Dental Home

Schedule a Back to School Check-Up

KinderSmile Community Oral Health Center (KSCOHC) is a nonprofit dental home owned and operated by KinderSmile Foundation, a certified 501(c)3 charity organization. Unlike private dental practices, KSCOHC was created to make the community healthier, not to make our dentists wealthier.

Our dental home is open to all children, from babies to teens, 0-18 years old. We accept most private, Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare insurance plans. We also welcome uninsured children and provide assistance to those families who would otherwise be unable to access high-quality dental services.

QUICK LINKS:

Meet the dentists!

Schedule an appointment!

Patient Eligibility

Our Values & Services

Education

Education is provided to all children & caregivers, free of charge.

We pride ourselves on incorporating interactive, age-appropriate, English & Spanish education throughout our dental home.

  • Education Room - Rather than sitting in the waiting room, clinical assistants escort pediatric patients into the Education Room where 10 tablets are loaded with KinderSmile Oral Health Interactive's proprietary app. This app, developed in-house by a team of dentists, hygienists and artists, tells the story of "Finn," a young fish visiting the dentist for the first time. Finn's educational adventure walks children through a typical first appointment, acclimating them to the sights & sounds they themselves will encounter in our dental home. The app narrates aloud for children 3-6 years old while 7-10 year-olds can quietly read the story to themselves. At the end, there are quizzes & brain games to reinforce dental hygiene tips presented throughout the story. Upon the child's next visit, a new story will become available to teach him/her about specific dental procedures they may receive.
  • Toothbrush Station - The next stop for children at KinderSmile Community Oral Health Center is the Toothbrush Station, where a clinical assistant counts down two minutes of brushing, offering feedback about proper brushing technique.
  • Nutritional Counselling - Parents are welcome (and encouraged) to join their children in the Oral Hygiene Bay and Operatories. Whether kids are at the dental home for a simple cleaning or for more extensive treatments, our hygienists & dentists make it a point to discuss how healthy diet affects oral health, stressing the link of oral health to overall health & wellness.

Prevention

Basic Prevention is provided to all children, free of charge.

The best way to eradicate dental disease is to never contract it in the first place! Combined with oral health education, preventative treatments like the following can avoid the accumulation of dental decay and caries/cavities before they begin:

  • Prophylaxis (teeth cleaning) by hygienist
  • Fluoride application to strengthen teeth's defense against decay
  • Diagnostic oral examination by dentist
  • Caries Risk Assessment to determine unique, personal factors affecting oral health
  • X-rays to detect possible intraoral decay
  • Sealants on emerging permanent teeth to protect enamel crevices susceptible to decay

Intervention

Intervention may require affordable fees for service. Click here to view Patient Eligibility.

KinderSmile Community Oral Health Center dentists have decades of experience dealing with advanced dental disease in children. Some patients reach the age of 8 or older without ever visiting the dentist, and their experience in our office is their first encounter with oral health care. Others suffer from early childhood caries or other issues from dental decay despite their caregivers' best efforts to enforce dental hygiene. Regardless of the scenario, our professionals are ready to intervene:

  • Cavity fillings
  • Tooth extractions
  • Pulpotomy (mini root canal)
  • Tooth implants
  • Bridges
  • Dentures
  • Appliance fittings

Oral surgery requiring sedation is referred out of our dental home to a partner practice nearby, Oral Surgery Montclair.

Our dentists make referrals to orthodontists, endodontists and other specialists as needed.


Emergencies

An Emergency Exams is provided to any child, if needed.

If your child is suffering from oral pain, please call us right away. During typical Hours of Operation (see below), we will schedule a complimentary Emergency Appointment for your child within 24 hours, or we will make an appropriate referral for emergent care. Once an official link to the dental home is established and your child is receiving regular dental care, we do not expect additional emergencies to arise. Patients requesting more than 1 Emergency Appointment may be subject to fees for service.

Outside of typical Hours of Operation and special holiday schedules, KinderSmile Community Oral Health Center's dentists are accessible by phone. Call 973-744-7003 and listen to the prompt for options to connect with Dr. Maria Madonna or Dr. Nicole McGrath. If you are in immediate, grave danger, please call 9-1-1 directly.

Emergency Appointments include the following:

  • One oral exam
  • One periapical x-ray
  • Palliative care, e.g. antibiotic prescriptions and tooth extractions

Depending on the results of the dental exam and x-ray, our dentist may determine that additional services are necessary to restore your child to complete health. Additional services (i.e. Intervention), may incur affordable fees for service. Click here to view Patient Eligibility.