Children’s Dentistry in Winchester, VA
Westover Family Dentistry treats children in Winchester, VA as part of a family practice, from a first visit around the first birthday through the teenage years. We are general dentists, not pediatric specialists, and for most healthy kids that is exactly the right fit, with the added convenience of the whole family in one office.
The first thing worth saying plainly: if your child has complex medical needs, significant developmental differences, or requires treatment under general anesthesia in a hospital setting, a board-certified pediatric specialist is the right call and Winchester has excellent ones. For everyone else, which is most children, a good family practice does the same preventive work, and it does it in a building where you are already bringing yourself. Our office is three tenths of a mile up Meadow Branch Avenue from John Kerr Elementary. Call (540) 698-3384.
When to Start
Bring your child by the first birthday, or within six months of the first tooth appearing, whichever comes first.
That first visit is short and mostly social. We count teeth, look for early problems, talk with you about bottles, sippy cups, thumb-sucking, and brushing, and let your child sit in the chair and decide it is not frightening. Nobody drills anything.
Starting early does two things. It catches decay when it is still a white spot rather than a hole, and it establishes, before anyone has had a bad experience, that this is a normal place to be. The second one matters more than parents expect. Adults who avoid the dentist almost always trace it to something that happened before they were twelve.
What a Child’s Visit Looks Like
We keep it predictable, because children handle predictable.
We show your child the tools and let them touch them. We count the teeth out loud. We clean and polish, which most kids describe as tickly. We apply fluoride varnish. We take X-rays only when there is a reason to, and children need them far less often than adults do.
Parents stay in the room. Always. If you would rather your six-year-old had one of us explaining things instead of you, say so, and we will take over the talking.
Preventive Care Through the Growing Years
Sealants. Thin coatings painted into the grooves of the back molars, which is where the overwhelming majority of childhood cavities start. The appointment is quick, most children feel little or nothing during it, and it is one of the most cost-effective preventive treatments we offer. See preventive treatments.
Fluoride. Applied at cleanings to strengthen enamel that is still maturing.
Cleanings and exams every six months, which is also how we track that the permanent teeth are arriving in the right order.
Watching the bite. Around age 7 there is usually enough of the permanent dentition in place to see how the jaws are developing. That is when an orthodontic evaluation is useful, and most children who get one do not need treatment yet.
Sports guards for the middle and high school years. A custom guard is one of the cheapest pieces of dental work you will ever pay for and it prevents some of the most expensive.
When Something Goes Wrong
Kids chip teeth. It is what they do.
We do our best to see dental emergencies the same day or the next day and a child in pain gets priority. We handle chipped and broken teeth, knocked-out teeth, toothaches, abscesses, and injuries from sports and playgrounds. If a permanent tooth comes out, the first hour matters enormously; see emergency visits for what to do on the way.
For Anxious Children
Some children are simply scared, and it is not a discipline problem.
We take extra time, we explain before we do, and we let a child stop and take a break. Nitrous oxide, laughing gas, is available and is very well tolerated by kids. For treatment a frightened child cannot manage awake, we offer deeper sedation, including general sedation with a licensed anesthesiologist in our office.
For fillings specifically, our laser often removes the two things children fear most, the needle and the drill. That is a large part of why we invested in it.
There are also stickers, small toys, and balloons, and televisions in every treatment room. None of that is clinical and all of it works.
Serving Winchester and Frederick County Families
We are in the medical quarter on Meadow Branch Avenue, minutes from Winchester Medical Center and the same street as John Kerr Elementary, so plenty of families walk over after pickup.
We see children from Winchester City Public Schools and from Frederick County Public Schools, which are two separate districts, and from the county communities: Stephenson, Clear Brook, Stephens City, and Middletown. Frederick County has more than three times as many children as the city, and a fair number of them are ours.
Tell us at booking that you want siblings seen together and we will try to run the appointments back to back.
Frequently Asked Questions
At what age should kids start seeing a dentist?
By age one, or within six months of the first tooth. That is the recommendation from both the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, and it surprises most first-time parents. The visit is brief and largely about familiarity. Waiting until a child is three, which used to be common advice, means the first appointment often happens because something already hurts, and that is a bad way to start.
What is the difference between a pediatric dentist and a family dentist?
A pediatric dentist completed two or three additional years of residency focused on children, including children with complex medical and developmental needs. A family dentist treats all ages, children included, without that residency. For routine care of a healthy child, both work. For a child with significant medical complexity, sensory needs, or a treatment plan requiring hospital anesthesia, the specialist is the right referral, and we will tell you when we think that applies.
My child is terrified of the dentist. What can you actually do?
More than you might think, and none of it involves talking them out of it. We book longer, we let the appointment go at their pace, and we use a tell-show-do approach so nothing is a surprise. Nitrous oxide takes the edge off for most anxious children. The laser lets us do many fillings with no injection at all. And for treatment a frightened child truly cannot get through, deeper sedation with an anesthesiologist is available here.
Are dental X-rays safe for children?
Yes. Digital X-rays use a small fraction of the radiation of older film, and we take them only when there is a clinical reason, not on a fixed schedule. Children generally need them far less often than adults. If you would rather understand the reasoning before we take one, ask, and we will explain what we are looking for.
My child knocked out a baby tooth. Should I put it back?
No. Do not attempt to reimplant a baby tooth. Pushing it back into the socket can damage the permanent tooth developing underneath. Control the bleeding with gentle pressure from clean gauze, use a cold compress for swelling, and call us so we can check the area. This is the opposite of the advice for an adult permanent tooth, which should go back in as fast as possible, so it is worth knowing which one you are looking at.
Book Your Child’s Visit
New patients of every age are welcome. Call and tell us how old your child is and how the last visit went, and we will plan from there.
Westover Family Dentistry 11 Meadow Branch Ave Winchester, VA 22601 (540) 698-3384
Open Monday through Thursday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Serving Winchester and Frederick County. Rated 4.9 stars by about 1,000 patients on Google.
