Both of my kids go to Dr. Yasser Sadek for their dental care. I met Dr. Sadek in San Diego, where he lives, but he practices in Irvine & Palmdale, and we drive all the way to Irvine (from San Diego - and before he opened his Irvine office, we drove to Palmdale!) to see him because of his amazing approach to pediatric dentistry. Instead of using shots, anesthesia, or papooses to restrain kids during procedures, he builds trust with children and obtains their consent to let him work on their teeth, and listens to them as he works, responding and adjusting as he goes. Kate has had a couple more serious procedures (root canals!) done by Yasser, and despite that, she always looks forward to seeing him. It takes more time for us adults who are waiting, as he actually spends time playing with and explaining things to the kids in order to develop a strong rapport, but believe me, it's worth it. I highly recommend Dr. Sadek to anyone whose children may have some serious dental issues or have experienced past trauma during dental care. I'd love more dentists to work in this way with children - kids (and the adults they grow into!) benefit from this respectful, responsive, and compassionate approach to what can be a scary and challenging thing.
More