Dr. Bivona grew up in Bessemer, Alabama, watching his father, a general dentist, care for patients with his heart and hands. He learned from his Dad that not only working hard, but loving and treating patients like family would develop the career that best suited his similar desire to help others.
At Birmingham Southern College, Dr. Bivona majored in Biology, minored in Spanish and achieved high honors in the pre-med curriculum. After college, he spent a month in Honduras, coaching and educating poverty-stricken children.
This life-changing experience reaffirmed his call to service through dentistry. He graduated from UAB School of Dentistry in 2011. A year of working in the world of impersonal “corporate” dentistry made Dr. Bivona want to develop his own practice—one with a heart and soul, based on Christian values. Looking for a small town to call home, he spoke with his brother, a physician who already lived and practiced in Jasper. Dr. Bivona and his wife, Jenny, decided that Jasper offered exactly what they were looking for- great schools, great outdoor life and, most of all, great people!
Dr. Bivona moved to Jasper and Bivona Family Dental opened in November 2012. Always enjoying the opportunity to learn, he continued to benefit from the mentorship of his father as well as through the experience of the other doctors in the Dental Arts Building. Applying his attention to detail and perfection, and treating every patient like family, allowed him to thrive in his solo practice quickly. In April 2016, Dr. Bivona merged his practice with Dr. Branstetter’s practice, and the two worked together for several years. Dr. Branstetter retired in August of 2018, leaving behind a legacy of great dentistry, a great working environment, and very healthy patients. He passed on a wealth of experience and mentorship to Dr. Bivona. The two remain close friends to this day.
Dr. Jacob Bivona’s practice is proud to be part of the nation’s largest network of leading mini dental implant professionals. As a recognized Mini Dental Implant Center of America, we are connected with the top experts in the field, reflecting our commitment to the highest standards of excellence. This affiliation allows you to benefit from the collective expertise of the most skilled mini dental implant specialists across the country.
When Dr. Bivona is not in the dental office, he can be found spending time with his wife and their three little girls, Ellie, Livi and Isabelle. They love to travel and they have a passion for Mother Nature and spending time outdoors! They frequent the Sipsey Wilderness for backpacking and canoeing, as well as the Warrior River, where Dr. Bivona grew up spending weekends with his family.
Dr. Bivona loves meeting new people and looks forward to developing long-term relationships in his practice, Bivona Family Dental, where you will always be welcomed as family.
Call (205) 387-8888 today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Bivona.
Dr. Brittany Westerman specializes in advanced cosmetic dentistry, headache/migraine and TMJ pain treatment, implant dentistry, and therapeutic and esthetic applications of BOTOX (Botulinum Neurotoxin). She is a member of the American Dental Association, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, the Academy of General Dentistry, and the Academy of Laser Dentistry.
Dr. Westerman regularly attends continuing education courses whenever she has a chance, so she can deliver the most up-to-date techniques and the latest technology to her patients. She is trained and competent in cosmetic dentistry, implant dentistry, endodontics, pedodontics, periodontics, restorative dentistry, and prosthodontics.
Her goal as a dentist is to make all of her patients feel like family from the moment they walk in the door, until they leave the office. She has a true passion for renovating smiles and loves to help her patients improve and fall in love with their smiles. Dr. Westerman actually decided she wanted to become a dentist at age 15 after her childhood dentist fixed her own smile. She immediately noticed her improved smile dramatically changed her life by improving her overall confidence in herself. She hopes that she too can impact her patients in the same way.
Dr. Westerman was born in Opelika, Alabama, lived in Jasper, Alabama, for the majority of her childhood, then at the age of 15, her family moved to Dawsonville, Georgia. She is one of four daughters to Thad and Barbara Burgess. She and all three of her sisters attended the University of Georgia. She received her undergraduate degree in biological sciences with a pre-dental focus. After graduating from UGA, she completed a year of service through AmeriCorps, where she was mentor to eighth grade students at risk of dropping out in an inner-city school in Los Angeles, California. She then completed dental school at the Dental College of Georgia. She chose to complete additional training after dental school and gained an Advanced Education in General Dentistry Residency degree at the Birmingham VA Hospital and University of Alabama in Birmingham.
Dr. Haley Burgess earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Georgia and her Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the Dental College of Georgia in 2025. She practices at Bivona Family Dental and Once Upon a Smile, where she’s inspired by her family of dental professionals to help patients regain confidence in their smiles.
Dr. Haley Burgess was born in Auburn, Alabama, and spent her early childhood in Jasper before moving to Dawsonville, Georgia, a place she proudly called home for the next 21 years. She graduated high school from Dawson County High School in 2016 and went on to attend the University of Georgia, earning her Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences in 2020. (Go Dawgs!)
Following her passion for healthcare and helping others, Dr. Burgess attended the Dental College of Georgia in Augusta, where she earned her Doctor of Dental Medicine degree in May 2025.
Inspired by her older sister, Dr. Westerman, Dr. Burgess discovered early on that restoring someone’s smile is one of life’s greatest rewards.
Dr. Burgess currently practices at Bivona Family Dental and spends her Wednesdays at Once Upon a Smile alongside Dr. Ansley Allen.
Outside of dentistry, Dr. Burgess enjoys spending time with her fiancé, Brody—her partner of 15 years. She considers her dad her greatest blessing, and they share a love for attending college football and basketball games together. Family plays a big role in her life. She has three older sisters, including Dr. Brittany Westerman, who practices dentistry in Jasper, and a twin sister, Lauren, who is also a dentist in Georgia. Dr. Burgess is a proud aunt to four nieces and two nephews, and she loves watching them grow up.
