Water Oak Dental operates as a comprehensive dental practice with very few referrals out to specialists. This means you get the quality care you need & deserve from dedicated and experienced professionals who work together as a team.

Dr. Jeffrey T. Root completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 1999. He earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree from Loma Linda University School of Dentistry (located in southern California) in 2004.

Dr. Root was blessed to be able to grow up in theBrevard, NCcommunity. He along with his wife Natacha have 4 children Kylie, Bailey, Reese and Tate. They spend most of their family time enjoying the mountains or playing at the lake. Dr. Roots hobbies include golfing, water skiing and fishing.

Dr. Root enjoyed his schooling at Loma Linda as it provided a chance to take part in mission service to many areas that do not typically receive dental care. Loma Linda also provided Dr. Root with extensive clinical training in all areas of general dentistry, including:Cosmetic Dentistry; Endodontics (root canals); Prosthodontics (crowns and bridges); Oral Surgery; Periodontics (having to do with gums and underlying bone); advanced training inOrthodontics(Invisalign) as well asPediatric Dentistry. He is a member of theAmerican Dental Association,North Carolina Dental Society and theTransylvania County Dental Society.

Dr. John Krishingner and his family moved to the Hendersonville, NC area in 1976. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, NC in 1995. He then spent the next eight years teaching high school at Fletcher Academy and running his fathers Surgical practice in Fletcher, North Carolina.

Dr. John earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree from Loma Linda University School of Dentistry, CA in 2006. After being away for his schooling, he was more than glad to come back to the mountains he loves and the place he grew up.

Dr. John and his wife Julie have three children, Tarah, Lantz, and Erica. He enjoys foremost spending time with his family, but also enjoys running, hiking, water skiing, golf and anything to do with sports and the outdoors.Dr John, currently serves on the Board of Directors for The Hunger Coalition of Transylvania and is the President of the Pisgah Forest Rotary Club. He volunteers for many local projects and is also very involved with his childrens school and his local church.

Loma Linda also provided Dr. John with extensive clinical training in all areas of dentistry, including:Cosmetic Dentistry; Endodontics (root canals); Operative Dentistry (fillings); Prosthodontics (crowns and bridges); Oral Surgery; Periodontics (gums related problems) as well as Pedodontics (Pediatric Dentistry). He is a member of theAmerican Dental Association,North Carolina Dental Society,California Dental Society, and theTransylvania County Dental Society.

Originally from Miami, Florida, Dr. Valdes was raised in a large Cuban family where Spanish was her first language. Dr. Valdes completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Florida in 2015, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Biology.Her dental education brought her to North Carolina, whereshe earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of North Carolina Adams School of Dentistry in 2019.

One of Dr. Valdes greatest passions is being able to give back to the community. While in dental school,under her tenureas Co-President of the Hispanic Dental Association, she started a free volunteer dental clinic, Vidas de Esperanza,locatedin Siler City, NC. Dr. Valdes also had the opportunity to provide quality care to the surrounding under-served community of the Triangle area as a coordinator for the Student Health Action Coalition. Here, she helped organize and manage free dental clinics every Wednesday night during her third year of dental school at UNC.

Dr. Valdesaccomplishedextensive clinical training in all areas of general dentistry including Cosmetic Dentistry, Endodontics (root canals), Prosthodontics (crowns and bridges), Oral surgery (extractions and dental implants), Periodontics (having to do with the gums and underlying bone), Orthodontics (traditional braces as well as Invisalign), and Pediatric Dentistry. She is a member of the American Dental Association, the Hispanic Dental Association, and the North Carolina Dental Society.

When Dr. Valdes is not in the office, you can find her appreciating the outdoors, hiking through the mountains, and riding her bike through the WNC trails. She also enjoys spending time with her family and salsa dancing.

Dr. Nicopoulos grew up on a farm, just down the mountain in Shelby, NC. As a teenager, he spent weekends hiking and camping in the WNC mountains, and so began his love for the area. Dr. A.J. attended college at Clemson University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences in 2008.

After working for a short time period, Dr. A.J. decided to return to school to pursue a career in Dentistry. He attended Dental School at the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry in Chapel Hill, where he earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 2019.

UNC provided Dr. Nicopoulos with extensive clinical training in Cosmetic Dentistry, Prosthodontics (Crowns, Bridges, and Partial/Complete Dentures), Endodontics (Root Canals), Oral Surgery (Implants and Extractions), Pediatric Dentistry, Orthodontics (Traditional braces and Invisalign), and Periodontics (Gum and bone related procedures). Dr. Nicopoulos is a member of the North Carolina Dental Society and the American Dental Association.