Growing Smiles

Our four year old daughter’s first visit to the dentist was today. Growing Smiles was recommended by a friend. The moment we walked in we were greeted by the friendly staff and our daughter was put at ease by the toys and activities in the playroom-​like waiting area. Our hygienist was Tyler. He was very nice and reassuring and put our daughter’s nerves at ease. He was very patient and made it easy for her to understand what was going to happen during the visit. She really enjoyed the television on the ceiling and it held her attention while the exam
was taking place. Dr. Kristin was friendly, extremely down to earth and very knowledgable. She even called us after our visit to ensure that we had a good experience and answer any questions we might have. We had not yet added our daughter to our dental insurance plan however the charge for the visit, including x-​rays was very reasonable. When we walked out of the office our daughter exclaimed, «I love the dentist!»

Seriously. This place is is so awe.some. It is truly a pediatric practice that is UBER kid-​friendly and kid-​centric. We were seeing another dentist before and we would leave in tears. We adore Dr. Shah. She is one of the nicest, smartest and resourceful human beings that I have ever met. Every time we go for a check-​up, she truly checks-​in and wants to know what going on beyond just my daughter’s teeth and gums. She has changed my daughter’s attitude towards going to the dentist. We went from tears to when I am going back again. All of the staff is incredibly patient and warm. The technology reminders and hours are great. Though we are moving to the suburbs, we will continue to make the trek down to see Dr. Reena.

My kids are 5 and 3. We have been patients of Dr Shah for 3 years. My kids can’t decide if the love the idea of going to the dentist in general, or are terrified, but they do love Dr Shah. She has an ability to ease their fears or concerns. She is amazing with them. We are so lucky to have found a pediatric dentist that will make such a positive impact on their dental care and outlook at dental visits. The office is very well run. The front desk staff are super friendly, helpful, and understanding of customers’ needs. Their is a fun play area, and the Drs have lots of rewards at the end of the visit to make kids really feel like they hit the jackpot.

This review will mimic what a few other reviews have said — Dr. Kristin is wonderful, but her front office staff is horrible! My son does extremely well with her sunny and patient demeanor, and we really appreciate all the lengths she goes through to make sure the kids have a positive experience. The front office staff, however, always makes me feel like I am an imposition to them, even when I am just calling to schedule an appointment. They always seem like they are begrudgingly doing me a favor or something, even when they are just doing tasks associated with their job. Our son has an appointment coming up this summer, and unfortunately I think this will be our last visit there. It’s a shame, because Dr. Kristin is very nice, but I just don’t feel comfortable giving our money to a business whose staff seems so very unappreciative of its customers.

We’ve been bringing our 4 yr old son here since he was 2. I really love how cheerful and caring the staff is and how they can put a very timid child at ease in the dental chair. We’ve seen Dr. Ashley and Dr. Kristen and they are both amazing. Warm, welcoming and cheerful. They have TV’s on the ceilings so the kids can watch TV and it’s the perfect distraction while they get their teeth cleaned.
They give the kids tokens for doing a good job and then they can use those tokens to get a special prize out of a gumball-​like machine. The waiting room is stocked with plenty of newer and clean toys to keep the kids busy while we wait. Happy to say that we never have to wait very long. My son usually wants to stay longer — at the dentist — to play. I already have an appointment to bring my 20 month old son in, too.

Had a wonderful first dental visit today (2.5 yo). The office is incredibly child friendly, including a little toilet in the bathroom which my newly potty trained daughter loved. The staff is really nice and Dr Reena really had the magic touch with my daughter. It could not have gone better and my daughter wants to go back. Highly recommended. (and conveniently located, just a few blocks from brown line)

My 2.5 year old son had his first dentist visit here on Jan 11, 2014. They were awesome with him. The front room had a bunch of toys and they were running on time so we didn’t have to wait. They have a TV on the ceiling above the chair, but my son wanted to check out the room before he settled down and they had no problem with that. They talked to him about everything they were going to do and kept him updated on where they stood in the plan, they let him touch the things they were putting in his mouth and told him about his reward at the end. All in all they handled it perfectly. He had such a great time that he asked to go back to the dentist the next day.

I love Dr. Kristen — I think she’s great with kids, super-​friendly, remembers us even though we only see her twice a year. Her staff, however, leaves much to be desired.
I booked an appointment for both of my kids, with the stipulation we had to be done by 10 a.m. or so. The receptionist assured me we’d be done within an hour, but didn’t mention that my kids would be getting their teeth cleaned at the same time — something that’s impossible bc they both needed to calm them down while it’s being done (which *has* to be a common occurrence at a pediatric dentist…). Anyhoo, we get to the office, and two hygienists each attempt to take a kid, which results in lots of crying. When I expressed concern that they wouldn’t be able to do it, one of the hygienists replied that I shouldn’t have double booked my kids — *which I didn’t knowingly do!* Not pleased. To add insult to injury, I was then mistakenly given a bill for fluoride treatments, which the receptionist insisted was me (it wasn’t). She later called back to correct the mistake, but didn’t stop to check and see if she was in the wrong at the time she was giving it to me. Really unprofessional.
All in all, a very crappy staff experience, but to her credit, Dr. Kristen did call later to figure out what had happened. Still not going back, though.

Growing Smiles was recommended to us from good friends for our boys (at the time 2 and 3.5) for their first dentist visit. Every person at Growing Smiles from the minute we walked inthe door made it such a positive experience for the boys that they LOVE (yes.i said LOVE) going to the dentist. Dr. Reena and her staff were so calm and funny with the boys. They even hung up a picture of my «thumb sucker» when he quit to make him feel special. The boys loved the stickers, toothbrushes, and toys they got. I wish I had this experience growing up!

Amazing experience! My daughter is 21 months old and can’t sit still for anything. I was shocked that Dr. Kristin’s (and her staff) bedside manner was so incredible that my daughter just sat there for 10+ minutes while they cleaned her teeth. The office is very clean and ALL of the staff are very friendly.

Love them! ready other pediatric dentist review i posted!
thank you for taking care of my little guys.
yes of course i would love a price break but the sight of my kids on NO2 is pretty funny.

They were perfect. Took my 2 yr old for her 1^st exam. They did everything right. It was clean, filled with toys, and the staff and doctors were excellent with my kid. My daughter was getting her teeth cleaned before she even knew it and never cried (and she likes to cry). LOVE!

This review is for the front desk lady that was working on 11÷19÷12. She was super rude and although this place may have great dentists, they will never be seen if the person who answers the phone is rude.
They only take Delta Dental as an in network provider. Everything else is out of network and needs to be paid up front and later reimbursed. I had asked if she knew what the range would be with the insurance I had. she basically told me I had the WORST insurance and would not get reimbursed much. AWESOME, thanks!

They are fantastic. I brought my daughter in for her first dental exam the other day and it could not have gone any better. Dr. Reena and the staff are patient, friendly, and utterly accommodating. They are also very good at explaining, both to children (I was amazed at how easily they got my daughter to lie back in the chair and have her teeth cleaned) and to adults (I received a very thorough explanation of my daughter’s mouth and how to make sure she grows up with very healthy teeth).
The lobby and rooms are very bright, cheery, and full of toys and other things to set your child’s mind at ease. Having Dora play on the TV above her dental chair was a nice distraction for my daughter, and Dr. Reena somehow managed to make applying a coat of fluoride («princess sparkles») something she really enjoyed.
This is a model for how such a practice should be run. I’m incredibly impressed.

I can’t rave about this place and the staff enough! I took my petrified 4 y. o in for a cleaning today, and though she screamed bloody murder during the cleaning, Miss Glenda (the hygienist) and Miss Kristen (the dentist) were amazing. They made me feel better about how difficult she was, and even managed to still get her teeth cleaned, though it took all 3 of us! :) However, for the slightly less petrified children (really, for all) this place is equipped! Cute and inviting lobby and toy area, tv’s on the ceiling to play your child’s favorite show while they get their cleaning, stickers, a coin after to «buy» a prize, plus adorable stories about your child’s favorite fictional characters who have also had their teeth cleaned in their office.
Though my daughter is a difficult patient, I felt assured she was getting attention and that I was in the right place. Seriously, even if you don’t live in the neighborhood, this ped dentist is worth the trip!

2 year old daughter and 4 year old son had their first visit here. Amazing how great they were with both of them. TV on the ceiling with headphones kept them relaxed. They talked the kids through all the steps, letting them feel the equipment and such. Everyone seemed very knowledgeable and gave us great advice. Very friendly and happy place. They get a coin at the end to use on the bubble gum machine filled with toys. I was very impressed.

My son had his first dentist appointment with Dr. Kristen. Dr. Kristen and the staff at Growing Smiles made it a pleasant experience for him. Everybody was friendly and really seemed to care about him being comfortable. Nothing was rushed and he was given plenty of time to become comfortable with everything they were going to do. I really liked that they took the time to answer every single one of his first questions — and he had a lot of questions.

I could not imagine anything that could make Growing Smiles better. The staff is kind and sensitive. Everyone knows exactly what kids need to feel comfortable. I love the focus that Dr Kristin has on prevention and making good choices for healthy teeth. The perks (TV shows during cleaning, stickers and a new toothbrush) are just wonderful bonuses on top of great care. And that Ariel gets her teeth cleaned here just made my daughter’s day. Kudos to the team for putting up with all that seaweed and slime after Ariel comes in :)

We love Growing Smiles! We have been going here for a little over a year and my 2 boys (4 and 8) love it here. My younger one was 3 the first time he visited Growing Smiles. We were a little nervous since he cried and wouldn’t open his mouth for our other dentist, but, what a difference! Dr. Kristin is sweet, reassuring and wonderful with him. Not only did he open his mouth on the first visit, she was able to get off ALL the built up tartar on his lower teeth without a problem. Both kids are genuinely excited to go, making dentist visits carefree.

Dr. Kristin is great. I have worked with her for years and had the opportunity to see her in action recently at the new office on southport. She has an amazing way with kids, I am always in awe of the great service and wonderful caring dentistry she provides for her patients. I highly recommend checking out her dental office Growing Smiles, your kids will love it.