Our office is committed to helping you maximize your insurance benefits. Because insurance policies vary, we can only estimate your coverage in good faith but cannot guarantee coverage due to the complexities of insurance contracts. Your estimated patient portion must be paid at the time of service. As a service to our patients, we will bill insurance companies for services and allow them 45 days to render payment. After 60 days, you are responsible for the entire balance, paid-in-full. If you have any questions, our courteous team is always available to answer them.

Dr. Herring is most known by his patients as jovial, kind, and gentle. He wants to provide his patients and his team with a comforting environment in which to receive dental treatment and work. Starkville Smiles has become family to many people because of this.

Dr. Herring is a townie through and through. Born and raised in Starkville, he graduated from Starkville High School in 1973. He graduated with highest distinction from Mississippi State University in 1977 with a General Science degree and then graduated from the University of Alabama School of Dentistry in 1980. After graduating, he came right back to Starkville to work with his uncle. He then bought his first practice from Dr. Black, in the space where Deep South Pout is now! After quickly growing, he built his current office in 1987.

Dr. Herring has been married to Karen for 37 years and has two daughters. Their daughter, Kathryn, graduated from Mississippi State and is working in Tupelo, Mississippi. Their daughter, Elizabeth, has graduated dental hygiene school from the University of Mississippi and is working with us. She is married to Dr. Jon Woolfolk, a graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry. Jon joined our practice in July 2011, making this a true family practice.

After completing a thorough exam and any necessary X-rays, we will talk with you to discover just what you desire for your teeth. We will then explain your treatment options to you in a way that you can understand so that we can plan your treatment together. In many cases, we will complete priority needs as soon as we can, and then we will complete more flexible needs as you can work them into your life.

We recommend that a childs first dental visit be scheduled by his/her 3rd birthday. It is very important to make the first visit as positive and enjoyable for the child as possible. We want your child to enjoy getting to know our doctors and staff and be comfortable at all times. A pleasant, comfortable first visit builds trust and helps put the child at ease during future dental visits. Let the child know that the doctors and staff will explain everything in detail and will answer any questions he/she has. Children should be encouraged to discuss any fears or anxiety they feel.

Parents should not make a big deal out of the visit and refrain from using any words that could cause unnecessary fear, such as needle or drill. We are experienced in dealing with children with anxiety and can explain treatment procedures in a positive and pleasant manner to avoid any anxious or negative feelings toward dentistry.

We will record your childs dental and medical history, complete a comprehensive examination and discuss any findings with you. We have completed over 3000 orthodontic cases and will be evaluating your childs jaw growth and development and recommending any needed orthodontic treatment. We will also review the importance of maintaining a good dental health program with you and your child to ensure a healthy and beautiful smile for life!

While we can often answer these general questions about treatment during the initial examination, we will address specific areas after careful analysis of the diagnostic records. We feel it is important to analyze each patients specific needs, because in-depth planning leads to superior results and higher patient satisfaction.