Special Needs Pediatric Dentist

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For Children With Special Dental Needs, It’s Especially Important To Find A Pediatric Dentist You Can Trust With Your Child’s Early And Long-Term Dental Health.

Good oral health begins early in life. While some children are very susceptible to tooth decay, gum disease, or oral trauma, early dental care can prevent these issues in baby teeth and adult teeth!

For children with special healthcare needs, it can be a challenge to find the right dental care. With a general dentist, the process of scheduling an initial appointment can be painful and especially hard when you’re juggling work, school, extracurriculars, and other appointments. The waiting room and treatment rooms can leave you and your child with that icky feeling of dread that sometimes goes hand-in-hand with a visit to the dentist. Who wants that? Nobody!

With a special needs pediatric dentist, that feeling of dread is replaced with joy and excitement. Your child should look forward to their visit and as for you? You should feel relaxed knowing your child is in honest, trustworthy hands.

How Is A Special Needs Pediatric Dentists Different From A General Dentist?

Special needs dentists undergo additional years of training specifically to treat and provide dental work to children with special healthcare needs.

What exactly is considered a special need? According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, special healthcare needs are defined as “physical, developmental, mental, sensory, behavioral, cognitive, or emotional impairment, or limiting condition that requires medical management, healthcare intervention, and/or use of specialized services or programs.”

We follow the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s expert recommendations for working with children with special healthcare needs, which include:

Does My Teen Need Braces?

At each visit, Dr. Laura or Dr. Susie will evaluate your tween or teen’s teeth for needed alignment adjustments. Getting orthodontic care is as easy as can be with our in-house treatment options. Dr. W. Vaughn Holland, our orthodontist, is available to provide a comprehensive evaluation for braces.

  • A longer dental visit so that we can give your child the special health care they deserve
  • Full medical history to understand any health problems present
  • Individualized preventive care plans designed to meet your child’s specific healthcare needs
  • Comprehensive examinations
  • Modified care catered to your child’s unique needs

We believe in providing outstanding care with a gentle approach, and we look forward to your kids growing up smiling!

Your Friendly Special Needs Pediatric Dentist To The Rescue!

This is where our pediatric dental clinic comes in. We specialize in pediatric dentistry and we’re here to ensure your special needs child’s oral health (and overall health!) needs are met. Our pediatric dentists and staff understand the issues and challenges your child may face, so we work hard to provide a warm, nurturing environment for everyone.

Located in St. Johns County, we cater to patients all over the area, including:

  • St Johns
  • Nocatee
  • Durbin Crossing
  • Palencia
  • Ponte Vedra
  • Jacksonville
  • St. Augustine

Kids Love Us. Parents Trust Us!

We treat children all day every day, and we want your kids to look forward to their visit to see us. We want it to be a fun place for your kids and make them feel delighted to be going in for a dental visit. That’s why our bright, welcoming office features toys, video games, and movies to help relax our young patients and ease those pre-visit anxieties.

With modern treatment rooms and specially trained dentists and team members, you can trust that your child is in good hands. We take the pain out of scheduling your appointments, making the process as smooth as possible. Customer service is a priority for us along with providing top-notch dental care to your child with special healthcare needs.

Want to stick by your child for the entire visit? No problem! You’re welcome and encouraged to join throughout the entire visit and we are happy to answer any questions you may have before, throughout, and even after the appointment.

Worried about taking your child to a place filled with bright lights and the sound of humming dental equipment? Don’t be! Our friendly, warm, and considerate team aim to provide a remarkable experience from beginning to end! A visit to our office is sure to make your child go from feeling leery about going to the dentist to feeling totally delighted by the end of their visit.

Want to hear what our patients’ parents have to say? Check out our reviews!

What About After The Visit?

We know that good oral health is about more than twice a year visits to the dentist. That is why we take a highly preventative approach so that we are able to stop problems before they start. We do not believe in just slapping fillings on everyone. A proactive approach is better than a reactive one, so we will take the time to discuss diet and hygiene with you and your child. After all, we want your child to have a bright, healthy smile for their whole lives!

Do you have a question that is not answered here? We would love to help! Please call us at (904) 808-4700, email us at info@stjohnskids.com, or just stop by our office to speak to one of our friendly team members in person!

St.Johns County Loves Our Dental Office

We're Proud To Have The Best Pediatric Dentist Rating Possible

Rachel L.
Rachel L.
1665810673
Dr. Laura has seen both of my girls since their first appointments. My oldest is 11, and she’s always seen Dr. Laura. She is amazing! She is kind, gentle, considerate and knowledgeable. We are thankful for her and all the staff. The office is run so smoothly. This is truly a wonderful place to take children for dentistry.
J
J
1661261154
I CANNOT say enough good things about this place. We’ve been going almost 2 years now and it’s such a pleasant experience every time. Had a couple non-routine visits, chipped tooth today for example, and they do everything they can to help you, explain to you the situation, potential problems. But also assure you that things are probably fine, just keep an eye, etc. They don’t push procedures at all like regular dentists, they explain what can be done, and then explain when certain things aren’t necessary. They are not money hungry at all, excellent dentists, excellent hygienists/assistants. I will definitely keep bringing my kids here and keep recommending this place.
Jess R.
Jess R.
1660137585
We love St. Johns Pediatric Dentistry! The lobby is adorable and the staff is amazing. Once you are in the back, the kids feel safe, comfortable and entertained while their exam is happening. Thank you for being awesome!
Patricia P.
Patricia P.
1651494356
I'm coming here for years we love this little dentist office. Steph is amazing and kind. Almost as if they become family after so long. The dentist patient and caring and will work with your child and whatever their needs may be. Highly recommend. They have TVs in the back for the kids to watch and headphones to watch a movie while they're waiting.
Margarita R.
Margarita R.
1648998566
Absolutely amazing office! My kids loved it! Every staff member were soo sweet and helpful but Shout out to Dennisse and Sara and Dr. Perry, who literally made my kids feel comfortable to the point where they can't wait to come back! I live northside of Jacksonville but they are worth the drive!
Zelia F.
Zelia F.
1559143658
I absolutely love this place. My daughter, now 2 1/2 has been going since she was 1. The waiting room keeps the kids busy and engaged. I have never waited really for my appointment either. The dental chairs have movies with headphones for the kids to watch movies of their choice which keeps them for being scared and the dentists are amazing. And once the kids are done with their visit they get to choose a prize. We recently went and Dr. Susie convinced my toddler to give up her paci. She then kept it and called me the next week to see if the wean went well if she could discard of the paci. Talk about personal touch. My 6m is already scheduled for his 1 yr visit. Love this place!
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