Going to the dentist can be scary for a child, but Dr. Rosalynn Crawford-McKendall at Indian Springs Pediatric Dentistry has 23 years of experience in making children feel comfortable.
When kids come into the office, the colors are bright and inviting, and she and her staff get to know each child and try to focus on something the children like, whether it be Spiderman or dinosaurs.
Kids can watch cartoons on TV while their dental work is done, and they always get a prize when they leave.
Dr. Crawford-McKendall recommends parents start bringing children to the dentist within six months of getting that first tooth or at least by their first birthday if teeth are coming in. Some wait until 18 months, and by then there may be a lot of cavities, she said. The biggest thing is being able to see how teeth are forming and educate parents about habits that impact the teeth.
Dr. Crawford-McKendall sees patients up to age 17 and always makes sure the older children aren’t treated like 3-year-olds. Some of her former patients now bring their children. Her primary client base is from Hoover, Pelham, Indian Springs Village, Chelsea and nearby areas, but she also sees patients from areas like Tuscaloosa and Montgomery.
Dr. Crawford-McKendall, a native of Greene County, has practiced dentistry since 1998, including a private pediatric practice in New Jersey and public health dentistry in Maryland. She also taught at New York University and LSU. She moved back to Alabama and started seeing patients here in 2014.
