Kids First Pediatric Dental Care

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends a first dental visit by your child’s first birthday, or within six months of the first tooth coming in. Early visits are short, friendly, and focused on getting your child comfortable while we check growth and answer your questions.

Board certification is the highest credential in pediatric dentistry and it is voluntary, so most dentists who treat children do not hold it. After dental school, Dr. Malek completed a two-year pediatric dentistry residency and then passed the examinations of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry to become a Diplomate. He is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. In practical terms, it means your child is treated by a dentist whose training, examination, and continuing education are devoted specifically to children, teenagers, and patients with special healthcare needs.

We move at your child’s pace. Our team explains every step in words children understand, lets them see and touch instruments before we use them, and keeps parents involved throughout. Managing dental anxiety in children is part of board-certified pediatric training, so this is a planned clinical approach rather than improvisation. The office itself is designed to feel bright and playful rather than clinical.

Yes. Caring for patients with special healthcare needs is a defined part of board-certified pediatric dental training, and Kids First Pediatric Dental Care welcomes children and adolescents with autism, ADHD, sensory processing differences, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, developmental delays, medical complexity, and physical disabilities. Tell us what helps your child when you call and we will plan the visit around it, whether that means a quieter time of day, a familiarization visit before any treatment, a ceiling-mounted TV to watch during treatment, a favorite comfort item, or simply extra time.

Yes. Our practice cares for patients from infancy through adolescence, including teens who need preventive care, restorative treatment when appropriate, and monitoring as their permanent teeth and jaws finish developing.

We are at 3539 Cliffhanger Way in Zanesville, Ohio. The office is open Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm and Wednesday from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm, and closed Friday through Sunday. Call (740) 588-5437 to schedule.