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

Electric tooth brushes are excellent for more thorough brushing because they make it easier to have the proper technique for cleaning teeth and gums, reducing tooth decay, gingivitis and other gum disease. Not everyone takes the time to correctly angle manual tooth brush bristles and apply the needed motion.  If teeth are brushed too hard, the gum tissue can become damaged causing recession and tooth sensitivity. An electric toothbrush requires less pressure, leaving gums with minimal damage from brushing. Even though it exerts less pressure, an electric toothbrush enhances plaque removal providing whiter and cleaner teeth and fresher breath.

Even with the most effective tooth brushing techniques, it is important to have a professional cleaning and dental exam at least every six months.  Please visit McCarl Dental Group one mile from Severna Park where we emphasize quality dental care, healthy smiles and patient satisfaction.

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.”

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?”

Gail joined McCarl Dental Group in 1979 when she answered an ad in the Greenbelt News Review for a receptionist. Dr. Clayton McCarl Sr. met Gail and decided she would be a fabulous dental assistant, working directly with him at chair-side. College Park Dentist, Dr. Clayton Sr. and his wife Jane became very fond of Gail and welcomed her to the McCarl Dental “family.” Gail moved to her position at the front desk soon before Dr. Clayton McCarl, Sr. retired, and has been happily assigned there ever since.

Gail says, “I am blessed to have so many wonderful and treasured memories of working with Dr. Clayton McCarl, Sr. and the entire McCarl family over the years. The Drs. McCarl have always made me feel as if I were a part of their family, for which I am very grateful.”

Gail lives in Beltsville with her husband and 12 year old daughter. Her two grown sons live nearby in Ellicott City and Berwyn Heights.

Lois says, ” Working in this office has always been a good fit for me and I really enjoy our patients and the people who work on the McCarl dental team.” THANK YOU LOIS for your dedication to our dental office and especially our patients!

At McCarl Dental Group, we are happy to provide complementary consultations for Greenbelt and Severna Park porcelain veneers, crowns and dental implants.

Not only are our dentists multi-generational, we also have several employees whose sons and daughters work at the dental office. Two of our mother-daughter teams have worked together at McCarl Dental Group for more than 14 years! We are blessed with several sets of siblings among our employees. The family connections in our office are truly remarkable! We appreciate all of our staff and especially value their long term commitment to our family dental office and especially our patients.