Meet Dr. Herring

I feel blessed and grateful to be an orthodontist. My profession allows me to be involved in a process that can truly change people’s lives, and that is very exciting to me. Sometimes, a person who has always been shy or embarrassed by their appearance will blossom into a confident, self-assured person as their smile changes during orthodontic treatment. It’s an amazing thing to be a part of, and I love it!

Our patients are some of the coolest and most interesting people I know! I love coming to work every day because I get to spend time with them and learn what’s going on in their lives. I am constantly blown away by how talented and involved our patients are. We become friends during the time we spend together, and to me, that’s one of the best things about being an orthodontist.

Education and Continuing Education

I went to college at Wake Forest University and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English literature in 1999. After college, I began my professional education at the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry in Chapel Hill. Dental school was a great experience for me, and I was valedictorian of my dental school class. I graduated with a Doctorate of Dental Surgery in 2003.

I continued at UNC as a resident in the Department of Orthodontics and earned a Master of Science in orthodontics in 2006. Despite all of my time in Chapel Hill, I am still a big Wake Forest fan, and I always pull for the Demon Deacons to beat the Tar Heels!

Dr. Hamilton and I believe that participating in continuing education is vital to our development as practitioners and enables us to provide our patients with the most sophisticated and appropriate treatment to meet their orthodontic goals. I seek out training in specific clinical topics whenever I feel a technique may improve the care of our patients. Recently, I have focused on expanding my expertise in treating different orthodontic problems with Invisalign® clear aligners.

My professional memberships provide continuing education courses that help us to keep up with the most current technologies and techniques in dentistry and orthodontics, as well as the best and most efficient ways to manage our practice. They include:

• Western Piedmont Dental Society, past president
• Foothills Dental Continuum
• 360 Summit Orthodontic Study Club
• University of North Carolina Orthodontic Alumni Association
• North Carolina Association of Orthodontists, 2018 president-elect
• Southern Association of Orthodontists
• American Association of Orthodontics

Outside the Office

I grew up in Fairmont, which is a small town in the southeast part of the state about an hour from the beach. My wife Kristin and I met in dental school and were married the summer before my last year of orthodontics residency. We moved to Hickory from Chapel Hill after graduation in June 2006. Kristin is a general dentist for kids and adults, and she has a great dental practice in Mountain View (www.kristinherringdds.com).

Kristin and I are blessed with two wonderful children. Our son Joshua Caleb Herring was born in March 2009 and our daughter Amelia Elizabeth Herring in September 2011.

Our children are bright, active, and fun loving, and I couldn’t be prouder of them. We have so much fun together. You’ll see from our pictures that we love outdoor adventures like hiking, biking, and snow skiing. We enlarged our family a bit more by getting a puppy in January 2017. Scout is our first dog, and he’s a golden retriever-cocker spaniel mix. He sheds a bunch, but he is full of love and energy!

In The Community

My Christian faith is very important to me, and my family worships at First Baptist Church in Hickory. My church involvements have included singing with the sanctuary choir, teaching Sunday School to youth and young adults, leading boys in missions training, and serving on various committees and the deacon board.

In the Hickory community, I have been a member of the board of managers of the Hickory Foundation YMCA, and I believe strongly in the mission of the Y to promote healthy living, youth development, and social responsibility. Also in our community, I am an active member of F3, which stands for Fitness, Fellowship, and Faith (f3nation.com, f3hickory.com). F3 has greatly enriched my life, and I encourage all the men in our area to check it out!