About Dr. Joseph Slaughter
Dr. Slaughter has been making a difference in the lives of his patients for over 25 years and is now bringing his trusted experience and high quality of care to Oral and Facial Surgery of New Mexico. Dr. Slaughter’s advanced education and extensive training in dental implants, wisdom teeth removal and other dental surgery, and medical and dental anesthesia, makes him uniquely qualified to provide our patients the most meticulous, state-of-the-art treatment in the comfort of a warm and stress-free office environment.
Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Dr. Slaughter practiced on the Central Coast of California and the Atlanta metropolitan area before moving to the Southwest, where he now provides exceptional care to the Las Cruces, New Mexico community. When looking for a practice to join, it was especially important to Dr. Slaughter to find a well-established oral surgery practice that prioritized patient comfort and adhered to his same high standard of care. He found that at Oral and Facial Surgery of New Mexico.
With an understanding that oral surgery can be intimidating and cause anxiety for some patients, Dr. Slaughter believes the most rewarding aspect of his work is consistently exceeding patient expectations with personalized attention and a stress-free experience with options for sedation. Dr. Slaughter is an expert in medical and dental anesthesia, with years of hospital-based training, and serving as a long-time general anesthesia and conscious sedation evaluator for California, ensuring the competency of other anesthesia practitioners.
Education & Residency
Dr. Slaughter graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and completed his dental degree at the UCLA School of Dentistry. During dental school, he especially enjoyed the mix of medicine and dentistry he experienced during his oral surgery externship, which led him to pursue a career in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. After traveling to Chicago for a year-long hospital dentistry residency at Cook County Hospital, Dr. Slaughter returned to Los Angeles for a four-year residency in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Harbor/UCLA Medical Center.
Certifications
Dr. Slaughter is board-certified by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and the National Dental Board of Anesthesiology. He is a fellow of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and a member of the American Dental Society of Anesthesia. Dr. Slaughter is licensed to practice in New Mexico, Arizona, and California.
Hobbies & Interests
Outside the office, Dr. Slaughter enjoys traveling to visit his daughters in Australia and New York — Kate is a marine biologist working on the Great Barrier Reef and Anna works in film and TV production. He and his wife of 36 years also enjoy exploring the local Southwest culture and dining scene, along with spending time with their elderly lab, Cooper.
