Born and raised in Del Rio, Thomas Taylor left, after graduating from Del Rio High School, for college. Upon graduation from Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State) with a finance degree, Tommy took a job with Kraft Foods, peddling many of the fine foods for which Kraft was known. Kraft moved Tommy to Tulsa, OK to take over as an account manager for a growing chain. After two years in Oklahoma, he knew that he wanted to return to Texas and especially Del Rio. It was then that Dr. Taylor began his pursuit of a career in dentistry with the goal of joining his dad, Dr. L.G. Taylor. He moved to Austin and completed his pre-requirements to apply to dental school.

After numerous interviews and school tours, Tommy settled on Tufts School of Dental Medicine in Boston, MA. “I chose Boston because it was one of the most unique cities in which I interviewed,” says Dr. Taylor. After spending almost four years in Boston and loving just about every moment, Dr. Thomas Taylor was ready to come back home, and on January 4, 1999, he saw his first patient as a licensed dentist. “I’ll never forget that day because not only was it my first day, but as soon as the patient sat down, the power went out and stayed out for about 30 minutes. I’ve never liked making people wait,” says Dr. Taylor, “and now I start out behind on my schedule.”

Drs. Tommy and L.G. practiced for another two and a half years in the 750 square foot office that Dr. L.G. had begun 40 years earlier. On October 8, 2001, Amistad Dentistry moved to its current location. “I had a lot of memories as a kid and helping out emptying trash and assisting Dad in the Main Street office and was a bit sad to see the end of that era, and so I figured Dad would be, too. At the end of our first day at our current office, Dad and I (as we often did) were visiting in our back office, and I asked him if he missed the old place, and his response was an emphatic, ‘Not a bit!’” recalls Dr. Tommy.

Dr. Tommy met his wife Dayna after she moved to Del Rio to take the job as Rehab Director at the Val Verde Regional Medical Center. Dayna’s version of how they met goes something like this: “I moved to Del Rio with the plan of staying about a year, then move back to Phoenix. After living here for about six months and overdue for my regular hygiene appointment, I asked the ladies with whom I worked what dentist they recommended, and they said, Dr. Taylor. They then added that he was also single. So I made an appointment in March to have my teeth cleaned, and we were married in August.”