When should my Louisville child first be evaluated?

By age 7, per the American Association of Orthodontists. At Mini Miners it happens during a routine checkup, so there is no separate appointment and no referral needed.

Does my child need braces if they still have baby teeth?

Sometimes. Phase 1 works while baby and adult teeth are both present and the jaw is still growing. It can address a crossbite, narrow palate, or tooth trapped in bone.

How long does Phase 1 take?

Typically 9 to 18 months, depending on what is being corrected.

Will my child still need braces as a teenager?

Not every child who completes Phase 1 does. Early treatment can sometimes resolve the issue, while a second phase may be shorter and less complex.

Does Health First Colorado cover braces for kids?

For members 20 and younger who meet state criteria, with prior authorization. Clear aligners and clear brackets are considered cosmetic and are not covered. Health First Colorado is not on our accepted plan list. Dental Aid in Louisville accepts it at (303) 665-8228.

What if we cannot afford private fees?

We offer the Mini Miners Membership for uninsured families, CareCredit, and in-office payment plans. Dental Aid in Louisville accepts Health First Colorado and CHP+, and the Colorado Orthodontic Foundation at (720) 984-2310 helps qualifying families find volunteer orthodontists.

Dental Care For Special Needs Kids In Louisville, CO

Your child does not have to fit our schedule, our chair, or our lighting. We change those. What we will not do is surprise you with a decision partway through an appointment.

We are a pediatric-only practice in Erie Commons, about 10 miles from Louisville, roughly 20 minutes out CO-42 and US-287. Private treatment rooms, adjustable lighting, control of the sound and music, comfort items from home, and happy visits where nothing is done to your child at all.

What We Change, and What the Research Says About It

Three things change in the room: the light, the sound, and where your child's body is. That combination has been tested, which is more than most sensory claims can say.

In a 2023 randomized crossover trial in JAMA Network Open, 162 autistic children each had one dental visit in a normal operatory and one in a sensory-adapted room. Skin conductance, a stress signal a child cannot fake, dropped by a mean of 1.22 microsiemens. Crying, whimpering and screaming fell from 9.83 episodes to 6.02, and from 44 seconds to 20. Head movement fell from 16.36 to 11.68.

The part a sales page leaves out: the rating scales did not move. Frankl score, cooperation score, and the child's own report of pain all came back flat. The child's body was calmer. The scorecards were not. The trial also found the effect was largest in children aged 6 to 9, children with reduced expressive communication, and children with greater sensory overresponsivity.

The room

Private treatment rooms rather than an open bay layout. Adjustable lighting, and sunglasses if the overhead light is the problem. Your child controls the sound and the music. Ceiling-mounted TVs sit above the chair, so there is something to look at that is not us. Comfort items from home are welcome.

The appointment

We schedule extra time for children with special needs and we can book during quieter times of day. A happy visit comes first if you want one, where the goal might be nothing more than walking the space. After that, pacing is your child's, appointment length is set by what they can tolerate, and nothing gets pushed past their comfort level.

Parents are always welcome in our treatment rooms. You are part of the team, not an observer.

The chair and the equipment

Exam chairs position for comfort rather than for our convenience, so a child who cannot lie flat does not have to. Positioning stays flexible during treatment.

Before the first visit we ask you about sensory sensitivities, communication preferences, behavioral triggers, previous healthcare experiences, and what already works at home. You are the expert on your child. We would rather ask than guess.

Treatment Options, and How Far We Go Before Sedation

Fixing a tooth without the drill

The Hall Crown method places a crown over a decayed baby tooth without drilling and without an injection. For a child who cannot tolerate the handpiece, it is often the difference between treatment in the chair and treatment under anesthesia.

The three sedation options

Mini Miners publishes three, and they are not interchangeable.

Nitrous oxide. An odorless gas mixed with oxygen. Your child stays awake and able to respond, and may feel drowsy or silly. Used for mild anxiety and simpler procedures.

Oral conscious sedation. Two medications, Versed and hydroxyzine, in liquid form. Your child becomes drowsy and consistently will not remember the appointment.

General anesthesia. An anesthesiologist administers through gas and an IV, monitors vitals before anything is given, and continues monitoring throughout. Your child is fully asleep. This is the route for extensive work, extreme anxiety, and children whose needs cannot be met any other way. Fasting instructions are provided in advance, and getting them wrong cancels the appointment on arrival.

The licensing question to ask any office, including this one

Colorado requires a Pediatric Designation from the state Dental Board, on top of an anesthesia permit, before a dentist may give minimal, moderate or deep sedation or general anesthesia to a patient under 12 years old. It is in Colorado Dental Board Rule 1.14, at 3 CCR 709-1, and it also requires continuously maintained PALS certification.

Here is the part that costs you a phone call: the state's public license lookup shows a dentist's anesthesia permit level but does not display the Pediatric Designation. You cannot check it online. Ask the office, or call the Colorado Dental Board at 303-894-7800.

Protective Stabilization: The Word, and the Limits

You will hear someone call it "gentle restraint." The clinical term is protective stabilization, and there is a published standard governing it.

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry defines it as physically limiting a patient's movement, by a person or by equipment, for a finite period, in order to safely provide examination, diagnosis or treatment. Its best practice names the situations where it must not be used. Two of them matter most to families reading this page: a child with a history of physical or psychological trauma or abuse, and the practitioner's convenience.

The same document requires informed consent documented before stabilization, fresh consent if the technique changes mid-treatment, and a record showing the indication, the type, the duration, a behavior rating, and any marks left on the skin. A parent may end it at any time. It states plainly that the patient's physical and psychological health overrides practitioner convenience and financial compensation.

At Mini Miners, our staff is trained in stabilization techniques, and they are used only when absolutely necessary and with parental consent. If you say no, we go to a sedation option or we bring your child back another day. Saying no does not cost you your appointment or your place in this practice.

Medical Complexity, Medications and Who We Call

Bring the medication list. It changes the dental plan more than most parents expect, and our team works from an understanding of common medications and their dental implications.

We coordinate with your child's other healthcare providers, and we take precautions based on your child's specific health needs rather than a default protocol. Tell us the conditions, the medications, and the specialists, and we will make the calls.

Communication is adapted to your child. We watch non-verbal cues, and we work with digital communication devices, picture cards, or you interpreting, whichever your child actually uses.

Insurance and Extra Visits

We accept multiple insurance types, and our insurance coordinator works specifically on special needs coverage and can tell you what is covered before you commit to anything. For families without dental insurance, there is the Mini Miners Membership.

If your child medically requires more frequent visits or additional services, we work with insurance companies to document that necessity. That documentation is the mechanism. Ask for it rather than arguing on the phone.

One Colorado rule worth knowing before an operating room is discussed: Health First Colorado covers deep sedation or general anesthesia for a child only when the child has special health care needs as the regulation defines them, or when medical necessity is documented, and every operating-room case requires prior authorization. The regulation is 10 CCR 2505-10, section 8.202. One of its criteria requires evidence that treatment was attempted in an outpatient setting first. That is one more reason a documented happy visit is worth the trip.

Getting Here from Louisville

We are at 61 Erie Pkwy, Unit 101, in Erie Commons at the corner of Briggs Street and Erie Parkway. About 10 miles from Louisville, roughly 20 minutes out CO-42 and north on US-287. Parking is free, flat and close to the door, which matters with a wheelchair, a stroller, or a child who will not walk far.

More about the practice on our Louisville pediatric dentistry page. What a routine appointment looks like once your child is comfortable is on our teeth cleaning and exams page.

Hours: Monday through Thursday, 8 AM to 5 PM. Friday, 8 AM to 3:30 PM. Closed weekends.

Dental emergency? Current patients call (303) 500-3202 and press 2 to reach our on-call dentist. We will do everything we can to see your child promptly. More on emergency dental care for kids.

About Dr. Alison Grover

Dr. Alison Grover is a Board-Certified Diplomate pediatric dentist. She earned her DDS and a general practice residency certificate at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine, completed a two-year pediatric dental residency and holds a pediatric dental certificate from UCLA, and passed the oral and written examinations of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. Her undergraduate degree is from Wellesley College.

A pediatric dentist is not a general dentist who agrees to see children. It is two to three additional years of residency after dental school, in treating infants, children, teenagers, patients with special health care needs, and children who require sedation.

Questions Louisville Parents Ask

Will my child be rushed?

No. We schedule additional time for children with special needs and follow your child's pace, breaking procedures into manageable steps. Appointment length is set by what your child can tolerate.

Will you hold my child down?

Our staff is trained in stabilization techniques and uses them only when absolutely necessary and with parental consent. If you decline, we move to a sedation option or reschedule. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry names a history of trauma or abuse, and practitioner convenience, among the situations where protective stabilization must not be used.

My child cannot lie flat. Is that a problem?

No. Our exam chairs position for comfort, and positioning stays flexible during treatment. Cleanings and X-rays can happen with your child partially upright.

My child is non-verbal. How will you communicate?

We start by asking you how your child communicates, then adapt. We watch non-verbal cues and work with digital communication devices, picture cards, or your interpretation.

Can you treat a child with complex medical conditions?

Yes. We coordinate with your child's medical providers and take precautions based on their specific health needs. Send us the conditions, medications and specialists before the first visit.

How do I lower my child's cavity risk between visits?

Home routines that survive a hard day matter more than perfect ones. Our fluoride treatment page and our cavity prevention page cover what actually works, including options for children who cannot tolerate brushing.