Montclair Pediatric Dentistry, a boutique, women-owned pediatric dental practice located in Montclair Village, provides individualized dental care for children with special healthcare needs. The practice serves families throughout Oakland, Berkeley, Piedmont, Alameda, and the greater East Bay.
Families seeking care for a child with sensory sensitivities, communication differences, or mobility needs often travel well outside their local area to find a practice equipped to accommodate them. Requirements such as additional chair time, a lower-stimulation environment, or modified explanations of clinical steps are frequently treated as scheduling constraints rather than as clinical considerations. Montclair Pediatric Dentistry structures its care model around the latter approach.
Both founding dentists are board-certified by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry (ABPD). Dr. Lina Paek and Dr. Rebecca Hsieh completed pediatric dentistry residencies that included training in child development and behavior guidance, and both practiced at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland before establishing the practice. Together they bring nearly 20 years of combined clinical experience treating infants, children, and adolescents, including patients with special health care needs and medically complex histories.
"We build the visit around the individual child rather than asking the child to fit a standard appointment schedule," said Dr. Lina Paek, board-certified pediatric dentist and co-founder of Montclair Pediatric Dentistry. "For some patients, that means an initial appointment devoted entirely to becoming comfortable in the treatment room. For others, it means presenting the same information in several different ways until it is understood. The objective is to meet each child at their developmental stage and support a positive experience with dental care."
Care is adapted through several established protocols. Familiarization visits allow children to acclimate to the clinical environment before treatment begins. Appointment blocks are extended to provide adequate time for each stage of a visit. Communication is matched to the child's developmental stage and processing needs. Parents and guardians remain present during treatment when doing so benefits the patient. Sedation dentistry is available when clinically indicated, in accordance with American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) guidelines, and is not applied as a default measure.
The practice also employs minimally invasive treatment options, including Silver Diamine Fluoride and Curodont, which allow the clinical team to address early decay with reduced drilling and, in many cases, without anesthesia. These evidence-based treatments align with AAPD guidance and reduce the number of sensory triggers a patient encounters during a procedure.
"Continuity of care is important for every patient, and it carries additional weight for children with special health care needs," said Dr. Paek. "When a consistent clinical team follows a child from infancy through adolescence, that team learns which approaches are effective for that patient and can adjust as the child develops new coping skills. That ongoing relationship is the foundation of a dental home."
The AAPD recommends that children establish a dental home by their first birthday. Early and consistent preventive dental care helps reduce the risk of cavities and helps identify developing concerns before more involved treatment becomes necessary.
Families seeking care for a child with special health care needs begin with an individualized evaluation to determine the appropriate clinical approach for that patient.
About Montclair Pediatric Dentistry
Montclair Pediatric Dentistry is a boutique, women-owned pediatric dental practice located in Montclair Village, Oakland, California. Founded by board-certified pediatric dentists Dr. Lina Paek and Dr. Rebecca Hsieh, the practice provides individualized, evidence-based dental care for infants, children, and adolescents, including those with special health care needs. Services include preventive care, minimally invasive dentistry, sedation dentistry, restorative care, infant care, emergency care, and space maintenance. The practice serves families throughout Oakland, Berkeley, Piedmont, Alameda, and the greater East Bay.
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For more information about Montclair Pediatric Dentistry, contact the company here:
Montclair Pediatric Dentistry
Customer Service
510-722-0226
contact@montclairpediatricdentistry.com
6211 Medau Place Suite 120 Oakland, CA 94611