A family dentist near Narrows

About 10 minutes from Narrows

Narrows sits where the New River passes through the mountains, and our office is 5.3 miles away, on Tazewell Street in Pearisburg. The drive is about 10 minutes, and there is parking at the door, which helps when you are bringing small children in with you.

Patients are seen Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. With a drive that short, an appointment after school is a realistic plan. When you call, ask for a time late in the day and say how many of you need seeing. You can also request an appointment online, and the office will call you back to settle the time.

Children's dentistry, starting early

We see children, and we would much rather meet a child at an easy first visit than for the first time when something hurts. A first visit can be as simple as sitting in the chair, counting teeth and getting used to the place.

Before anything happens, we explain it to your child in plain words and agree on a signal that means stop. You hear what we found and what, if anything, needs doing. Baby teeth matter more than they look: they hold the space for the adult teeth coming in behind them, and a cavity in one can still hurt and still become infected. More on how we look after young patients is on the children's dentistry page.

Sealants and fluoride for school-age children

The deep grooves on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth are where decay often starts in children, because a toothbrush bristle is too thick to clean them out. A dental sealant is a thin protective coating painted into those grooves to keep food and bacteria out. It is usually placed once the back adult teeth have come in, and there is no drilling involved.

Fluoride helps enamel resist the acid that starts a cavity, on every surface of every tooth. Neither one replaces brushing at home, but both make a cavity less likely.

Check-ups for everyone in the house

It is easy for a parent's own check-up to slide while everyone else's gets booked. If the children are coming in anyway, ask for your appointment in the same trip. A cleaning and exam twice a year is how a small problem stays small, and every exam includes an oral cancer screening.

If it has been a few years, say so when you call. That is a common reason people get in touch, and nobody here will lecture you about it.

The same office can look after the family as it grows: a child's first check-up, a teenager's Invisalign, a parent's crown and a grandparent's dentures.

If a child hurts a tooth

A fall from a bike or a ball to the face can chip a tooth or knock one out. See to the tooth first, using the steps below, then call: appointment scheduling is available 24/7. Tell whoever answers what has happened and they will get you seen.

Go to an emergency room instead for swelling that is closing an eye or spreading down the neck, trouble breathing or swallowing, a suspected broken jaw, or bleeding that will not stop after firm pressure. Otherwise, here is what to do for the tooth:

• A knocked-out adult tooth: hold it by the crown, not the root, rinse it for a few seconds in milk if it is dirty, and put it back in the socket or keep it in milk. The first hour matters most, and the knocked-out tooth guide has the detail.
• A knocked-out baby tooth: do not put it back, because that can damage the adult tooth forming underneath. Bring it with you anyway. If you are not sure whether it is a baby tooth or an adult one, keep it in milk and call.
• A chipped or broken tooth: keep any pieces and rinse the mouth with warm water.
• Swelling after a knock: hold a cold pack against the outside of the cheek.

Questions patients ask