Kid's Dentist Kansas City & Vision Care

We provide high-quality, affordable dental care in Kansas City. A child’s first dental check-up should take place when their first tooth emerges or by their first birthday, whichever comes first. Starting healthy oral care habits early in life sets your child up for success.

During dental cleanings, special tools and skills are used to remove plaque from the spots that are hard to reach when brushing at home. The hygienist checks for early signs of tooth decay so that it can be treated before it becomes a problem. Children who are at a higher risk of tooth decay can benefit from fluoride treatments and sealants that will protect and maintain the strength of their teeth.

Dental x-rays are important tools that dentists use to monitor the development and potential diseases or decay that can impact your child’s oral health. Dental x-rays provide insight into areas of the teeth that are invisible during regular dental cleanings.

Your mouth needs fluoride! Fluoride is a natural mineral that helps keep teeth strong and protected from decay. We administer a concentrated fluoride varnish directly onto tooth/teeth surfaces that need protection. Fluoride treatments are highly beneficial throughout a child’s life.

The most basic form of tooth decay are cavities, especially in toddlers and children. A cavity forms when a buildup of plaque eats at the tooth enamel and creates a hole in the tooth. Sometimes cavities are hard to prevent, but proper dental hygiene, diet, and regular dental visits are the best defense. When a cavity is detected, the dentist will remove the decay and fill in the hold with a filling.

Dental sealants provide additional protection against harmful bacteria that can cause tooth decay. Even with excellent oral hygiene, the grooves on the tops of the molars are susceptible to collections of food and bacteria. Dental sealants provide an extra layer of protection and are an important part of dental care.

Dental crowns restore a damaged tooth to its correct size and shape. Dental crowns are necessary when a filling is not adequate to restore a tooth that is decayed or compromised. Dental crowns are applied during a single appointment and do require an anesthetic.

Sometimes teeth need to be extracted. A tooth may need to be pulled if it is extensively damaged or decayed, in preparation for orthodontic treatment, or if it is a baby tooth that needs a little help coming out.

Our goal with every dental procedure is to keep kids calm and comfortable and minimize potential distress. That’s why we give kids dental sedation. Select locations offer dental sedation options, and a referral is required.

It’s possible that a healthy, active kid might accidentally chip or break a tooth. Thankfully, we have ways to fix them! If your child has a broken tooth, it is important to contact your dentist right away. The dentist will examine the child, and in some cases, the tooth fragment can be reattached. If you are able to locate the chipped tooth fragment, put it in a bag with saline or water and bring it with you to the dentist's office. If you can’t find the tooth fragment, there are other ways to repair the tooth.

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

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.