Children’s Dentist in Frisco, Texas

Dr. Demian Kim sees children from age one at Forest Dental Café in Frisco. Cleanings, fluoride, sealants, fillings, and the kind of early visits that decide whether a child grows up comfortable at the dentist or dreading it.

We are a family practice, not a specialist pediatric office. That means your child can be seen in the same place you are — often on the same visit — and it means we are straightforward with you when a case would be better handled by a pediatric specialist.

There is also a café in the waiting area, which sounds like a small thing until you have brought a toddler and a seven-year-old to a dental appointment on a weekday afternoon.

When Should a Child First See a Dentist?

By the first birthday, or within six months of the first tooth appearing — whichever comes first. This is the recommendation of both the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

Most parents are surprised by how early that is. The reasoning is not that a one-year-old needs treatment. It is that:

• Decay can start as soon as teeth do. Early childhood caries is one of the most common chronic conditions in young children, and it is largely preventable if habits are addressed early.
• The first visit sets the tone. A child whose first dental appointment is a friendly, uneventful look-around at age one is a very different patient at age six than a child whose first visit happens because something hurts.
• You get answers when they are useful. Bottle habits, pacifiers, thumb-sucking, brushing technique for a child who will not sit still, whether that gap is a problem. These are easier to address before they become entrenched.

A first visit is short. We count teeth, look for early signs of decay, and talk with you. Nobody is going to hold a screaming toddler down for a cleaning.

What We Provide for Children

Exams and cleanings. Age-appropriate and paced to what your child will tolerate. Early visits are often mostly about familiarity.

Fluoride treatment. A concentrated fluoride varnish applied to the teeth, which strengthens enamel and helps reverse very early decay before it becomes a cavity. It takes about a minute.

Dental sealants. A thin protective coating painted into the deep grooves of the back teeth, where a toothbrush bristle physically cannot reach. Sealants are one of the most effective preventive measures in dentistry — the grooves of the molars are where the large majority of childhood cavities begin. They are usually placed shortly after the permanent molars come in, around ages six and twelve.

Fillings for baby teeth. Tooth-coloured fillings when decay has taken hold.

Extraction of baby teeth when a tooth cannot be saved or is not coming out on its own.

Guidance for parents. Brushing, diet, habits, and what to expect as your child’s mouth changes.

Baby Teeth Matter More Than People Think

The most common thing we hear is a version of they’re going to fall out anyway.

They are. But what happens before they do affects the permanent teeth underneath:

They hold space. Each baby tooth reserves the position for the permanent tooth beneath it. Lose one early and the neighbouring teeth drift into the gap, so the permanent tooth arrives with nowhere to go. That is one of the more common routes into orthodontic treatment later.

Infection spreads downward. A badly decayed baby tooth can damage the developing permanent tooth sitting directly beneath it.

Children eat and speak with them. Painful teeth affect what a child will eat, how they sleep, and how clearly they speak.

Habits form now. A child who has a filling at four learns that dental visits are manageable. A child whose first real experience is an emergency learns something else.

None of this means a cavity in a baby tooth is a catastrophe. It means it is worth treating rather than waiting out.

How We Handle Nervous Children

We use behaviour guidance rather than sedation. That is a deliberate choice, and it means being honest about what it does and does not cover.

What that looks like in practice: explaining each step in words a child understands before doing it, showing instruments before using them, letting a child hold the mirror, keeping appointments short, and stopping when a child needs a moment rather than pushing through.

We do not offer nitrous oxide or oral sedation. For the large majority of routine children’s dentistry, it is not needed.

When a child needs more than we offer, we refer. A very young child with extensive decay, a child with significant anxiety or sensory needs, or a case requiring treatment under sedation is better served by a pediatric specialist with that training and setup. We would rather send you to the right place than attempt something that turns your child against dentistry for a decade.

That referral is not a failure of the visit. It is the visit doing its job.

Before the Appointment: What to Say

Parents ask this often, and the answer genuinely affects how the visit goes.

Keep it short and matter-of-fact. “The dentist is going to count your teeth.” Long preparation gives a child time to build up worry about something that has not happened.

Avoid words the child has not thought of yet. Hurt, pain, shot, drill, scared — even in reassurance. “It won’t hurt” plants the word hurt. Say “the dentist will look at your teeth” instead.

Do not offer your own dental history. Children absorb parental anxiety with remarkable efficiency. If you dislike the dentist, this is the one appointment to keep that to yourself.

Skip the bribe. Promising a reward if you’re brave signals that something requiring bravery is about to happen. A treat afterward is fine; framing it as payment for enduring something is not.

Morning appointments usually go better for young children, before tiredness sets in.

And if it goes badly anyway — some visits do — that is normal and not a reflection on you or your child. We try again.

Preventing Cavities at Home

Brushing. Twice daily. A smear of fluoride toothpaste the size of a grain of rice under age three, a pea-sized amount after. Most children need an adult brushing for them or after them until around age seven or eight — the manual dexterity simply is not there before then.

Flossing starts when two teeth touch each other, since that is where a brush stops reaching.

The frequency of sugar matters more than the amount. A juice box drunk over an hour does far more damage than the same juice drunk in five minutes, because it keeps the mouth acidic the entire time. Sipping and grazing are the pattern to break.

Nothing but water in a bottle at bedtime. Milk, formula, and juice pooling around the teeth overnight is the single most common cause of severe early childhood decay.

Sealants when the molars arrive. The one preventive step that gets skipped most often.

As Your Child Gets Older

Around ages eleven to sixteen, a different set of questions comes up — crowding, spacing, and whether teeth need straightening. Dr. Kim treats teenage patients with Invisalign, and we can tell you at a regular checkup whether it is time to look at that or whether waiting makes for simpler treatment.

Wisdom teeth are the other one. We monitor them on x-ray through the teenage years and will tell you if and when they need attention — not every wisdom tooth does.

Paying for Children’s Dentistry

• Dental insurance. Preventive care for children — exams, cleanings, fluoride, and often sealants — is covered at a high percentage by most plans, frequently at 100%. Many plans cover dependents more generously than adults. We verify your specific benefits before treatment.
• Our in-house membership plan. For families without dental insurance. Includes two cleanings, two exams, necessary x-rays, and a discount on treatment. Plans start at $100 per year.
• CareCredit. Monthly payment plans for larger treatment.

Call 214.469.1001 and we will go through it with you.

Frequently Asked Questions

How old should my child be for their first dental visit? By their first birthday, or within six months of the first tooth appearing. Both the ADA and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommend this. The first visit is short and mostly about looking, counting, and answering your questions.

Do you use sedation or laughing gas for children? No. We use behaviour guidance — explaining, showing, and pacing the appointment to the child. Children who need sedation to be treated safely are referred to a pediatric specialist.

Are dental x-rays safe for children? Yes. Modern digital x-rays use a very small dose, and we take them only when they will change what we do — most often to check for decay between back teeth, which cannot be seen by looking.

What are sealants and does my child need them? A sealant is a thin coating painted into the deep grooves of the back teeth, where bristles cannot reach. Most childhood cavities start in those grooves, which makes sealants one of the highest-value preventive steps available. They are typically placed after the permanent molars come in, around ages six and twelve.

My child has a cavity in a baby tooth. Does it really need filling? Usually yes. Baby teeth hold space for the permanent teeth, and infection in a baby tooth can affect the developing tooth underneath. Whether treatment is needed depends on the size of the cavity and how long that tooth has left, and we will explain which applies.

Is fluoride safe? Yes, at the doses used in dental care and in drinking water. The concern parents read about relates to swallowing large amounts of toothpaste over time, which is why we recommend a rice-grain smear for children under three and adult supervision until they reliably spit.

My child is terrified. Should I still bring them in? Yes — and tell us before the appointment rather than at it. We can plan a shorter first visit with no treatment at all. If it becomes clear your child needs more support than we can offer, we will refer you to someone who can provide it.

Can my child and I be seen on the same visit? Often, yes. Being a family practice is one of the practical advantages — ask when you book and we will try to arrange it.

When should I take my child to an orthodontist? It depends on how the permanent teeth are coming in, not on age alone. We monitor this at regular checkups and will raise it when there is something worth acting on. Dr. Kim also treats teenagers with Invisalign here.

Book Your Child’s Visit in Frisco

Forest Dental Café serves families throughout Frisco, Little Elm, The Colony, Prosper, and north Plano. We offer evening appointments and every-other-Saturday hours, because taking a child out of school for a dental appointment is not most parents’ first choice.

And yes — there is coffee while you wait.

Call 214.469.1001 or request an appointment online.

8075 FM 423, Suite 110, Frisco, TX 75036