budget. New patients without insurance and without periodontal disease can start with our $89 cleaning, exam, x-ray and fluoride treatment.
Wisdom Teeth Extraction
Third molars often arrive during the college years. If yours feel crowded, sore or only partly erupted, we can evaluate them and plan removal around exams and breaks, with sedation available for anyone who feels nervous.
Clear Braces
Tooth-colored ceramic brackets and matching wires blend in with your natural teeth. Orthodontic treatment becomes far less noticeable during class presentations, campus jobs and internship interviews.
Cosmetic Dentistry
Graduation photos and first job interviews give many students a reason to think about their smile. Dr. Matthews has made cosmetic dentistry a focus since 1994, and treatment can brighten, reshape or even out teeth that bother you.
Root Canals & Crowns
A tooth chipped in pickup basketball or cracked on a hard snack may need a crown to protect it, or a root canal if the nerve is involved. Prompt care gives the natural tooth its best chance.
Feeling uneasy about any of these treatments? Sedation is available for every procedure the office provides, from a routine filling to wisdom teeth removal. For students who have put off the dentist since leaving home, that option can make the first appointment back feel far more manageable.
Meet Your Provo Dentists
Dr. Blake Matthews and Dr. JD Ashman share the schedule here. Dr. Matthews earned his bachelor's degree in microbiology at BYU and his DDS at Creighton University in 1994. Dr. Ashman grew up in Utah County, studied biology at Utah Valley University in neighboring Orem and earned his DMD at Western University of Health Sciences.
Insurance & Financing
We work with a multitude of insurance providers, file claims for you and give a detailed cost breakdown before treatment, so students on a family plan know what to expect. Without coverage, the In-House Membership Plan includes two exams, two cleanings, two sets of bitewing x-rays and fluoride twice a year, plus 20% off restorative services. Cherry and CareCredit financing spread out larger bills.
What Our Patients Say
Our patients are some of our biggest advocates, and we could not be more grateful for their kind words and support. Hereโs what some of them have to say about their experiences at our dental office:
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Matthews Smiles Dental from BYU, and how do I get there?
From LaVell Edwards Stadium, the office is about 2.3 miles away, roughly a 6-minute drive. Take Canyon Road north, jog over on 140 East and 2680 North, then follow University Avenue north to 3700 North. Anyone who wants a dentist near BYU without crossing all of Provo will find it one of the easiest drives from campus.
Does Dr. Matthews have any ties to BYU athletics?
Yes. Dr. Blake Matthews is a member of the BYU Sports Medicine & Dentistry Team, and he earned his undergraduate microbiology degree at the university. That background is useful for student athletes and active patients who want a dentist familiar with sports-related dental injuries and how they affect training schedules.
What should a BYU student do about a broken tooth during finals week?
Call the office as early in the day as you can. Our team strives to fit urgent problems into the schedule as soon as possible, and new patients can start with a $69 emergency exam and periapical x-ray. Keep any broken piece, rinse gently with warm water and avoid chewing on that side until you are seen.
Are you a practical choice for couples living in Wymount Terrace or Wyview Park?
Yes. Both family housing communities are a short drive south of the office, and spouses can usually book appointments back to back. Weekday hours start at 8 AM, which helps couples who split childcare between class schedules. The In-House Membership Plan is another option for households without dental insurance.
Is there a good time in the semester to schedule a cleaning?
Early in the semester usually works best. The first few weeks of fall or winter semester tend to be lighter on exams, so a morning or midafternoon appointment is easier to fit in. Waiting until finals or the end of the term often means the visit gets pushed back, and small problems keep growing in the meantime.
Schedule Your Visit from BYU
When you want a dentist near BYU who understands the rhythm of campus life, call 385-481-7562 to book with our team in Utah County. Browse every neighborhood and city we serve on our areas we serve page, or start at our Dentist Provo, UT homepage to learn more about the practice.