Meet Dr. John Harden, Jr.

“The profession of dentistry means a lot to me. Over the years, I have established many long-lasting relationships and have been able to care for these individuals for an extended period of time. In addition to my family practice, I am also passionate about hospital dentistry for the fearful and medically compromised patient. Providing care for people in need excites me more than anything.” — Dr. Harden

With an interest in hospital dentistry for the fearful and medically compromised patient, Dr. John Harden Jr. became well-known throughout the Atlanta dental community over the past 40 years. Providing hospital dentistry has been especially gratifying for Dr. Harden. He was one of only two dentists in the Atlanta metro area who furnished this service to the extent that he did from 1988 to 2019.

Dr. Harden was able to treat patients who were extremely sick or had extreme dental anxiety, many of whom could only be treated at a teaching institution like Emory University Hospital.

Education

• B.S. in Industrial Management – Georgia Institute of Technology, 1969
• B.S. in Applied biology – Georgia Institute of Technology, 1974
• M.S. in Applied biology – Georgia Institute of Technology, 1976
• Doctor of Dental Medicine – Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry, 1978
• Residency in Anesthesiology – Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago, IL/University of Illinois College of Medicine, 1984-1985
• Medical student – St. Petersburg State Medical University, St. Petersburg, Russia, 1996-1997

Dr. Harden’s commitment to keeping current with the latest in the dental field inspires his participation in a variety of continuing education courses throughout the year. He has been on the medical staff with the Emory Hospital System since 1988 and has extensive experience treating fearful and medically compromised patients both in the office and in the hospital.

In addition, Dr. Harden was an anesthesia consultant for the Georgia State Board of Dentistry (from 1989 to 2025), and evaluated dentists for conscious sedation permits. He has also been a consultant for the U.S. Army at Fort Gordon, GA, and has lectured for many years during the annual conscious sedation course for their dental residents.

Professional Memberships

• American College of Dentists, Fellow
• International College of Dentists, Fellow
• Academy of Dentistry International, Fellow
• Pierre Fouchard Academy, Fellow
• Medical Staff of Emory University System of Healthcare, Dept. of Surgery, Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery & Dentistry, since 1988

Outside the Office

Dr. Harden was born in the State of Mississippi during World War II and grew up there, in West Tennessee, and in suburban Atlanta. He now lives in the Buckhead area of Northwest Atlanta.

Dr. Harden’s son is Wesley, and is a UGA graduate. At UGA Wesley was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Wesley is married to Lauren who is also a UGA graduate, and was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Lauren is the mother of two lovely daughters with Spencer born in 2020 and Sara born in 2024.  At the present Lauren does content writing for major corporations. Wesley is in the music business and has been since doing this in New York City for 10 years. He is also in the beverage sales business.

Dr. Harden’s wife is Carey. Carey is a graduate of the University of Georgia. Carey has a Master’s degree in mathematics, and was a high school math teacher. She originally hails from Virginia. Her late father was a University of Virginia graduate. Her two uncles went to Princeton and Harvard.

When Dr. Harden is not working, you will find him enjoying his home, at the country club, visiting with his son, and at Georgia Tech football games in the fall.

Community and National Service

Dr. Harden was first an Army ROTC cadet at the age of 17 in 1961. In 1967 and 1968, he served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve. He also served in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1979 to 2003, and retired as a Colonel and unit commander. Right after the 911 tragedy he was called to active duty and served as the Theater Dental Surgeon for SW Asia as the Chief Army Dental Officer for the combat theater.

Dr. Harden was a member of the board of directors of the Emile T. Fisher Foundation for Dental Education in Georgia from 2006 to 2019, and served as President of the foundation for two 2-year terms. Its sole purpose is to fund scholarships for dental education in Georgia.

He also serves as a associate clinical professor in the Department of Oral Rehabilitation at the Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University (formerly Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry). He regularly works with the dental students who treat patients during their senior year at the Ben Massell Dental Clinic in Atlanta. Dr. Harden has been on the staff at the Massell Clinic since 1979. The Massell Clinic’s mission is to treat individuals who are economically challenged and cannot otherwise afford dental services.

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