Kid's Dentist & Vision Care

Providing high-quality, affordable dental care for kids in Colorado Springs is what we do best! A child’s first dentist visit should occur after their first tooth emerges or by their first birthday, whichever comes first. Getting an early start on oral care habits puts your child on the healthiest path.

Sometimes brushing just isn’t enough, and kids need professional dental cleanings. During dental cleanings, we use special tools and skills to remove plaque from hard-to-reach spots. We also check for early signs of tooth decay so that we can treat any issues that arise before they become a more serious problem. For children who are more susceptible to tooth decay, fluoride treatments and sealants are necessary to protect and maintain the strength of their teeth.

Dental x-rays are tools that allow dentists to monitor oral development and check for any potential diseases or decay that can impact your child’s dental health. Dental x-rays are special because they reveal areas of the teeth that are invisible during dental cleanings.

Fluoride gives your teeth the nutrients they need to stay healthy! Fluoride is a natural mineral that protects teeth from decay and maintains tooth strength. During regular dental visits, we paint a concentrated fluoride varnish directly onto tooth/teeth surfaces that need protection. Fluoride is beneficial throughout a child’s life, and it is an important part of healthy dental hygiene.

The most basic form of tooth decay is cavities, especially for toddlers and children. A cavity develops plaque builds up and eats at the tooth enamel. This creates a hole in the tooth called a cavity. Sometimes cavities are hard to prevent, but proper dental hygiene, a healthy diet, and biannual dental cleanings are the best defense. When a cavity is found, the dentist removes the decay and fills in the hole with a filling.

Dental sealants protect teeth against harmful bacteria and tooth decay. Even with excellent oral hygiene, the grooves on the surfaces of molars are vulnerable to collections of food and bacteria that can potentially lead to decay. Dental sealants give teeth an extra layer of protection, and they are an important part of preventative oral care.

Dental crowns are placed on top of damaged teeth that need to be restored to their correct size and shape. Sometimes a filling is not enough to restore a tooth that is decayed or compromised. In this circumstance, dental crowns are needed! A dental crown is applied in one appointment using some form of anesthetic.

There are times when a tooth needs to be extracted. These cases include when a tooth is extensively damaged or decayed, when a baby tooth needs help coming out, and when additional room is needed in the mouth in preparation for orthodontic treatment.

In every dental procedure and at every visit, we want to minimize potential distress to keep kids calm and comfortable. Dental sedation makes a child’s procedure as easy as possible. Select locations provide dental sedation options, and a referral is required.

Teeth can accidentally chip or break during play. Thankfully, we have ways to fix chips and breaks! Contact your dentist immediately if your child has a broken tooth. During the emergency visit, the dentist will examine the child’s mouth. Sometimes, the tooth fragment can be reattached. If you are able to locate the chipped tooth fragment, put it in a bag with water or saline and bring it to the dentist's office. If the tooth fragment can’t be found, there are additional ways to repair the tooth.

Good news families! Medicaid and most dental insurance plans cover two dental cleanings and checkups per year. Regular dental checkups are important for maintaining oral health. Book an appointment with us for your child today!

We look forward to being your kid's dentist!

With a kid’s eye doctor, your child’s future is clear!

Regular eye exams are an important way to keep babies, kids, and teens on track for educational, social, and developmental success. Vision issues can impact a child’s experiences with school, sports, peers, and daily activities. A vision check-up is an important way to make sure your child is developing healthily and prepared for success.

If it’s hard for your child to see far far away, they may have Myopia. Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is a refractive disorder that makes it difficult to see distant objects. In contrast, with nearsightedness, it is easy to see things up close. The symptoms can include:

• Blurred vision when looking at objects at a distance

• Squinting

• Eyestrain

• Eye fatigue when looking at objects far away

In addition to causing physical issues, nearsightedness can also impact a child’s performance in school and safety. Nearsightedness can be corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses, or eye surgery. Routine eye exams can detect potential issues and help kids stay healthy.

Are things too close for comfort? If so, then your child may have Hyperopia, or farsightedness. Hyperopia is a common condition that allows you to see objects far away better than objects that are up close. With farsightedness, the light rays in the eyes focus behind the surface of the retina instead of directly on the retina. This makes close-up objects blurry. The symptoms may include:

• Blurred vision

• Trouble focusing on things close by

• Eyestrain

• Eye fatigue

• Headaches when performing tasks close-up

Farsightedness can impact self-esteem and educational capabilities, but it is easy to correct with eyeglasses, contact lenses, or surgery. Take your kid for a vision check-up to make sure they are set up for success!

Astigmatism is a common condition that blurs objects both near and far. With astigmatism, your eye isn’t completely round so it is not able to focus. Astigmatism can be difficult to diagnose in kids because they perceive the blurriness as normal. The symptoms include:

• Blurred Vision

• Distorted Vision

• Eyestrain

• Headaches

When left unaddressed, astigmatism can impact school performance and safety. Like other common eye issues, astigmatism can be treated with eyeglasses, contact lenses, or surgery. Make an appointment for an eye exam to make sure your child’s eyes are healthy and ready for success!

A wandering eye is also known as Amblyopia. Amblyopia is a vision condition in which one eye underperforms because it does not properly reflect light. When a child has a lazy eye, their body follows the direction of the normally performing eye. This impacts their ability to perceive depth. Symptoms include;

• Issues with depth perception

• Frequently squinting or shutting one eye

• Tilting head to focus

For the most effective and simple treatment and management, it is important to detect a lazy eye early. Routine eye exams are an important way to take care of your children.

Strabismus, or cross-eyes, is a common eye condition in which the eyes are not always aligned. With strabismus, the eye muscles are out of sync which causes the eyes to look different ways. Strabismus can lead to a lazy eye or cause other types of vision problems. There are a few different treatment options, depending on the specific nature of the condition.

It can be a struggle to get your child to wear eyeglasses. We carry over 350 Medicaid-approved frames to ensure your child can find the perfect pair to suit their age, size, fashion, and lifestyle. We want every child to feel confident and comfortable when wearing glasses!

We don’t want any child to struggle with learning challenges caused by undetected vision problems. If your child is experiencing vision issues, we can help. We accept Medicaid and most insurance plans so that your child can have regular vision check-ups and glasses at little or no cost.

Orthodontic braces effectively correct jaw alignment and teeth spacing. Braces offer many benefits. They can boost your child or teen’s confidence and self-esteem, and they improve many aspects of dental health, including:

• Improve ability to chew food

• Alleviate speech impairment

• Make brushing, cleaning, and flossing teeth easier

• Reduce the risk of cavities and periodontal disease

• Reduce the occurrence of grinding and chipping teeth

• Reduce the risk of injury from protruding teeth

In addition to helping you and your kids or teens look their best, braces can create a foundation for a lifetime of improved oral health!

The first step in the journey of creating a perfect smile is to find the right braces. We can help you choose the right type of braces based on your treatment plan, cost, and desired appearance. There are several different types of braces that are commonly used today.

• Traditional Metal Braces are the most common type of braces because they are the most affordable and effective option. Metal braces are easy for orthodontists to accurately adjust during monthly visits. A fun bonus with metal braces is that kids and teens get to choose fun elastic band colors to achieve a look they love!

• Ceramic or Porcelain Braces function similarly to metal braces, but the brackets and wires are designed to blend in with the teeth. These braces are less noticeable and more expensive than metal braces. In order to prevent discoloration, they require dedicated, regular cleaning. If you want your braces to be less noticeable in appearance, ceramic or porcelain braces are a great option.

• Removable Aligners are a popular option for many families. They consist of removable, transparent trays that rest on top of teeth and can be removed for meal times and other activities. In comparison to traditional metal braces, removable aligners are more expensive. Removable aligners can correct alignment issues, but they are not suitable for correcting significant bite problems. Also, they are not usually recommended for children because they require an additional level of personal responsibility. If you are looking for a less noticeable way to correct alignment issues and you are able to follow through with the required care, this solution may be the right treatment option for you.

Medicaid and many other insurance plans understand the importance of braces for oral health and can potentially cover the entire cost of orthodontic treatment. If you are insured by Medicaid, an orthodontic evaluation is needed to determine whether or not the treatment is covered. If you have private insurance, your insurance provider can detail your orthodontic coverage options.

For families who do not have insurance coverage, we offer multiple affordable payment plans. Our orthodontic care coordinators work with you to review the options and determine a plan that works for you.

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that every child is screened before their seventh birthday. By the time your child turns seven, it will be clear if they have any jaw alignment problems, overcrowding, overbite or underbite, crossbite, or other orthodontic issues that may impact their mouth. Early evaluations by an orthodontist are important to quickly determine if braces are needed and choose the best treatment plan.