There are a lot of dental offices in Frederick—many with great backstories and wonderful people behind the scenes, but there are so many that it can be easy to go on unaware of the incredible experts we have access to in our backyard. Lucky us, we’ve gotten to know one of these experts who are newer to town–and we’re excited to introduce them to you. Meet Dr. Kevin Oakes, the internationally-renowned prosthodontist taking dental care and experience to a whole new level for the Frederick community.
For Dr. Oakes, Frederick has not been home for a long time. In fact, “home” was quite a different concept for him until he moved to the area in 2008. Raised in a military family, home had many zip codes throughout his childhood, from Germany, to Aberdeen, Maryland, to Vietnam. Eventually, his father’s military duties landed his family in Northern Virginia for a longer stint of time. Upon graduating high school, Dr. Oakes pursued his undergraduate degree at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He continued his academic endeavors at the Medical College of Virginia School of Dentistry, but with deep-rooted inspiration from his father, he felt it was time to follow the same trajectory. “...I have to say my dad was definitely an impact…he was a huge impact in my whole upbringing,” he recalled. And so to continue the legacy of his father, he joined the military, serving as a general dentist for several years and even getting married before applying to the rigorous two-year Prosthodontics residency program at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in D.C. Most expectedly, he was accepted and graduated with flying colors, and after many years of teaching and practicing prosthodontics, he was offered a fellowship at the Bethesda Naval Hospital in maxillofacial prosthetics. Dr. Oakes finished out his service as the Officer in Charge at Walter Reed, and with a 24-year of honor and service to our country, he decided it was finally time to retire—but that meant something different for him.
While Dr. Oakes was ready to retire from dentistry in the military, he was far from ready to be finished with the profession as a whole. His 24 years of service as a soldier and dentist were more than just faithful duty—they were passionate investment. The more he served and the more training he pursued, the more his love for serving others through the profession grew.
It was about the soldiers he was serving. “...It’s easy to see the changes…you have a special type of dedicated patient, and you know you make a difference,” he recalled. Being able to see the impact he was having on those soldiers whom he was helping fed his joy in trade. But it was also the artfulness of the trade itself that continued to entice him.
“...the idea of building and recreating is what prosthodontics is…and when I wanted to be a dentist, it was all about doing something and creating something…prosthodontics is like the extension of that in dentistry..” he explained.
And so, instead of retiring in the traditional way–into a career-free stage of life with no nine-to-five and less responsibility, Dr. Oakes had a different idea. His enjoyment of his profession had not diminished in the slightest, so why not open up his own private practice?
In 2008, he did just that as he opened the doors to Dental Arts of Frederick on Thomas Johnson Drive–and he has been moving forward ever since.
“I’ve got the greatest job! I get to do what I like every day, and I’ve got good people to do it with…” he confessed.
And as you can imagine, it is not your standard dental office. His love for the craft, passion for serving others and unique experience and training as a general dentist, prosthodontist and maxillofacial prosthodontist puts him on a whole different level. Not only is he uniquely qualified and committed to providing a certain level of care and service, but it is truly his joy to do so. Even still, he and the team at Dental Arts of Frederick continue searching for ways to improve and expand their offerings to better serve the community. The newest endeavor? Aethetic procedures.
“...As a prosthodontist, my specialty has been rebuilding faces,...so that was just an easy evolution,” he explained.
So whether you’re looking for a botox treatment, are wanting to banish some cellulite, or are hoping to tighten up loose skin, these are all things that Dental Arts of Frederick can help you with.
It’s like we said: there are so many dental offices in Frederick that it’s easy to put them all in the same category—but Dental Arts of Frederick is truly a hidden gem. With his passion for people and profession, his extensive experience and his unique offerings, Dr. Kevin Oakes has whipped up something special.
In the meantime, he is continuing to make himself at home in Frederick and is unabashedly proud to be here.
“This has been the first place to really have as a home…I feel I’m part of an entity…I like telling people I am from Frederick,” he shared. “...You know, you make mistakes in life and you make things that are successes. This is a success for me.” DentalArtsOfFrederick.com
“This has been the first place to really have as a home…I feel I’m part of an entity…I like telling people I am from Frederick...This is a success for me.”