You could say that the practice of orthodontics is in Dr. David Hamilton’s blood. His grandfather practiced dentistry, his father was an internationally-known orthodontist who presided over the field’s national organization, and his brother is an orthodontist. So it was no surprise when he chose to study orthodontics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – where he had become an award-winning captain of the undergraduate track team – and opened his practice in 1982.

And when he decided to bring another orthodontist on board in 2006, he chose Dr. Jason Herring – who happens to be married to a dentist. Dr. Herring also studied at UNC Chapel Hill and was valedictorian of his dental school class. Together, they head up Hamilton & Herring Orthodontics, located at 322 Tenth Avenue Drive NE in Hickory.

At Hamilton & Herring, clients receive the most advanced and diverse array of orthodontic services available, from early intervention to state-of-the-art braces, Invisalign®, digital radiography,
laser therapy, temporary implants and beyond. But they also receive something that is nearing extinction in most medical practices today: personal service.

“I feel we do an excellent job of giving the patient dedicated time with the doctors,” says Dr. Herring. “Orthodontics is a profession where many tasks can be delegated, but we try to provide our patients with a lot of individual attention from the doctors.”

“We orient ourselves toward an individualized, patient-focused practice,” says Dr. Hamilton. “We take a lot of pride in getting to know our patients.”

“One of the most fun parts of orthodontics is developing friendships with our patients and their families,” Dr. Herring adds. “Since we follow many of our patients on recall from an early age, we often have several years to get to know them and their families. Sometimes when we’re checking a finished patient’s retainers, we’ll pull up photographs from when they first came to our office and see a little elementary school face smiling at us – and in the chair is a high school senior or college student. It’s really neat to have that kind of history and relationship with our patients.”

Dr. Hamilton echoes these sentiments. “It’s becoming even more interesting for me, because I’m starting to treat a lot of my former patients’ children,” he remarks. “These are patients that I treated back in the eighties, and now they’re bringing their children in. That’s really fun, too.”
At Hamilton & Herring Orthodontics, treatment is often a family affair. Although early adolescence is the most typical time to receive orthodontic treatment, the doctors are able to help patients of all ages – from young children to adults. One such family is the Everetts, who started visiting the practice in 1994.

“My daughter had a very bad under bite when she was four years old,” says Tamela Everett. “Dr. Hamilton said that she might need jaw surgery, but that he could try treating her first to see if it could be avoided. She was in braces two different times, but she never had to have the surgery. Dr. Hamilton was able to keep her bite back during her growth years, and now she has a gorgeous smile.”

Everett’s son had braces during his teens, and Tamela herself wound up receiving treatment, too. “I had been grinding my teeth at night, and it changed my bite,” she explains. “So now it was my turn to be the patient!” Tamela was successfully treated with Invisalign®.

“You become so close with the doctors and the staff over the years that you actually miss them when you’re finished with treatment,” Everett adds. “You feel like part of the family. Most of the staff has been there for a long time; that alone says a lot. And both Dr. Hamilton and Dr. Herring are terrific people. They are good for the community.”

“Good for the community” is right. At Hamilton & Herring, community service is just as important as patient service.

“One thing that stood out to me was their dedication to community involvement,” says Hank Guess, who – along with his two sons – has been a patient at the practice. “Over the years, Dr. Hamilton has personally made trips to Baptist Medical Center and other places to help people, even those who could not afford his services. Knowing that they both put so much into the community really meant a lot to me.”

“We have always tried to give back, because we think that’s important,” explains Dr. Hamilton, who was named the YMCA’s Volunteer of the Year in 2006. “We’re out there serving hot chocolate to Girls on the Run, and we’ve been involved for years with Brett’s Ride for Rhabdo. Brett was actually one of my patients, so that means a lot.”

“We also host educational field trips for third grade classes,” Dr. Herring adds. “We do six modules of hands-on activities, like letting the kids take impressions of their front teeth and make them into plaster models in the lab, or place colors on braces on the teeth of stuffed animals. It’s really fun to watch them get excited about orthodontics.”
Patients’ parents get excited, too, from their experience with the practice. Consider the story of Hank Guess, who became a convert after his two sons received treatment at Hamilton & Herring. “When I was growing up, the kids I knew just didn’t go to the orthodontist,” Guess says. “I decided it was time after watching my kids’ experience at Hamilton & Herring. I just fell in love with the staff.

“We’re one hundred percent pleased with the work that was done,” Guess continues. “But the atmosphere and the attitude of the staff also made it a great experience.”

The Eley family had an equally good experience at Hamilton & Herring, but theirs began the other way around. At age 44, Thelma Eley decided that it was finally time to do something about the hereditary gaps in her teeth – so she made an appointment at Hamilton & Herring.

“I was the guinea pig for my family,” says Eley, whose daughters are now seeing the doctors for braces. “From Day One, I had an extremely positive experience. My treatment made such a dramatic difference for me that I truly think they have taken years off my appearance.

“I love their staff and the work they do,” Eley adds. “But what I like most is that they really care about you as a patient – like when Dr. Herring called me at home after an appointment, because he didn’t think he’d spent enough time explaining something to me at the office. It really impressed me that he was so concerned.”

This concern is reflected by both doctors’ personal commitment to staying at the top of their profession. Both Hamilton and Herring are the only two orthodontists in Hickory who are Diplomates of the American Board of Orthodontics, a designation that recognizes excellence beyond standard certification. For Drs. Hamilton and Herring, excellence in orthodontics requires a balance of scientific knowledge, technical ability, and artistic vision. As Dr. Herring puts it, “We pride ourselves in creating beautiful smiles.”