Dr. Yates is the dentist and owner. She completed a residency in pediatric dentistry (the owner enters the program), sees every child herself and gives any sedation the office offers.
Children's dentistry in Fairbanks
Small teeth, big feelings
Dr. Linda Yates sees babies, school-age children and teens. She has a plan for the child who is worried, and one for the parent who is more worried.
A guide for parents
Most of what makes a visit go well happens before the car ride. This is what we would tell you at the door.
The day before
Tell your child what will happen in short, true words: we will count your teeth, look with a small mirror and brush them. Skip "it won't hurt" and "it's just a quick one". A promise a dentist cannot keep is the one a child remembers.
Words we use, and words we skip
Dr. Yates tells your child what is about to happen, shows the tool, then does it. We call the mirror a mirror and the water spray a water spray. We skip words like "shot" and "drill", and nothing starts until your child has seen the tool and heard what it does.
Your own feelings
Children read a parent's face. If the dentist makes you tense, that is common, and you are not the first parent to tell us so at the door. Say it and we will talk before we go back.
When a child is very young or very worried
Some children cannot sit through treatment however kind the room is. We try talking, breaks, a hand to hold and a seat on your lap first. If they are not enough, Dr. Yates will talk with you about other choices, including sedation, set out in full below.
What we ask of you
Bring something from home to hold. Tell us about anything your child has had lately, such as an illness, a new medicine or a bad night. Health history goes on our private patient portal, never in a message to this website.
If your child needs help to get through a visit
Sedation is for the child who cannot sit through treatment even in a gentle room. Here is who gives it, how your child is watched and what we ask of you.
Levels, in plain words
Nitrous oxide is breathed through a small nose mask, your child stays awake, and it wears off within minutes of stopping. A medicine by mouth makes a child relaxed and drowsy. Deeper sedation and general anesthesia are not given here; if your child needs them, we refer you to a hospital or an anesthesia team.
Who gives it
Dr. Yates gives it herself. She holds the permit the Alaska Board of Dental Examiners requires for the level she uses, and the level and number are listed in her credentials.
See her credentialsHow your child is watched
A second trained team member watches your child's breathing, pulse and oxygen from the first minute to the last, and emergency equipment sized for children is in the room.
Who comes with your child
A parent or guardian stays in the building for the whole visit and takes your child home. If your child rides in a car seat, bring a second adult so one can drive and one can watch.
Eating and drinking first
Your child may need an empty stomach for a set time before the visit. You get the times in writing the day before, because they depend on the medicine and on your child. If your child eats or drinks when they should not, call us before you leave home and we will move the visit.
What we cannot promise
Children react differently. We cannot promise how drowsy your child will be or what they will remember, and most children do not need sedation at all. We try talking, breaks and a hand to hold first, and it is always your choice.
More about sedation
What we do, by what children need
For babies and toddlers, by the first birthday or the first tooth. Mostly talking, with your child in your arms.
A look, a gentle cleaning, fluoride or sealants when Dr. Yates advises them, and brushing help for you.
Repairs for baby and adult teeth, explained before they start.
For the child who cannot get through treatment with talking, breaks and a hand to hold.
A knocked or broken tooth, a toothache, a bump to the mouth.
A waiting room with a lamp, a rug and no rush
Winter visits start in the dark for many Fairbanks families.
We keep the lights low in the waiting corner and the toys on a low shelf, with hooks by the door for snow pants and boots. If the roads are bad or the car will not start, call us and we will move the visit instead of rushing you.
Hooks and a bench for boots and snow pants
Books and wooden toys on a low shelf
A call from us, not a lecture, if the roads are bad
The office
Four people, one front door
A small office, so your child sees the same faces from one visit to the next.
Qing Shen
Dental hygienist, RDH
- Dental hygienist license (RDH) · AK License no. 000000
Qing cleans teeth, shows children their own brushing and tells them each step before it happens.
Czarina Gatdula
Dental assistant
Czarina sets up the room, shows each tool first and, at sedation visits, is the team member who watches your child's breathing, pulse and oxygen. She speaks Tagalog and English.
Sade Lassiter
Office manager
Sade schedules visits, checks your child's dental benefits before you come and gives you the written estimate.
Training, board and sedation permit
Dr. Yates's pediatric training, board status and sedation permit are listed here. The owner enters each program and confirms each line before publishing.
Training
Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS)
School and year entered by the owner.
Residency in pediatric dentistry
A pediatric dentistry residency program. The owner enters its name and year.
Board
American Board of Pediatric Dentistry
Board status through the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, if held. The owner confirms it before this line is published.
Sedation permit
Sedation permit, Alaska Board of Dental Examiners
The level and the permit number are entered by the owner and confirmed before this line is published.
Scope of care
Practice limited to dentistry for children
Adults and care outside children's dentistry are referred to a general dentist.
What parents ask first
When should my child first see a dentist?
Dental groups recommend a first visit by your child's first birthday, or when the first tooth comes in. A baby can stay in your arms for the whole visit.
Can I stay with my child?
Yes. You can sit beside the chair or hold a hand. With teens, we ask the teen whether they want a parent in the room.
Will it hurt?
Most children feel pressure and some tenderness. We show each tool first, numb the area when it is needed, and stop when your child raises a hand.
Do you offer sedation, and who gives it?
For a child who cannot get through treatment with talking, breaks and a hand to hold, Dr. Yates can talk with you about it. She gives it herself, a second team member watches your child throughout, and the permit line is in her credentials.
Will you take our insurance?
We work with many plan types and list them on the fees page. Sade checks your child's benefits before the first visit and calls you with what she finds.
Ask for a visit
Send a request and Sade will call, text or email you back with a time. Please leave out health details; for anything urgent, call us.
Phone(907) 555-0103
Hours
- Monday – ThursdayToday
- 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- FridayToday
- 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
- Saturday and SundayToday
- Closed