About Rock Creek Endodontics
Before Dr. Kortnie Strother ever treated a tooth, she was an Army Captain caring for wounded soldiers and their families. How she got from there to a microscope in North Bethesda is a short story worth telling.
The story behind Rock Creek Endodontics
Dr. Edward Gamson opened an endodontic practice on Old Georgetown Road in 1993. By then he had already built a general dental practice, gone back to the University of Maryland School of Dentistry for a specialty certificate in endodontics and a master's degree in oral biology, and spent twelve years there teaching as a clinical professor.
He then spent three decades doing one thing, in one place, for one community.
That is the practice Dr. Kortnie Strother took over in 2026. She had spent over five years practicing endodontics in Austin and wanted to come back to the DMV, where she had started her family years earlier. She now leads the practice, and Dr. Gamson has retired after three decades of caring for this community.
Meet Dr. Kortnie Strother
Dr. Strother's path to endodontics started with her grandfather, the first dentist in a small town south of Houston, Texas. She has said she tries to bring the same warmth to patient care that he did.
She took an unusual route to get here. After the University of Texas at Austin, she served as a Captain in the U.S. Army, working as a dietitian for wounded servicemembers and their families at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington and Fort Belvoir Community Hospital in Virginia. Dr. Strother earned a master's degree in dietetics from Baylor University during those years. She left the Army for dental school at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, where she also completed a certificate in endodontics and a Master of Science in Dentistry.
She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Endodontics, the highest level of achievement in the specialty. A breast cancer survivor, mom, and caring endodontist, Dr. Strother is committed to creating a calm environment and recommending treatment only when it will truly benefit the patient.
Away from the office, she gardens, volunteers, travels, and spends time outdoors with her husband and two children.
The team supporting you
Between them, the practice sees patients in English, Hebrew, and Spanish.
How we practice
In Dr. Strother's own words:
I provide modern, evidence-based endodontic care in a calm and caring environment. Treatment is recommended only when clinically necessary and always involves informed patient choice. I take time to ensure patients are comfortable, never rush procedures, and never expect patients to endure unnecessary pain.
Treatment only when it is genuinely needed.
If a tooth does not need work, you will be told so. If treatment is unlikely to succeed, you will be told that too.
You decide.
You will hear the real options, including the option of doing nothing yet, and you will get her recommendation. You will not get pressure.
Nothing gets rushed.
Taking the time to do a case properly matters more than finishing it quickly.
Pain is not part of the deal.
Nobody here expects you to sit through discomfort you do not have to.
Common questions
Is Dr. Gamson still treating patients?
What does board certified mean for an endodontist?
Are you accepting new patients?
Refer a patient in two minutes
Download the fillable form below, complete it, and send it along with your patient; we'll handle scheduling and report back after treatment.
Patients seeking a second opinion about a root canal or a tooth extraction are welcome to call directly.
A note about insurance
We are currently transitioning into network with every insurance provider previously accepted here. Since statuses change often, please call our friendly team before your appointment so we can verify your benefits. We'll handle the insurance details on our end to keep your out-of-pocket costs clear, transparent, and predictable.
We accept cash, check, and credit card, and you'll know the cost before you agree to treatment.
If a tooth is bothering you, we are here for you
Call us during office hours to talk to a member of our team. If you have a referral slip from your dentist, have it handy. If not, that's fine too.
Our office in North Bethesda
Finding our office
We're in a two-building complex. Our entrance is on the ground floor at the rear of the building. The building sits on a hillside, so the floor you see when you drive up is the second floor, not the ground floor.
To reach us, take the exterior stairs between the two buildings, or use the accessible ramp on the south side of the buildings, closest to the Tilden Lane entrance. If stairs are hard for you, look for the ramp.
If you get turned around, call us and we'll guide you in.
Rock Creek Endodontics
Phone: (301) 493-4496
Email: hello@rockcreekendo.com
Fax: (301) 493-4165
Hours
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday, Friday: 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
We see patients in English, Hebrew, and Spanish.