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Children’s Dentistry
Gentle Dental Care for Kids of All Ages

Our warm, inviting environment and experienced, friendly staff will give your little one the right start for healthy teeth and gums.

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Children's Dentistry in Rochester, MN

Are you looking for a dentist in Rochester, MN who provides a positive, high-quality experience for the entire family? At Quarry Hill Family Dental, we are proud to provide gentle, professional pediatric dental care for kids of all ages.

Having a dental office that your child will enjoy visiting is very important to Dr. Jarrett. At Quarry Hill Family Dental, we’re passionate about developing trust and a long-term relationship with our younger patients. We offer a family-oriented environment where everyone feels welcome! Call us at (507) 357-1925 to schedule an appointment.

children's dentistry | rochester mnCompassionate Children's Dental Care

Dr. Jarrett is passionate about creating an environment that is positive and caring for both children and parents. She designed Quarry Hill Family Dental to meet the needs of every family member, from siblings in the waiting room to our large, comfortable treatment rooms for patients and their parents.

Not only are we compassionate experts in children’s dentistry, but we prioritize giving your child a stress-free, relaxed experience. Our dental practice focuses on letting everyone in the family complete their dental work while other members of the family stay comfortable and entertained.

With our TVs, comfortable recliners, and decorated treatment rooms, your little one may look forward to visiting! If you’re looking for a pediatric dentist in Rochester, MN, contact us to schedule an appointment with Dr. Jarrett.

What Can I Expect at My Child’s First Dental Visit?

At Quarry Hill Family Dental, we believe that early positive experiences at the dentist can help your little one build a solid foundation for excellent oral health throughout life. That’s why we make every child feel welcome and relaxed at their first dental visit and each visit after that.

Dr. Jarrett agrees with the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry that children should have their first dentist visit at age one or when they get their first tooth. This usually happens sometime between six and 12 months.

For very young children, we see the first visit as a “meet and greet” opportunity. Your son or daughter can get used to visiting the dentist and have a fun, relaxing experience.

For some children, the goal may be just having them sit in the dentist chair and open their mouth for a quick exam. For other children, it may mean polishing their teeth and applying fluoride.

An essential part of every first dentist visit is talking with both you and your child about brushing, flossing, and eating habits. Dr. Jarrett’s gentle, compassionate approach with kids and communicative style with parents ensures that everyone leaves happy.

How Can You Make My Child's First Dentist Visit Less Stressful?

The team at Quarry Hill Family Dental understands that your child’s first visit can often lead to excitement and nervousness for everyone. Dr. Jarrett will gauge how your child is doing and set the tone for a positive experience.

Dr. Jarrett enjoys engaging your little one by showing him or her the instruments. Kids will meet “Mr. Thirsty,” the “lightsaber,” or the “squirt gun” for the first time, along with our “tooth counter” and Barbie mirror.

If young patients need a dental exam, cleaning, or treatment, they can watch TV, listen to their favorite music, or just relax with you sitting nearby.

If your child is ready for their first dental visit, call our Rochester, MN dental office today to schedule a dental appointment with Dr. Jarrett.

Why Baby Teeth Are So Important

One of the most common misconceptions we see is that baby teeth aren’t important because they will just fall out. We feel it’s important to dispel this myth, because the truth is that baby teeth play a vital role in a child’s oral health.

Healthy baby teeth:

  • Help with chewing thoroughly
  • Foster healthy speech patterns
  • Save space for permanent teeth
  • Set the stage for healthy permanent teeth
  • Assist in a child’s facial development

You can help prevent bacteria from multiplying on your infant’s gums by using a clean, damp cloth to gently wipe them down once a day. Once their first tooth erupts, you can use a soft, child-sized toothbrush and a small smear of toothpaste to gently clean their teeth and gums.

When you visit Quarry Hill Family Dental for your child’s first dental appointment, we’ll give you tips for success and answer any questions you may have.

Children's Dentistry Services We Provide

Dr. Jarrett is highly skilled in pediatric dental care and treats children based on their needs as they grow. We may recommend any of these procedures:

  • Preventative dental exams and cleanings
  • Sealants and fluoride treatments
  • Digital x-rays
  • Tooth-colored fillings
  • Stainless steel dental crowns
  • Space maintainers
  • Baby root canals
  • Tooth extractions
  • Customized protective mouth guards for sports

How Do You Treat a Cavity in a Baby Tooth?

It’s just as important for baby teeth to stay decay-free as it is for permanent teeth. When a baby tooth has unchecked dental decay, the tooth may be lost. Since baby teeth save space for permanent teeth and help a child speak and eat, we want to keep these teeth as healthy as possible!

To prevent cavities, we may recommend a sealant, especially for molars or uneven tooth surfaces that can attract decay.

If your son or daughter does get a cavity in a baby tooth, we’ll fill the tooth just as we would a permanent tooth. A more severe case of tooth decay may require a “baby” dental crown to protect the tooth fully until the adult tooth comes in.

Will My Child Need Sealants or Fluoride Treatments?

Dr. Jarrett believes that topical fluoride can be an essential tool in protecting children’s teeth. She assesses each young patient’s risk for tooth decay at their twice-yearly dental exams and may recommend a fluoride treatment if needed.

For some patients, we recommend sealants as extra protection against dental cavities. For example, if your son or daughter has molars with grooved surfaces, bacteria have more places to hide and multiply. A sealant smooths out the surface and reduces the risk of tooth decay.

Sealants work for both baby and permanent teeth. Our dental team will keep track of when to reapply the sealant, which is usually about every five years.

Teaching Your Child How to Brush

You may wonder how to instill good oral hygiene in your own kids so that they can enjoy a lifetime of healthy smiles. Fortunately, you can start teaching your children good oral habits and attitudes before they can even brush their own teeth!

In infancy, wipe down their gums with a soft cloth to remove bacteria. When their first tooth appears, brush their teeth with a soft toothbrush and a tiny smear of toothpaste. Continue brushing their teeth for them until they are at least eight years old, keeping the experience positive and stress-free. You might also want to brush your teeth with them and use games or timers to make the routine fun.

Does Your Dentist Have Experience Treating Kids?

children's dentistry | family dentistry | rochester mn

Dr. Jarrett has extensive experience in children’s dentistry and loves working with young patients!

To expand her knowledge and skills with children, Dr. Jarrett attended a hands-on mini-residency at The University of Minnesota School of Dentistry that focused solely on pediatric dentistry.

Dr. Jarrett also spends time each week working at a local non-profit dental office, solely seeing children. These experiences have given her confidence providing a wide range of treatments for children.

How Often to Bring Your Child to the Dentist

Dr. Jarrett recommends visits to our Rochester, MN dentist office once every six months for a dental exam and teeth cleaning. This ensures that we can catch any issues before they progress, keeping your child’s smile in top condition.

Call Today to Schedule Your Child’s Exam

At Quarry Hill Family Dental, we’re invested in your whole family’s dental health. Please contact our Rochester, MN dental office to arrange a visit with Dr. Jarrett at your convenience.

Wonderful place!

"Wonderful place! Dr. Molly is great! My 3 year old son felt right at home the whole time. We look forward to having Quarry Hill Family Dental be our family dental office!"
- Carolyn

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Frequently Asked Questions

children's dentistry | rochester mnThe American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends having your child visit a dentist six months after your child has their first tooth or by their first birthday. The first visit is important for both examining your child’s mouth and talking about how to start good oral hygiene habits for your child. We have found if visiting the dentist at a young age has become routine for them when they reach the ages of 3 to 5, they are much more cooperative because they know there is nothing to be afraid of. Our entire clinical team has a tremendous amount of experience working with children and enjoys helping build your child’s confidence to sit through a dental appointment. 

At your child’s first appointment, Dr. Jarrett and her team will make sure to provide a positive experience. For children that are under 2 years old, we may only do a lap exam, where you hold your child in your lap facing you and lean their head back, allowing Dr. Jarrett to examine their mouth and apply fluoride varnish when necessary. For older children, our goal is to have them sit in the chair by themselves and let our team polish their teeth. We will build onto each visit and soon your child may even be excited to visit our office so they can lay back and watch a movie while getting their teeth cleaned.

Before any teeth have erupted, Dr. Jarrett recommends wiping your child’s gums with a soft wet washcloth before bed. The goal of this is to clean out their gums and to provide a healthy mouth even before teeth have started to come in. Even before any teeth have erupted, this is an important part of having good oral hygiene.  

After their first tooth arrives, it is a good time to start brushing with a small soft toothbrush. Often your child’s first tooth will arrive between 9 and 15 months. While it may seem insignificant when they only have one or a few teeth, it is important to start brushing correctly. It also does not matter what type of foods they are eating at that age. Starting to brush their teeth right away when they are young helps establish a healthy habit, which will make it becomes a regular part of their daytime routine by the time they are a toddler. When your child starts to get older and is only eating solid foods, it is recommended to start brushing their teeth in the morning and after eating any sugary foods.

Often a difficult but essential part of helping your child have a healthy mouth is to avoid letting them have sugary snacks or drinks. Drinks such as juice or soda already have high sugar content, but when they are put into sippy cups and drunk over a long period, it can have even more of an effect on their developing teeth. Although they will eventually lose their baby teeth, the cavities on those teeth can negatively affect their permanent teeth which are developing in their gums.     

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From first-hand experience, Dr. Jarrett knows the difficulty you can face when trying to brush young children’s teeth. While it is not always a pleasant experience for either you or your child, it is essential to find a way to brush your child’s teeth every day to prevent cavities. When Dr. Jarrett’s oldest son started to refuse to let her brush his teeth, she quickly understood the difficulties many parents face.
 
If your child is old enough to talk and you can communicate with them, try to explain in simple terms what you are doing and why it is important.  You can talk about how they need to brush the “sugar bugs” off their teeth to keep them healthy.  Singing a fun song or having a goofy dance when you’re done may get them more excited and become willing to let you try.

Our team understands it can be a real struggle for children that are in the difficult 1 to 3-year-old range where communication can be a challenge. These are the times when you may just have to make them let you brush their teeth. Dr. Jarrett can talk you through how to use one of the several techniques she has learned that will safely allow you to brush their teeth.  One of Dr. Jarrett’s pediatric dental professors once said how it would be so much easier if plaque smelled like a poopy diaper. Then no matter how difficult it was to brush a child’s teeth, we would all do whatever we had to to get those teeth clean!

children's dentistry | rochester mnIt is always a good idea to let your child brush their teeth by themselves from an early age to help develop good habits and techniques. But while this is important, it is even more critical for you to brush their teeth afterward. Developing a routine where you both take a turn brushing their teeth will help keep your child’s teeth healthy while also allowing them to gain self-confidence. Dr. Jarrett recommends continuing this until they are 7 or 8 years old to make sure all the plaque is removed. It is imperative to help your child develop good oral hygiene habits from an early age.

While family should make their own educated decision about when to use fluoridated toothpaste, Dr. Jarrett recommends and uses it on her children starting at a young age. Until your child is two years old, you can use the tiniest smear of fluoridated toothpaste. You can alternate days using fluoridated and non-fluoridated toothpaste until they get older.  

After the age of two, a very small pea-size amount is recommended. No matter your child’s age, it is crucial that you help your child avoid swallowing large amounts of any toothpaste.  So if they are old enough encourage them to spit while you brush. Or if they are unable to spit, you should wipe their mouth with a damp cloth after they brush.

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Pediatric dental care in Rochester, MN begins with helping your child feel relaxed and comfortable at the dentist. Our team and our dentist love to build relationships with the children we treat, and we work hard to make sure they enjoy their time in our dental office.

The children we treat love coming to our dental office, and we think your child will love it here too.

For children, the benefits of seeing a family dentist in Rochester, MN include:

  • All your family’s dental records are in one location.
  • Our dentist is better able to notice traits that may run in your family if he sees the entire family.
  • A family dentist is able to continue treating your child into adulthood.
  • A child may feel more grown up and excited when seeing the same dentist as older family members—especially mom and dad.

At Quarry Family Dental, you’ll find a warm and friendly team—a group of compassionate dental professionals who enjoy meeting and interacting with families and instilling healthy dental habits in children through education and a little fun.  

We invite you to schedule dental exams for yourself and your children today. Our team is also available to answer any questions that you may have about family and pediatric dentistry in Rochester, MN.

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Meet Our Doctor:

Dr. Molly Jarrett

Dr. Molly Jarrett was born and raised in Rochester, just minutes from the office. As a child, she spent many hours in our very building, which was once home to the veterinary practice run by her father, Dr. Gary Noser.

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