BY: DR. TINA MERHOFF

When I started my practice 17 years ago, I expected challenges, but I also believed the Lord had amazing plans to use my practice to support the children in our community. Combining faith, family, and work is one of my greatest pleasures and it’s truly a blessing I’m able to do all three. However, when the three are out of order or when one gets pushed to the side, I notice life becomes more challenging.

My faith is my lifeblood. It is where I start and end my days. Having the ability to integrate my faith into my practice allows it to be my fuel for growth. We want to create a space that functions as more than just a dental office, but as a safe place for children and their parents.

Nothing shows the passing of time more quickly than the way my girls, Maddie Bea and Abbie, have grown. When they were young, we could “childproof” everything. If only teen- proofing were as easy as putting up a gate. With the world just a screen away, our teens face challenges and falsehoods daily. While every day I’m continuously learning how to be a better mom, I am so proud of my girls and the impact they will one day make in our community.

Our desire is to accommodate your growing child at each stage—from infancy and toddlerhood all the way to high school graduation and their early years in the “real world.” From showing you how to brush your on-the-go toddler, teaching your teen to floss around those cumbersome braces, to whitening their smiles for prom and graduation, we will be there encouraging you every step of the way.

From a parents’ first phone call or a child walking through our “little door,” our team is committed to providing a welcoming and fun environment where children feel safe to be themselves. Our playful furniture is kid-sized and our equipment is state-of-the-art for optimum comfort. We want them to leave our office feeling like the best version of themselves—healthy, heard, and encouraged. No dental issue unnoted. No question unanswered. Ready for the next step of their day.

Each child brings his or her unique medical history, dental treatment needs as well as anxiety levels. Our office is prepared to leave no treatment need unaddressed, regardless of your child’s specific needs. While most children feel comfortable with our jungle-themed office and with our specially trained staff, others require sedation or even general anesthesia.

So why not combine the two? Partnering with Piedmont General Anesthesia, a group of medical anesthesiologists, has allowed our patients to have their dental treatment completed in the comfortable and familiar atmosphere of our office, while also being closely monitored throughout the entire procedure. This has saved our parents time and money.

As pediatric dentists, our primary goals are teaching and empowering children to optimize their oral health and to conservatively restore when required. My associates, Dr. Jennifer Macdonald and Dr. Laura Johnson, and I have each gone through extensive specialty training to evaluate, diagnose and treat every child’s dental needs, regardless of their medical history and anxiety level.

Giving back to our community has been integrated into my practice from the start. Each February, our office looks forward to participating in a national campaign, “Give Kids a Smile,” bringing awareness to the importance of oral health and providing dental care to children who otherwise might not receive it. My entire team gladly volunteers their time to provide high quality complimentary dental care to children referred by their school counselors, pediatricians, Head Start programs, and other area organizations.

In 2019, our office provided over $18,000 of dental care to these children. This included everything from routine dental cleanings and examinations to pulpotomies and crowns. Spending time teaching the children and their parents the important role baby teeth play in one’s comprehensive health is powerful and makes lifelong impressions.

We are thrilled to give every child a healthy smile, leaving them confident to take on life’s challenges. Every child is worth our time and no child is beyond our level of care.

[Our mission:] “Our mission is a matter of attitude and commitment in putting the needs of children first. It is our pledge that we might always be in pursuit of excellence in caring for your child as if they were our own, using state-of-the-art technology, and to glorify God in all we do.”