Las Vegas Pediatric Dentist for Infants, Kids & Teens

What Is a Pediatric Dentist?

A pediatric dentist is a dental specialist who completes two to three years of training beyond dental school, focused entirely on infants, children, teens and kids with special health care needs. At Mountain West Dental Specialists, your Las Vegas pediatric dentist, Dr. Keaton Tomlin, D.M.D., cares for growing smiles from the first tooth through the teen years.

That extra training covers child growth and development, behavior guidance, and treating kids who need a little more patience and support in the chair. It's the difference between a dental home built for adults and one built for little smiles.

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) and the American Dental Association (ADA) both recommend a first dental visit by age 1, or within six months of that first tooth breaking through. Early visits are short, simple and mostly about getting your child comfortable.

Here's what sets kid's dentistry apart at our Las Vegas Office:

• Child-sized instruments and equipment scaled for tiny teeth and smaller mouths
• Tell-show-do explanations so kids know what's coming before it happens
• A welcoming space designed for wiggly toddlers and curious grade-schoolers
• Care that continues through the teen years, including growth and airway checks

Your children deserve dental care that's as unique as their smiles.

 

 

Why Families Choose a Pediatric Dentist in Las Vegas

Families across the southwest valley pick pediatric dental specialists because kids aren't small adults. Their teeth erupt on a schedule, their jaws are still growing, and their feelings about the dental chair are formed early. Here's what that specialized care gives your family:

1. Prevention comes first. Routine cleanings, fluoride varnish and dental sealants stop most cavities before they start, and a quick preventive visit is always easier on your child than treating decay later.
2. Behavior guidance builds confidence. Dr. Keaton Tomlin and our team use age-appropriate language, praise and pacing so kids leave feeling proud instead of nervous. Those early experiences shape how they feel about dental visits for life.
3. Growth issues get caught early. Mouth breathing, restless sleep, tongue-tie, lip-tie, thumb sucking and grinding all show up during childhood. Spotting them early gives you more options and simpler solutions.
4. Two specialties, one dental home. Kid's dentistry and orthodontics both live under our roof, so when your child is ready for an ortho evaluation, Dr. Allison Tomlin, D.M.D., M.S., is just down the hall. No new paperwork, no driving across town.
5. Same-day emergency care when it counts. Knocked-out teeth, chipped front teeth after a scooter wreck, a swollen cheek at bedtime. We hold time for urgent visits because these things never happen on a convenient day.

Early intervention can save time, money, and hassle down the road!

What Happens at Your Child's Las Vegas Dental Visit

A first pediatric dental visit at Mountain West Dental Specialists takes 30 to 45 minutes: a friendly welcome and tool tour, a gentle exam of the teeth, bite and growth, a cleaning with fluoride varnish, and a parent consult to review findings. Parents stay with their child the whole time.

Nothing gets rushed, and nothing happens before your child hears what it is first.

Step 1: Warm welcome and a tour

Your child meets the team, sees the chair go up and down, and gets introduced to each instrument using tell-show-do. We name things in kid-friendly terms (the "tooth counter," the "tickle brush") so nothing feels like a surprise.

Step 2: A gentle exam

Dr. Keaton checks each tooth, the gums, the bite and the soft tissues. We look at how the jaws are growing and screen for airway concerns, tongue-tie and habits like thumb sucking. Digital X-rays are taken only when they'll change what we do, using low-dose imaging.

Step 3: Cleaning, fluoride and sealants

We polish away plaque, floss between the teeth, and apply fluoride varnish to strengthen enamel. Sealants go on cavity-prone back molars, filling in the deep grooves where food and bacteria love to hide.

Step 4: Parent consult

You'll hear exactly what we found, get a home-care plan built for your child's age, and leave with a six-month recall visit on the calendar.

Sedation dentistry options

For kids who feel anxious or need longer treatment, we offer nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and deeper pediatric sedation dentistry with monitoring throughout. Sedation dentistry just means we use medication to help a nervous child relax and rest comfortably, and we'll walk you through every option before anything is scheduled.

Which Children Are a Good Fit for Our Care

Nearly every child in the valley benefits from a pediatric dental home, but a few situations make specialized care especially valuable:

• Infants with nursing trouble. Poor latch, clicking sounds while feeding, slow weight gain or nipple soreness for mom can point to tongue-tie or lip-tie. We perform laser frenectomies, which are quick and typically heal fast.
• Toddlers due for a first checkup. If your little one has a tooth or has turned 1, it's time. First visits are short, friendly and mostly about building trust.
• Kids with cavities or habits. Decay, thumb sucking past the preschool years, nail biting or nighttime grinding deserve a professional look before they affect permanent teeth.
• Anxious kids and children with special health care needs. Extra time, sensory-friendly pacing and sedation dentistry options let us meet your child exactly where they are.
• Young athletes. Custom mouthguards are the best way to protect a smile during sports, and they fit far better than the boil-and-bite kind from the store.
• Teens. We track wisdom teeth, monitor bite changes and coordinate braces or Invisalign timing with Dr. Allison Tomlin.

According to the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), children should have an orthodontic evaluation around age 7, which is easy to fold into a regular checkup here.

Why Las Vegas Families Trust Mountain West Dental Specialists

We're family-owned and family-run. Dr. Keaton Tomlin, D.M.D., leads our pediatric dentistry side, and Dr. Allison Tomlin, D.M.D., M.S., leads orthodontics, so your family gets two specialties from one team, from our family to yours.

What that means for you:

• Specialty credentials. Our team holds memberships with the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), the Nevada Dental Association (NDA) and the American Dental Association (ADA), and we follow the clinical guidelines those organizations publish for treating kids.
• Training beyond dental school. Pediatric residency covers child development, behavior guidance and treating kids with medical complexities, not just teeth.
• Careful safety protocols. Low-dose digital imaging, monitored sedation dentistry and above-standard sterilization are standard here, and our team is happy to walk you through any of it.
• Technology that helps us plan. Cone Beam CT imaging shows us tooth position, jaw growth and the airway in three dimensions, so we can spot an impacted tooth or map out treatment before your child is ever scheduled.
• Room to grow. Our Las Vegas Office was built with space in mind, with separate kid's dentistry and ortho areas so wiggly toddlers and teens in braces each get their own zone.
• Flexible ways to pay. We accept most major plans and offer zero-interest in-house financing plus our pediatric advantage membership plan. Our team verifies your specific benefits before your first visit and tells you what to expect.

We serve families across Las Vegas, Summerlin, Henderson and North Las Vegas, and plenty of our Summerlin families make the short drive so kid's dentistry and ortho happen in one stop. Family-focused care you can trust.

 

Pediatric Dentist FAQs

When should my child first see a dentist?

By age 1, or within six months of the first tooth appearing, whichever comes first. Both the AAPD and the ADA make this recommendation. That first visit is short and gentle, and it lets us catch early decay, check growth and give you a home-care plan while habits are still forming.

How much does a pediatric dental visit cost in Las Vegas?

Cost depends on your child's needs, your insurance plan and whether treatment beyond a checkup is required. We review the full cost and every payment option with you before treatment begins, and we offer zero-interest in-house financing along with our pediatric advantage membership plan for families without insurance. Call our Las Vegas Office at (702) 899-3600 for an estimate.

Is sedation dentistry safe for children?

Yes, when it's provided by a trained pediatric specialist with proper monitoring. Nitrous oxide is the lightest option and wears off within minutes. For deeper sedation dentistry, we review your child's health history, follow AAPD guidelines and monitor vital signs the entire time. Nothing is scheduled until you understand the plan and feel good about it.

What do I do in a dental emergency after hours?

Call (702) 899-3600 and follow the instructions for urgent care. For a knocked-out permanent tooth, pick it up by the crown (never the root), rinse it gently, and place it back in the socket or in a cup of milk, then get to us as fast as possible. Time matters most in that first hour.

Do you accept Medicaid or my insurance plan?

We're in-network with most major carriers, and our team will verify your benefits before your visit so there are no surprises. State program participation and plan networks change from year to year, so the fastest answer comes from a quick phone call. Give us a ring with your plan information and we'll tell you exactly what's covered before your child ever sits in the chair.

How often should kids get cleanings and X-rays?

Most children do well with a cleaning and exam every six months. X-ray frequency varies by cavity risk, age and how tightly the teeth touch, so some kids need images yearly while others need them less often. We only take X-rays when they'll actually change how we care for your child.

Book Your Child's Dental Visit in Las Vegas

Ready to give your child a dental home built just for them? Mountain West Dental Specialists welcomes new families and urgent visits at our Las Vegas Office, located at 6970 S. Cimarron Rd., Ste. 100, Las Vegas, NV 89113, with easy surface parking right out front.

Call (702) 899-3600 or request a visit online to get started. Free consults are available, including a free ortho consult when your child is ready for that step.

Nervous about how your little one will do? So are most parents on visit day. Our team takes it slow, skips the judgment and lets kids set the pace. We can't wait to care for your smile, and your family should be part of the mountain west family.