Ready to explore your first dentist visit?Gentle dental care, from first tooth to teens.
Scroll down the map with your grown-up. There are four stops, and every one has a surprise. Nothing on this map hurts.Little Explorers is a pediatric-only practice. Children's dentists, a calm visit your child can preview, and clear answers on insurance, NC Medicaid, sedation and special-needs care.
- Most PPO plans + NC Medicaid (sample)
- First visits from 6 months
- Sensory-friendly rooms
Wave hello at Check-in IslandForms done at home, so arrival takes minutes
Our front-desk crew gives you an explorer sticker and your very own passport. You can play in the lookout corner until it's your turn.
You fill in our secure online intake before the day. When you arrive we confirm insurance, ask what your child enjoys (and what worries them), and the person who'll care for them introduces themselves by name.
- Parents can stay in the room for every visit.
- Quiet waiting area on request, or wait in the car and we'll text you.
Count your teeth in the caveA gentle look, explained as we go
You ride the big chair up like an elevator. The dentist uses a tiny mirror and a light, like a cave explorer, and counts every tooth. Most kids have 20 baby teeth. How many will we find?
We check teeth, gums, bite, jaw growth and habits like thumb-sucking, using "tell-show-do": every tool is shown and named before it touches your child. Babies and toddlers are seen knee-to-knee, on your lap.
- X-rays only when your child's age and risk call for them.
- Low-dose digital X-rays with a child-size apron.
Whoosh down the Sparkle-Polish WaterfallClean, polish and a quick fluoride coat
A tickly spinning toothbrush polishes your teeth until they shine. Then a little water sprinkle and a slurpy straw that sounds like a vacuum. You pick the flavor!
Plaque and tartar are removed, teeth are polished, and fluoride varnish is painted on in seconds. Children can eat soon after. We'll also talk about sealants for permanent molars when those come in, usually around ages 6 and 12.
You made it to Prize Harbor!You leave with a clear, written plan
Pick a treasure from the chest and get your last passport stamp. You're an official Little Explorer now.
We show you what we saw, with photos if helpful, give you a brushing and snack plan for your child's age, and book the next check-up, usually every six months. Any treatment is explained with options and a sample cost before anything is scheduled.
Brush along for two minutes
Dentists say two minutes, twice a day. Press start and brush each part of your mouth while the ring fills up.
We check your benefits before you come in.
Send us your plan details with the booking request and we'll confirm coverage and any expected cost before the first visit. All plans and prices below are samples for this demo.
In-network PPO plans
We file claims for you and only ask for your estimated share on the day.
Not on the list? We can usually file out of network.
NC Medicaid & CHIP
We welcome children covered by NC Medicaid, including kids who qualify through North Carolina's CHIP coverage. Bring your child's Medicaid ID card; most check-ups, cleanings and fluoride are covered at no cost to you.
Coverage rules change. We confirm your child's eligibility before every visit.
No insurance? The Explorers Club
$289 / child / year
- 2 check-ups and cleanings
- Fluoride and needed X-rays
- 1 emergency exam
- 15% off other treatment
Payment plans through CareCredit or Cherry (subject to approval).
Age one, comfort options and special needs.
The first visit: by age one
Pediatric dental groups, including the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, recommend a first dental visit by a child's first birthday, or within about six months of the first tooth. It's short, happens on your lap, and is mostly about you: how to brush tiny teeth, bottles and sippy cups, teething and fluoride.
- First toothUsually 6–10 months
- By age 1First lap visit
- Every 6 monthsCheck-ups
- Ages 6–12Sealants on molars
Sedation, only when it's right
Most children need nothing more than time, patience and tell-show-do. When a child needs more help, options may include nitrous oxide ("laughing gas"), which wears off minutes after the visit. For extensive treatment or very young children, care under general anesthesia may be advised, given in a hospital or surgery center by an anesthesia specialist.
- We explain benefits, risks and alternatives first, and you decide.
- A health history review and written before-and-after instructions every time.
- Your child is monitored throughout, and you're with them as they wake.
Special-needs and sensory-friendly visits
Autism, ADHD, sensory differences, anxiety, medical complexity or mobility needs: tell us what helps, and we plan the visit around your child.
- Longer appointments at the quietest times of day.
- A dimmable quiet room, headphones and a weighted blanket.
- A picture story of the visit to read at home first.
- Practice "happy visits" with no treatment at all.
- Step-free entry and room for wheelchairs.
The explorers who'll look after youChildren's dentists, nothing else.
Sample team for this demo. On your real site, each card links to a full bio.
Dr. Maya Okafor
Can count 20 teeth in 10 seconds. Loves sea turtles and terrible jokes.
Board-certified pediatric dentist with hospital dentistry training. Leads our special-needs and sedation care.
Dr. Theo Ramirez
Builds the best blanket forts. Speaks English and Spanish.
Focuses on infants, toddlers and early orthodontic checks. Bilingual visits in English and Spanish.
June Park, RDH
Captain of the Sparkle-Polish Waterfall. Has 14 flavors of toothpaste.
Runs our cleanings and teaches brushing to parents of new babies.
Forms, kept private.
We only ask for what we need. Health details go through a HIPAA-compliant intake portal, never plain email.
Request a first visit.
Tell us a little and we'll call or text to confirm a time, usually within one business day.
Visit us
- Address (sample)
- 2400 Compass Lane, Suite 110
Raleigh, NC 27607 - Phone & text
- (919) 555-0100
- Hours (sample)
- Mon–Thu 7:30am–5pm · Fri 7:30am–2pm
Two Saturdays a month - Languages
- English · Hablamos español
Knocked-out or broken tooth?
Call us right away; we keep same-day emergency times for patients. For a knocked-out adult tooth, hold it by the crown and keep it in milk. For head injuries or trouble breathing, call 911.
Call the emergency line