In 2012, Dr. K purchased the practice from Dr. Terry Horlick (who retired in 2015), and branded it as Caring Tree Childrens Dentistry. Caring Tree is now expanding to include a second office in Lincoln later in 2018. Dr. K nurtures a supportive, joyful, and cohesive team in her practice, knowing this ensures the most positive dental experiences for our young patients and their families.
One of her most profoundly touching moments came when she and her slightly younger sister were babysitting their much younger and then very small sister, a toddler. They decided to encourage the little one to walk by standing at opposite ends of the room and calling to her. The adolescent Dr. K and sister cajoled, cheered, supported and reassured the baby. Much to their surprise, the toddler took her first steps! This was an exciting and life-affirming moment for a teenage girl.
When Dr. K was in high school, she got a job with a local dentist and orthodontist. At the time, like most high school kids, it seemed like a way to get some income. As time went on, she became fascinated by interacting with so many different people during the course of the day. She loved the science of dentistry there was so much to learn.
A guidance counselor inadvertently propelled Dr. K to dental school by suggesting she set her sights on working for another dentist as a hygienist. Always an achiever, Dr. K felt she would be happier becoming her own boss. Not long after that, she attended Case Western Reserve University, graduating in only six years instead of the typical eight.
Always valuing a relationship with others, she was interested in patients stories while in dental school. She took the time to listen and develop a bond with them, earning their trust and honoring them as individuals. She was surprised when these patients often brought her small presents as tokens of their gratitude. As far as Dr. K was concerned, the gift of time was essential and natural she truly cared what they had to say.
An Aunt was an exciting and enchanting role model for young Dr. K. This Aunt was an independent and opinionated woman with a singular goal to become an airline pilot. Dr. K followed her Aunts career with fascination and reverence. The Aunt began her career as a flight instructor, then became a pilot flying freight at night. So difficult was it at that time for her to enter a male-dominated field, she needed the tenacity and sheer focus to persevere. Now, she is a pilot for Delta Airlines. She was the first woman in Dr. Ks family to achieve such an impressive level of education and responsibility, and served as a wonderful model to encourage a young woman to follow her own path.
Her long list of goals includes riding her bicycle across the United States, learning to speak Spanish well, and someday perhaps joining the Peace Corps. She loves spending time with her daughter, a toddler and watching her grow and learn. She also looks forward to traveling with her husband and daughter to India, Asia and eventually Africa. The discovery of new and creative foods is part of the pleasure of travel.
The creation of a cohesive and joyful team who supports one another is something Dr. K works to nurture in her practice. After purchasing Caring Tree Childrens Dentistry in August of 2012, she immediately set out to honor and show respect to her entire team, knowing that this ensures the very best of experiences to her young patients and their families.
Doctor of Dental Surgery Pediatric Dental Certificate American Board of Pediatric Dentistry Board Certification California Oral Conscious Sedation License Staff Member Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Basic Life Support Certification
Robyn truly understands the challenges parents with young children face. As a single mother of three children before she was 25, she held two jobs and attended Dental School to become a Registered Dental Assistant. Although at times it was daunting, she persevered, and graduated at the top of her class.
This tenacity still serves her well. The desire to make a better life for her family has given her the vision to move forward in spite of everyday struggles. Her son, now a young adult, has had a serious chronic health issue for much of his life, requiring many surgeries over the years. Because of this, she has had ample opportunity to observe medical personnel communicate with both her and her son. She wants to do better than many of those with whom she has interacted.
As a result, she has learned how to communicate with empathy; to recognize fear and frustration in parents and kids. Having spent so much time in hospitals, she has an uncommon perspective into the challenge faced by a parent whose child needs hospital dentistry, and can truly help them know they are in competent hands.
One of her goals is to someday open a full-service shelter for families one which will fill the basic needs of all people with respect and compassion. She values hard work and is known for her insistence on working until the job is done no matter how long it takes.
Robyn grew up on the familys dairy farm with her sister. She remembers always being surrounded by family her Dad had 10 siblings and her Mom 4, so Aunts, Uncles and Cousins were always present. Long days on the dairy were made interesting to a young girl by riding on the tractor and feeding the hungry animals.
One of her favorite role models is a nurse who cared for her son at Childrens Hospital in Los Angeles. This nurse, in spite of being tired and overworked, took it upon herself to make certain Robyns son got all services he needed, even when this meant she followed up by making calls to doctors or social services on her own time.
She is also acutely aware of the need for compassion and acceptance. As a young child, Debbie lived in the same small neighborhood of South San Francisco with three of her closest friends. Although each came from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities, they recognized a kindred spirit in each other. Inseparable, the girls explored, learned and shared.
During an adventure in Golden Gate Park as ten-year-olds, they encountered a group of older girls who were far more street-wise. These girls were angry and berated Debbies best friend of color for being with her. Until then, the four never even gave a thought to their differences; so connected were they by their similarities. Afraid but undaunted, Debbie felt the sting of injustice. It was the beginning of a lifelong quest to promote tolerance and respect for all people. To this day Debbie and her friend Sharda, whose family came from India, are still close.
A painfully shy child, Debbie was not comfortable talking with her teacher or classmates in her early school years. In fact, so shy was she that she simply didnt speak until second grade. Her third-grade teacher saw who she was inside an intelligent, curious little girl who simply hadnt learned to speak her mind. Mrs. White made an effort to complement Debbie often, showing interest in her opinions and ideas. As is often the case, the simple kindness of one adult opened the door for Debbie to develop self-confidence and courage.
Like many reserved people, Debbies listening skills serve her well in her position as Receptionist for Caring Tree. She loves the curiosity of the children she meets and is especially fascinated with adolescents their many interests, boundless energy, busy lives and inquisitive nature.
Bill is a nearly complete newcomer to the dental world. Other than late-night and dinner table conversations with Dr. K about prophylaxis or the pros and cons of composites versus amalgams, his primary entry into this world is based upon the fact that he, indeed, has teeth. (Youll surely note it in his gleaming smile.) Prior to working at Caring Tree, Bill practiced as a criminal defense attorney for nearly 15 years. At some point, he began to realize that something felt a little off with his life. (At this point, it should probably be mentioned that Bill not only works for Dr. K, but hes also married to her.)
Anyway, at those times when late-night and dinner-table conversations between Bill and Dr. K were not about dentistry or the law, they steered towards the stress of being full-time working parents. Bill and Chelle (thats her home name, along with Momma) both realized that they were working very hard and piling on tons of stress and something different needed to be done. In early 2019, they cautiously and nervously agreed that Bill should leave the law and work for Dr. K thats right, for, not with. While you might think that he gets a pass because of his marital status, youd be right, but for the wrong reason. He gets a pass because he works for an amazing person and, yeah, he actually likes it.
Bills focus will be twofold: marketing and front-office assisting. Most of his focus will be on building up the Lincoln Caring Tree Office. That means that Bill will always put forth his best argument as to why Caring Tree is the best (and frankly, the only) option for your childs dental care. Except, instead of making a dramatic closing argument in front of a jury, hell just let your kids health and happiness speak for him.
Lucy has been with Caring Tree (in her heart) since she met Dr. K back in their Western Sierra days. Then she finally started working here in 2011 until she just had to leave in 2018 to stake her own claim and start a local and online bead and jewelry business. While making and selling jewelry, she finally tied the knot with Shane and soon after, they had Misael. Lucy may only have been a mom since 2019, but this local lady is full steam ahead in being the best mom she can be, and is.
Shed be the first to admit that raising a kid is exhausting and so she needs the down time to come to work at a wait a kids dental office? Whatever her reasons, Caring Tree is happy to have her. Her laughter and positive attitude is especially contagious. And dont be fooled by that sweet person who greets you shes no pushover and she has a sense of humor that is often better left in the breakroom. She cant be too soft as the oldest of three kids.
All the siblings were born and raised in the back-country remote hills of Grass Valley. As she was graduating from Nevada Union her father persuaded her to go to Dental Assisting school. Its hard to say no to the two people who have the most positive influence on her: mom and dad. So, when she graduated from High School, she was already qualified as a Dental Assistant. Lucky for her, because that led her to realize shes better at being a receptionist than an assistant.
Lucy continues to work on herself, her family and her jewelry. Dont be shy about asking to see some of her beading, Im sure she has some on hand. And if you hear some deep, heartfelt laughter in the office, theres a good chance its coming from Lucy. Just make sure you really want to ask what was so funny, cause she just might tell you.
Lets start by acknowledging that Catherine has lived the most interesting life in our office. I mean who else in this office raised 5 Siberian Huskies for a Racing Sled Team? So, you might ask, what brings her to our little dental office in Lincoln? We dont ask such questions here were just grateful to have her.
A poet at 4, Catherine proudly hails from a Nut Family (and were not talking amonds) where the sounds of music, the smell of good food and the sight of family was always present. Her family is filled with musicians, chefs and academics. They gave her her love of music (piano, accordion, guitar, violin and songwriting) and adventure (living the nomadic lifestyle). And of course, a family of educators instilled a lifetime of learning and listening in Catherine. Other than learning the whole new field of dentistry, she is re-taking up painting as she continues to work on her violin skills.
But, clearly family was not enough for her, so she ventured out to the gritty streets of London and New York and the sun-dappled island of Crete to cut her musical chops in the footsteps of the Chieftains and Richard Thompson. Exploring Europe appears to have fueled her desire to learn about people from many different cultures and eat their food.
This strong lady learned her ways from her Grandmother and a dear friend and mentor, Victor, an architect and sculptor. Grandma, a funny, strong and honest woman taught her about family and elbow grease, and Victor taught her about herself and to never back down. Nonetheless, her soft side gains warmth from the kids and her colleagues at Caring Tree.
Going to the dentist isnt easy for many adults, and for some children it can feel just plain scary, at least at first. Most kids are fine without sedation. Our compassionate team takes special care to work with anxious kids, but sometimes additional assistance becomes necessary to keep kids at ease.
The essential connection between dental and overall health has become more mainstream over the past several years in both the medical and dental communities. As that knowledge base continues to grow, the popularity of sedation dentistry increases at a similar pace. While dental anxiety and fears are common, the many possible negative consequences for avoiding the dentist are serious enough that people have taken note.
Sedation dentistry may be something to consider if you and Dr. K decide it is necessary and appropriate for your childs age, individual circumstances, and specific dental procedure. Caring Tree Childrens Dentistry offers the options of nitrous oxide (laughing gas), oral sedation, or IV sedation. Dr. K will explain all the potential benefits and risks before you choose sedation for your child.
A common misconception about sedation dentistry is that it means putting a kid in the dental chair and making them completely unconscious, but there are different types and levels of sedation, and the ones offered by Caring Tree Childrens Dentistry are conscious sedation. It is recommended that parents exercise extreme caution when considering sedation for a child under three years old.
Conscious sedation controls pain and helps kids relax, but they remain awakesleepy but conscious, breathing on their own, able to respond to the dentist and team, but in a dreamlike state. Time usually goes by quickly. Children typically return to their energetic selves within six hours of conscious sedation depending on the method of administration.
Pediatric dentists train for 2-3 additional years to learn safe sedation techniques. Sedation can alleviate general agitation in kids while enhancing feelings of contentment, which is particularly helpful with special needs children.
Conscious sedation is the most commonly used type for pediatric patients because they remain alert enough to respond to verbal cues. Kids usually return to their usual selves within six hours of conscious sedation depending on how it was administered.
Many people confuse sedation with anesthesia (medication for pain). Anesthesia is administered separately from sedation, as pain and physical discomfort are unaffected by sedation medicines, regardless of strength. Anesthesia is usually given by injection accompanied by a topical numbing agent that reduces the poke sensation. Even the heaviest form of conscious sedation IV sedation does not mean the patient will be unconscious during the procedure when used on its own.
Local anesthesia numbs specific regions of the body while blocking nerves, while general anesthesia involves complete loss of consciousness, putting the patient into a deep sleep where heart and breathing need assistance to continue. If a child is less than two years old, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends general anesthesia only be used in a hospital setting with medical support teams at the ready in case of emergency.
Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is an antibiotic liquid treatment for hypersensitive teeth, tooth decay, and cavities. SDF is a good stopgap method for young children who still have baby teeth, but future restoration may still necessary. It is considered a low-cost preventive measure to inhibit cavity and disease progression in primary and sometimes permanent teeth.
The combined ingredients of SDF form its effectiveness the silver component kills bacteria, while the fluoride acts to prevent further breakdown of the tooth structure. It requires minimal intervention and is completely noninvasive, since it is applied with a brush.
SDF has been used around the world for some time, becoming FDA-approved in the United States in 2014. Silver compounds in dentistry have proven safe for more than 80 years on the condition that no silver allergy is present in the patient.
SDF is effective for use in teeth with healthy pulp that are free of infection and necrosis. It is an appropriate treatment for children, persons with disabilities, for those who cannot tolerate conventional dental methods, or those who have limited access to dental care and traditional restorative treatment for dental decay.
At Caring Tree Childrens Dentistry, we understand that things happen. Most kids are risk takers who play hard. They may fall, wipe out on bikes or skates, or have other mishaps. Broken, missing, and decayed teeth not only affect oral health, but can lead to awkward eating and smiling or even pain.
Tooth-colored fillings are made with composite resin (white or tooth-colored) material, but Dr. K also offers metal amalgam (silver) fillings as well. If a cavity is too large for a composite or amalgam filling, a crown will be recommended that is made of either stainless steel or zirconia. The type of filling or crown recommended depends on the size and location of the area being filled, and sometimes other factors as well. We usually recommend tooth-colored composite fillings for teeth closer to the front, where silver amalgam fillings may be better for back teeth.
If your child has a badly decayed or broken tooth, a crown restoration may be necessary to restore full function. Crowns are tooth-shaped caps that fit over any healthy tooth structure, allowing the tooth to perform at full health and appearance. Tooth-colored zirconia crowns are more durable than most metal fillings and can match tooth color closely. Dr. K also offers stainless steel crowns; she does not typically recommend zirconia over stainless steel but does offer the option for aesthetic purposes. A crown can protect your childs tooth, improve oral health, and help maintain those bright little smiles.
