Pediatric Dentistry

The Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Franciscan Children’s provides comprehensive preventive and therapeutic oral health care services for infants, children, adolescents, and young adults up to the age of 21. Routine dental procedures are provided on an outpatient basis in our eight-chair clinic.

In addition to routine care, we specialize in the management of patients with complex dental, medical, developmental, and behavioral issues such as:

Infants and young children with early childhood caries (i.e. bottle or nursing decay)
Patients with extensive and/or rampant dental decay
Patients with dental disorders such as enamel hypoplasia, amelogenesis, and dentinogenesis imperfecta, among others
Patients with autism, cerebral palsy, attention deficit disorder, Down syndrome, ectodermal dysplasia, and many other developmental and behavioral conditions
Patients with seizure disorders, heart disease, diabetes, malignancy, blood disorders, and many other medical conditions

For patients who have difficulty undergoing dental procedures in the usual manner, we offer nitrous oxide (laughing gas), oral sedation under the direction of our dental anesthesiologist, as well as general anesthesia in the operating room.

The Department of Dentistry is staffed by specialist pediatric dentists who hold academic appointments at Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine. Their responsibilities include direct patient care as well as the supervision of residents enrolled in the Advanced Education in Pediatric Dentistry Program at Boston University. All of our dentists and support staff are highly trained in the dental management of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults.

In order to provide comprehensive care for our patients, we work closely with several specialty departments at Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine. We also strive to coordinate care with other departments within Franciscan Children’s.

For appointments during office hours call us directly at 617-779-1538. After hours, our established patients should call 617-254-3800 and ask to have the Dental Resident paged.

Office Hours

Pediatric Dental Clinic

Monday- 9:00am to 5:00pm

Tuesday- 9:00am to 5:00pm

Wednesday- 8:00am to 2:00pm

Thursday- 9:00am to 5:00pm

Friday-9:00am to 12:00pm

Orthodontic Clinic (limited to patients with Special Health Care Needs)

Wednesday (alternating) 1:00pm to 5:00pm

Specialist Dental Treatment

Emergency Dental Service

We provide emergency services for patients under 21 years of age during regular clinic hours. Please call ahead for an appointment. Emergency services after regular clinic hours are provided for our established patients.

The dental resident on-call is available for situations such as:

persistent or severe pain in the teeth or mouth
swelling around the teeth, mouth, or face
fever of possible dental origin
traumatic injury to the teeth or mouth
concerns following routine, sedation, or operating room appointments

Oral Surgery

Patients requiring oral surgical procedures, such as removal of soft tissue lesions or extraction of supernumerary (extra) or wisdom teeth are referred to our specialist oral surgeon within the Department of Dentistry.

Patients who require both restorative and oral surgical procedures under general anesthesia can have both procedures done at the same time in the operating room at Franciscan Children’s.

Endodontics

We provide limited endodontic (root canal) services for anterior permanent (front adult) teeth in the outpatient clinic. Patients requiring endodontic treatment outside the scope of our clinic (including treatment of premolar and molar teeth) are referred to the Department of Endodontics at Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine.
Patients who require endodontic treatment under general anesthesia are treated by either a specialist endodontist, or by Boston University Advanced Education in Endodontics residents in the operating room.

Prosthodontics

Patients requiring specialist prosthodontic (crown and bridge) care are referred to the Department of Prosthodontics at Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine.

Periodontics

Patients requiring specialist periodontic (gum disease) care are referred to the Department of Periodontics at Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine.

Orthodontics

Patients with special health care needs requiring orthodontic procedures are treated by Boston University Advanced Education in Orthodontics residents under the direct supervision of Boston University orthodontic faculty.

Patients requiring minor orthodontic procedures are treated in our regular pediatric clinics, and those requiring comprehensive orthodontic treatment are referred either to Boston University Department of Orthodontics or orthodontic practices in the local community.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible for care in the Department of Dentistry?

We accept patients who are under the age of 16 at the initial visit. Referrals are required for new patients. We provide out-of-hours emergency care for all our established patients of record.

What is your referral procedure?

If a patient is referred by another practitioner, a referral letter with relevant radiographs is most helpful.

Please mail to:
Department of Dentistry
Franciscan Children’s
30 Warren St.
Brighton, MA 02135

Or email to:

Dental-admin@franciscanchildrens.org

What is the cost of the treatment?

We accept Mass Health and most other dental insurance plans. MC, Visa and AmEx credit cards are accepted. For those patients without dental insurance, the cost of care will be discussed at the initial visit. Estimates and payment plans are available upon request.

Training and Education Program

The Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Franciscan Children’s is a clinical training site for the Advanced Education in Pediatric Dentistry Program of Boston University. Postgraduate students spend one year (of a two-year program) providing dental care in the outpatient clinic, as well as in the operating room under the direct supervision of Boston University faculty members.

Undergraduate dental students from Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine who are interested in becoming specialist pediatric dentists can elect to observe clinical activities and provide basic procedures, such as tooth cleaning and protective sealants, under the direct supervision of Boston University faculty.

The Department of Dentistry collaborates with several dental hygiene training programs in the greater Boston area to provide clinical experience in dental hygiene.

The Department of Dentistry also collaborates with several dental assisting schools in the greater Boston area to provide clinical experience in pediatric dental assisting for their students.

Students from colleges in the greater Boston area who are interested in pursuing a career in dentistry can contact our Office Manager at

Dental-admin@franciscanchildrens.org

Additional Contact Information

Tel: 1- (617) 779-1538
Fax: 1- (617) 779-1484
Email: Dental-admin@franciscanchildrens.org

Mailing Address:
Department of Dentistry
Franciscan Children’s
30 Warren St.
Brighton, MA 02135