Dental Hygienist

1.  Smoking or using any tobacco products accelerates the chance for tooth loss.
2.  Bad breath is usually caused by bacteria that are found on the tongue.
3.  You should change your toothbrush every 2 to 3 months or after a flu or cold.
4.  Oral habits such as cheek and lip biting increase the chance for oral cancer.
5.  The best age to take a child for his/her first visit to the dentist is between 18-24 months.
6.  Periodontitis is inflammation of the supporting structures of a tooth or teeth including
the gum, the periodontal ligament and the jaw bone.
7.  Gingivitis is inflammation of the gums.
8.  Fluoride is useful because it decreases the chance for cavities.
9. As we get older, our chance for cavities increases.
10.  McCarl dentists and hygienists recommend that you brush your teeth twice daily and floss your teeth daily.

Over 75 percent of Americans over the age of 35 have some form of gingivitis or gum disease.

Gum disease and gingivitis are associated with heart disease, diabetes, stroke, arthritis, respiratory disease and pregnancy complications. Gingivitis is inflammation of the gums is caused by an accumulation of plaque (soft, sticky, colorless bacteria) above the gum line which often causes red, swollen and tender gums that may bleed when you brush. Some symptoms of gingivitis are not painful, so if you do not visit your dentist at least every six months, gingivitis may remain undiagnosed and untreated. At this early stage of gum disease, damage can be reversed because gingivitis does not affect the bone and connective tissue that hold the teeth in place.

During the earliest stage of Periodontitis, the supporting bone and fibers that hold your teeth in place are already irreversibly damaged. “Pockets” which trap food and plaque form below your gum line. Proper dental treatment and improved home care can usually help prevent further damage. When periodontitis advances, the fibers and bone supporting your teeth are destroyed, which causes teeth to shift and loosen. At this stage, even aggressive treatment may not be able to save your teeth and they may need to be removed.

Prevention is the best strategy!
The key to preventing gingivitis and periodontitis is to remove the plaque and bacteria that accumulate on your teeth. Regular dental check-ups and professional cleanings are extremely important.

Good at-home oral hygiene is also crucial. You can help prevent gingivitis by brushing teeth twice a day and daily flossing to clean in between teeth where your tooth brush cannot reach.

When necessary our dental hygienists treat periodontitis with scaling or planing techniques to loosen and remove the plaque and bacteria in the pockets. Following scaling or professional cleaning, it is vital to maintain good brushing and flossing habits.  All  of our dentists and dental hygienists at McCarl Dental Group are experts in the prevention and treatment of gum disease.  McCarl dentists were voted Top Annapolis Dentists!

It is very evident to our patients when they meet Christine Stovenour that she is not only a highly skilled dental hygienist, but also an exceptionally caring and wonderful person.  Christine started working at the Greenbelt office of McCarl Dental Group as a dental assistant when she was sixteen. “My older sister Rachel recommended me for the position after she had been working at McCarl Dental Group for a few months.”   The dentists at McCarl Dental Group were immediately impressed with Christine’s maturity.  After working at the dental office for a few years, she decided to become a dental hygienist. “I knew I wanted to have a career in the medical field because I really liked the patient connection.  I enjoy helping my patients feel comfortable and want them to have a positive experience at the dentist.  Christine put herself through school while working full time.  She has always shown tremendous work ethic and perseverance.  Her transition from dental assistant to hygienist was very smooth.

Christine says, “Becoming a Dental Hygienist has been a great career path for me.  Not only do I love meeting, treating and educating patients on their oral health on a daily basis but my great work schedule allows me to be home with my one year old son two days a week.  I love the flexibility with my schedule that Dental Hygiene allows me.  The McCarls have always made family a priority and, therefore, are extremely understanding with their staff about family issues.  I really appreciate this aspect of my job because family is very important to me.”  As mentioned above, Christine and her sister Rachel work together. Their younger sister, Emily, also works with Christine and Rachel at McCarl Dental Group.

Christine enjoys continuing education courses on a variety of dental topics.
She is interested in nutrition and the effects on oral health as well as all of the latest studies on the links between gum disease and the effects on a person’s overall health (diabetes, heart disease, etc.)  “It helps me to educate my patients about how important their oral health is and how it affects their overall health.”  Our patients are very complementary about their hygiene visits with Christine and all of our staff members enjoy working with her.

McCarl Dental Group’s Spectacular Sisters – Rachel, Emily and Christine

Dental hygienist Nancy Kearney came to the Greenbelt office of McCarl Dental Group twenty years ago and has been a cornerstone of our hygiene department ever since! Her exceptional technical proficiency and outstanding comprehensive care have earned her a dedicated following of patients who genuinely appreciate her attention to detail.  Many of those patients credit Nancy’s motivational speeches with keeping them on track and saving their teeth from gum disease.  Nancy is a superb hygienist who delivers the very highest quality of dental hygiene care.

Nancy says what she likes most about being a hygienist is informing and educating her patients on the impact of periodontal disease on their overall health. “My favorite class in college was nutrition, so I’m constantly pursuing continuing education courses that focus on nutrition. I love recommending vitamins and foods that will help my patients overall health. My favorite part of my job is my coworkers and the families we serve. I treasure the relationships I have made at the McCarl Dental office. The funny thing is when I took this job twenty years ago I was planning on changing careers. I primarily worked in small offices and was getting bored so I was planning on going into medical or pharmaceutical sales. Well I certainly haven’t been bored working as a dental hygienist for McCarl Dental Group!”

Nancy’s confidence and playful sense of humor are well known around the office.  Whether it is dressing up in humorous costumes for Halloween, discussing Scranton, PA as the epicenter of the known universe, or entertaining people at the annual “McCarl Bowlarama” and Christmas parties, Nancy is not shy about having fun.  Although she is very serious about preventative dental health care, her patients enjoy her friendly, caring demeanor and beautiful smile.

Nancy and her husband Joe have two teenage children and thrive on their very busy and fast-paced life! Shannon is sixteen with her driver’s permit. She enjoys playing field hockey and softball. Joseph is fourteen and enjoys playing basketball and baseball. Joe is working hard on his MBA at the Johns Hopkins University while working full time and coaching our son’s basketball team.

A few years ago Nancy’s husband Joe accepted a job in another state, and we had a tearful farewell. At the very last minute, the job and move fell through and we got a frantic call from Nancy, “Have you hired any one for my job yet?”  Fortunately for us, her corner room was still open!  The Dentists at McCarl Dental Group are grateful for the excellent dental hygiene care that Nancy provides to our patients.

Sarah Chisholm has been a hygienist with the McCarl Dental family for 17 years. “I came to the McCarl Dental Group in 1992 as a temporary hygienist and loved it so much I stayed!  The best part is of course our office family. We work so well together and our dentists and staff truly are a source of kindness and support.  It’s what I affectionately call the “McCarl Brain Trust.” Someone at work always knows the answer to a question, or can point you in the right direction.”

Sarah has made significant contributions to McCarl Dental Group over the years. Last November she arranged for a guest speaker to update the entire staff regarding the latest initiatives on infection control so that we meet and exceed required standards. Sarah also regularly attends dental continuing education courses on a variety of topics including advances in periodontal care, nutrition and Invisalign Orthodontics. She always shows initiative and gets jobs done quickly and efficiently. We value Sarah’s high energy and professional demeanor.

Sarah tells us, “One of the many things I enjoy about being a hygienist is building relationships with my patients. Our office is unique in that we have many multi-generational patients. These long term relationships make it comfortable for our patients to share information about medical changes and for the dentists and hygienists to introduce the latest information as well as the newest technologies in dental care and products. In recent years we have been educating our patients about the link between periodontal and cardiovascular disease.  Our patients are very responsive and appreciate the concern we show not just for their dental health, but whole body health as well.”

Sarah also contributes to our office with her fabulous sense of humor.  Where ever she is, a trail of laughter is sure to follow. A big part of that was being the only girl in her family, raised with three hockey playing brothers, one of them her twin! She has an irrepressible smile, and enjoys her job, her patients and a good laugh. Sarah and her husband Pat were high school sweethearts, and live in Rockville with their two sons Nick and Sam. Sarah adds, “When we are not busy with our boys’ sports and activities, we love to golf.”

What started as a carefree summer job before her senior year of high school turned into a career path for our dental hygienist, Kimberly Talbot.  Like many of our long time employees, Kim was recruited by Drs. McCarl after her mother Beth Smith began working as a receptionist at the Greenbelt office of McCarl Dental Group.  Kim continued working through her senior year at Severna Park High School and while attending Anne Arundel Community College.  “The doctors were always so flexible, letting me work around my changing school schedules” Kim recalls.  In 2005 Kim graduated from Dental Hygiene school at the top of her class earning the Golden Scaler Award.  Dr. Clayton McCarl was so confident of Kim’s success in hygiene school that he predicted she would be the “Golden Scaler” before Kim’s first day of class!  This award is presented annually to a student that has demonstrated remarkable skill and talent over the course of their classes. Golden Scaler students have the special “golden touch” that will serve them well as they begin their new career in dental hygiene. The award is a testament to her achievement. Armed with her golden scaler, Kim works part time as a hygienist in both our Greenbelt and Shipley’s Choice offices.  Kim is well known for her gentle touch and keeping patients at ease.  “I have always loved the dental field, but when I first started college I was also considering a career in teaching.  As a dental hygienist, I am able to do both.  Evaluating and treating patients is important, but I also get to educate and I love it!”  Another reason that Kim loves working with the Severna Park Dentists at McCarl Dental Group at Shipley’s Choice is that her mother, Beth, is our receptionist. “My mom and I have the best relationship and it is so fun and rewarding to get to work with her.”

“I have been with the McCarl Dental Group for 17 years.  That is half of my life!  They are not just bosses and coworkers, they are family!”

Beth Smith has been a fabulous addition to McCarl Dental Group since 1992 when she started working at the front desk in our Greenbelt, Maryland office. She helped open our second location at the Shipley’s Choice Medical Park in Millersville, Maryland in 2003, and still anchors operations at that office today. Beth greets each of our patients with a beautiful, sincere smile and attends to all of their administrative needs. Her cheerful disposition and exceptional competence make Beth a favorite of our Severna Park, Annapolis and Millersville patients.

This is how Beth became an employee at McCarl Dental Group, “My first encounter with the McCarls was on the Severn River. We were boating with friends, as were Clayton and Lisa McCarl, when we were introduced across the waves. Several weeks later, Clayton and I met again at the gym and through conversation discovered that I worked for a dentist.  He asked if I was happy with my job and I was, so that was that.  About a year later he came to me again with the same question and I felt ready for a change.  Well, it changed my life.  Within six months my daughter Kim joined the team as an assistant after high school and Saturdays.  Her sister also worked for a short time until going onto college.  Seventeen years later, Kim is a hygienist with two beautiful boys and we still enjoy the opportunity to work together in a family environment that extends to our patients.  Although I don’t spend as much time at the gym, I do enjoy playing tennis, gardening and volunteering through our local community church.”
You may have the pleasure of seeing Kim Talbot, Beth’s daughter as a hygienist sometime.  Kim works part-time at with the Severna Park Dentists at McCarl Dental Group at Shipley’s Choice in Millersville.

Sally McCarl Moore has been practicing as a Registered Dental Hygienist since 1980, and works in the McCarl Dental Group offices in Greenbelt and Millersville. Sally is known for her excellent clinical skills and is constantly updating professional techniques and products based on the latest research. Her main focus however, is the personal relationship she forms with each of her patients. Sally is compassionate and has a great sense of humor. She has built wonderful friendships with her patients over the years and is a great asset to our practice. Sally teases her long time patients that when anything of importance happens to them the first person they should call is their dental hygienist!  A relaxed atmosphere and a lot of laughter make a trip to the Greenbelt, Annapolis and Severna Park Dentists at McCarl Dental Group an enjoyable one. Who says dental visits can’t be fun!

Sally is the sister of Drs. Clayton and Jay McCarl, and is Dr. David McCarl’s cousin. She started working as a dental assistant with her father, Dr. Clayton McCarl Sr. when she was sixteen. Each Saturday and every summer vacation was spent at the Greenbelt office learning the family business. While assisting in high school and college, Sally worked beside her aunt, Mary Jean McCarl Bonham. Many of her cousins also worked for the dental office in various positions ranging from dental assistant to lawn maintenance. “We were taught at a young age about the importance of serving others and to take great pride in our work. Our grandfather and fathers lead by a strong example that made a great impression on us all.”

Sally lives with her husband, Brian in Crofton. She has three fabulous grown children, Kelly, Colleen and Alex. They are all enjoying and excelling in their fields as an attorney, history teacher, and accountant.

Sally’s husband, Brian likes to joke that she should be a great hygienist; because that’s the only job she’s ever had!  Sally says, “Actually that is true. I never saw the point in working anywhere else. What could be better than working with your family?”