Although Brett Wood grew up in Dallas County, settling down in Selma was never part of his plans after college.

Growing up in Tyler, attending Morgan Academy and then earning his undergraduate degree from Auburn University followed by dental school at the University of Alabama – Birmingham, Wood said he wasn’t sure what his future held.

“I knew I wanted to own my own business, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go into dentistry or medicine,” Wood admitted. “Then one of my mentors in school, Dr. (Bryant) Speed, he convinced me to come back to Selma and take over his practice.”

Wood said Speed was 75-years-old at the time, so starting a practice in Selma, where there was no current orthodontist, “just made sense.”

“It wasn’t my plan to come back here, things just really fell into place,” Wood said. “It just worked out perfectly.”

Now a practicing orthodontist and dentist of Wood Orthodontics, located in the historic Old Town district, Wood said he has embraced Selma and its community.

“I felt like God kind of led me back here — I was meant to come back,” Wood said. “The growth opportunity here is great, and it’s a great place to be a young professional.”

Aside from his practice, Wood is passionate about missions — specifically those with Integrity Worldwide, a local nonprofit ministry that serves a village in Meto, Kenya.

“Since moving back to Selma, I’ve been able to go on five dental mission trips,” Wood said. “I have a great support base here through the community and my faith, and that means a lot.”

When he’s not doing mission work, Wood said he likes to enjoy quality time with the community. It’s the people of Selma, Wood said, that make it great.

“This is where I want to live and raise a family,” he said. “I also want to provide my patients with the best customer service possible. I’d like to eventually set up satellite offices and expand.”

Because Wood is one of few orthodontists in the area, he said he frequently has people travel as far as Camden, Linden, Hayneville and Maplesville to be seen.

“I don’t plan on going anywhere; I’m staying here for good,” he said. “The people here are so supportive and they want to see you succeed and invest in you. The community as a whole is what’s best about Selma.”

And as far as Selma and Dallas County’s future goes, Wood said he believes Selma is on the rise. With a new generation of young adults, he said the possibilities for Selma are endless.

“Selma is going up, it’s going places,” he said. “There’s definitely a new generation that wants to move forward.”