Dr.Richard B. Shapiro grew up in Brooklyn, New York and graduated with honors with a degree in Psychology (quite helpful in dealing with apprehensive patients) from the City University of New York.  He moved to Atlanta to attend Emory University’s prestigious School of Dentistry. Although he always thought he would move back to New York, after 4 years of living in Atlanta he decided to settle down here.  Little 5 Points and the surrounding community appealed to him on many levels, especially the diversity and tolerance, the sense of neighborhood and community, the pedestrian lifestyle, the respect for historic structures, and the eclectic often quirky populace.  When he discovered that a consortium of local residents had purchased an historic building to renovate and attract health care professionals, it sealed the deal.

For over 30 years Dr. Shapiro has both practiced and lived in the community. He has been active professionally as a member of the American Dental Association, the Georgia Dental Association, the American Academy of the History of Dentistry, and the Georgia Board of Dentistry has engaged him for many years as an Independent Outside Consultant to evaluate the competence and quality of treatment being rendered by other Dentists in the state. For many years he has been an Atlanta Magazine’s Top Dentists In Atlanta, 5 Star Dentist. He has written numerous articles on Dental Health for local publications and there have been a number of articles written about him.

He has also been active in the community, often taking leadership roles with: The Little 5 Points Business Association, The Partnership for Little Five Points, The Inman Park Neighborhood Association, The Candler Park Neighborhood Organization, Little 5 Alive, Little Five Points Community Improvement District Board, the L5P Alliance and The Ponce de Leon/Moreland Avenue Corridor Study, to name a few. He volunteered for Mary Lin Elementary School’s "Buddy Program” for several years, tutoring a struggling student every week. He has received numerous awards in recognition of his accomplishments and for spearheading many projects.