Pediatric Dentist or Family Dentist

I took my son for his first check up about 4 months ago...he is 3 1/2. I took him to a pediatric dentist....who was wonderful. I would say if you feel comfortable with your dentist then give him a try. I love my regular dentist but the pediatric dentist I went to came hightly recomended. He is in Frankfort too....and I live in Worth and he is well worth the trip!!!

We just made an appt with Dr. Kuhn. He is out of network with insurance. So that just means you'll have to usually pay about 10% more than you normally would in-network (at least that is the case with our plan). I just find that dental insurance isn't that great to begin with and our adult dentist just switched out of network but we are probably going to stick with him because he seems good. In any case... good luck with your visit!!! Let us know how you like the dentist!

Hi K.,

I would recommend Dr. Ralph Delmonico in Elmwood Park. He's right off of Harlem & North Ave. I'm 38 now & have been going to him since I was about 4. My son is 4 1/2 & we've been taking him to the dentist for about a year now. They are VERY kid friendly and have a lot of experience in handling children. We acted very excited to my son about his first visit to the dentist & told him the dr. would only count his teeth - then he would get to pick a toy from their 'treasure chest'. He loved it (and for the first visit, this is really all they did just so he could get used to them).

Good luck - we love our dentist!

We first tried a family dentist who (it turned out) had no pediatric practice at all, and then switched to a family dentist recommended by a friend - their practice sees lots of kids and we're very happy with them. Luckily, no cavities or xrays or anything much yet (my oldest is almost 7 and my 3.5 year-old will go for the first time next month.) I've also had to change my own dentist several times in the past 10 years - it's hard to find good dentists! I don't think you necessarily need a pediatric dentist, but you do want a practice that's familiar with all of the latest methods. Ask your neighbors for referrals.

I wouldn't worry too much about your son being afraid at this age - mine loves the dentist (they let him pick his toothpaste flavor and pick a treat out of a treasure chest - what could be better?!) They will probably learn to dislike the dentist after they have their first cavities, poor things. And it's not like you have a choice - Illinois now requires a dental visit by kindergarten, just like the health/vaccination records you have to provide. There's very little chance that he'll ever need dental work serious enough to be put to sleep, and if that did ever happen, you'd have time to get a second/third opinion.

Hi K.,

My daughter is 2 and we recently took her for her first dentist appointment. We took her to a pediatric dentist and she did very well considering. He really just kind of took a look around to check her mouth and teeth development but she's now set to go every 6 months. I'm kind of freak about teeth and taking care of them. We all go every 6 months without fail. I would think that if this is your son's first visit he may benefit from a pediatric dentist. They cater to children and should be able to put him and you at ease. He can always transition to the family dentist at a later date. I would definitely get him in sooner rather then later. I wouldn't worry about that incident in Chicago. That was an anesthesia overdose and unless your son needs extensive dental work he should really just be going for a cleaning and check and maybe a cavity fill at most. If the dentist wants to use anesthesia then you can contact your pediatrician and discuss the matter from there. Try to stay calm about it and show your son it's no big deal. If your nervous he will be too! Good luck. I have a pediatric dentist out of Frankfort if your interested. Let me know!