Dr. Jim Mason grew up in Gloucester, Virginia and Newport News, attending Peninsular Catholic High School in Newport News. He then studied physics during his undergraduate studies at the University of Virginia on an Air Force ROTC scholarship. During his undergraduate studies he became interested in piloting, along with medicine & dentistry. Upon graduation, he became an active duty officer in the Air Force and began his studies at Medical College of Virginia School of Dentistry. Dr. Jim was the Chief Resident while getting his Advanced Education in General Dentistry Certificate. It is during this time that he became interested in Pediatrics.
Dr. Jim served overseas at RAF Upwood as Chief of Dental Support and specialized in treating the children of the military. He also served at Osan Air Force Base in South Korea before being accepted for specialty pediatric dental training at University of Alabama where he also received additional training for special needs patients.
After studying in Alabama for two years, he again served overseas at RAF Lakenheath where he concentrated again on pediatric dental care for military families. Dr Jim was recently deployed to the Middle East from 2011-2012 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in a joint-forces operation before returning back to private practice.
Our pediatric dental office has the latest state-of-the-art equipment to make sure your child has access to everything he or she needs at their visits. We have built our office with children in mind- offering a fun, comfortable environment which helps ensure a fun and easy visit.
We pride ourselves in practicing ethically and honestly, always taking the time to explain our findings. We always consider all appropriate treatment options and try to present the most conservative plans, when possible. It is important for us to be helpful to our patients and answer any questions you might have regarding your childs dental care.
Starting early with prevention and good habits will help build a life-long smile and relationship with your pediatric dentist. Thank you for trusting us with one of the most joyful gifts a child has to offer, their smile!
Dental care for children is an important part of their total health program. We believe that caring for your child's teeth should not become a financial burden for you. In the event that full payment is not possible at the time services are rendered, we have some payment methods that may assist you.
We are happy that you have dental insurance for your child. Since there are many insurance companies and they all cover at different rates, it is very confusing for the dental office and the parent to know what insurance will actually pay.
The ideal time as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Dental Association and the Academy of General Dentistry is at approximately one year of age. This is an ideal time for Dr. Jim to carefully examine the development of your child's mouth. Because dental problems often start early, the sooner the visit the better. To safeguard against problems such as baby bottle tooth decay, teething irritations, gum disease, and prolonged thumb-sucking, the dentist can provide or recommend special preventive care.
We understand that your child may be anxious and our experienced staff will help your child every step of the way. Talk to your child in a positive way about what to expect, and build excitement as well as understanding about the upcoming visit.
For very young children, often our first visit is an introductory ice-breakers to acquaint your child with Dr. Jim and his staff. We have found that our calm, warm and fun environment is the key to a successful first visit. Short, successive visits are meant to build the child's trust in Dr. Jim and his staff and can prove invaluable if your child needs to be treated later for any dental problem.
Dr. Jim is a board certified pediatric dentist, he specializes in the treatment and prevention of dental disease, as well as the overall oral health of children. Through extra years of schooling, training, experience, and certification, a pediatric dentist like Dr. Jim is uniquely qualified to treat the dental needs of infants, children, and adolescents.
A pediatric patient not only has a different dentition than adults but he/she may have specific dental and behavioral needs that are unique to a child. These needs may include orthodontics, dental sealants, fluoride applications or home treatments, or just simply education in oral hygiene. In addition to treating existing dental problems, our office focuses on prevention through patient and parent education. We like to feel that you and your child do not come to our office to have their cavities fixed but rather to prevent them. Our mission is to provide all of the educational tools necessary for our patients to enjoy a cavity-free future.
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry encourages parents and other care providers to help every child establish a dental home by 12 months of age. Establishing a dental home provides some key components to dental care for your child including...
As a Pediatric Dental Specialist, much time has been devoted to the studying of growth and development of our little ones. We are strong supporters of breastfeeding or allowing mothers to have the opportunity to breast feed if they so desire. We work with many pediatricians and lactation consultants in and around the state to facilitate this.
If a mother is having breastfeeding trouble and/or pain, the baby should be properly evaluated to rule out tongue/lip ties. Many doctors are only trained to look for an anterior tongue-tie that creates a heart shaped tongue (a very obvious one). There are actually four types of tongue-ties and are USUALLY found in combination with a significant upper lip tie that can also affect the latch.
To correct lip/tongue ties, there are several options to perform a frenectomy. We have found that a cauterizer (like a laser) works extremely well at reducing these attachments. Other options are blunt-nosed scissors (we do not perform these anymore), diode lasers (takes longer but otherwise very effective), or no treatment.
Reviews
Rating 5.0 out of 5 based on 45 reviews
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newest oldest highest lowestLizbeth Nava
a year ago
I highly recommend them. Dr.Mason and his staff are super friendly, professional and must of all attentive. They do not ignore you at all and don't give you attitude, which is a ++++ for me. My little one has issues with loud noises and he had a really bad experience during his last dentist appointment at a different place which got him paranoid about dentists. They worked with my son without pressuring him which he enjoyed afterwards. Now he wants to go back and keeps telling me he is proud of not being scared of the dentist anymore. My younger one also had a good experience, no fuss from him which I was surprised since he usually does not let anyone touch him. Thank you!
Tammy Isakson
a year ago
This place is amazing staff and all.. highly recommend fir all your children's dental care.
serina harrop
2 years ago
As soon as you walk through the door you can feel the "happy!" Training and working in the military people got things for free. Now that he's in the "real world", Dr Mason is still trying to do what he can to help people out. We went in for an issue work my son. He didn't charge us! He gives extra little tips and tricks of the trade. With his commanding voice he catches the kids attention right away. Very modern place and it helps that he's either in a super hero shirt or flight get up. Kids don't scare as easily here as they would a typical dentist. I love that he really tried to connect with the kids too which helps to calm the nerves. Glad we found him! 8/2022 Update- again, Dr. Mason did not disappoint. Struggling with some pricing. They worked some magic and helped make it a little more affordable for me. I love that Dr. Mason and staff genuinely care about not only there patients not the families as well. . The world would be a much better place if more people were like him.
Frances Fernandez-Reyes
2 years ago
A beautiful office with small touches , such as adding your child's name to the welcome board on the day of their appointment. They also have a gaming area and give actual quality prizes to your little ones after their appointment. The staff is accommodating and truly very respectful and sweet. They see my one year old all the way up to my teenager. It's the best office we have ever been to. 10/10 would recommend!
Kristie Knight
2 years ago
Dr. Mason and his staff were perfect from beginning to end! Very warm, welcoming, knowledgeable, and informative about everything!
Eveles V. Church
2 years ago
This Dental office is great. Dr. Mason is like a Rock Star, he is so cool and very special with kids. My son is not anxious anymore since he at Adventure Pediatric. All the Staff are very professional and friendly. including "River" is a great emotional support for kids. Highly recommend place in Bluffton!
Brittany Childs
2 years ago
My oldest had to come here and get check for a surgery he had to have and when I tell u THIS IS THE BEST PLACE I'VE BEEN TOO. As soon as we walked in the door it was like u could feel that they care and they make u feel like u are home in the morning I will ask if I can switch all three of my kids here BEST PLACE EVER YALL!!
Loretta Warren
2 years ago
Dr. Mason and his entire staff is spectacular. The service from beginning to end was simply amazing. This was my toddler first dental visit and I was very skeptical about taking her to any dentist. I was looking for an office that had a welcoming environment for children and an atomsophere that made my daughter and myself very comfortable and this was definitely the place! My daughter enjoyed her first dental visit and this mama is definitely keeping Adventure Pediatric Dentistry for our future visits!!!
Biffy Dobyns
2 years ago
Dr. Mason and his entire staff are absolutely amazing!! My son has special needs and I was having a hard time finding a dentist that I felt comfortable with. After visiting three dentist I finally found Dr. Mason. He really cares about his kids. His staff is so well trained and friendly. Highly recommend anyone to adventure pediatric dentistry.
Trish Reynolds
2 years ago
Highly recommend Adventure Pediatric Dentistry. We had a fantastic first dental appointment with our toddler...Dr. Mason and his staff are phenomenal! River, the therapy dog is so welcoming and sweet with the children. Thank you for the wonderful experience and we look forward to our next visit!
Ruth Magaly Morales
2 years ago
I highly recommend this office!!! They took their time and answered all my questions. You guys are simply awesome!!! A huge THANK YOU to Nayeli, Dr. Mason, and the staff at Adventure Pediatric Dentistry for being so sweet and professional with our little girl today. She was a little nervous going in but was all smiles coming out I'm so glad we switched to your practice.
Rebecca
2 years ago
I can not recommend this place enough. They're incredibly patient and do really well with toddlers who are screaming and not doing well. They're also very fast and accomodating. I've had two mishaps on my part that they didn't hesitate to work with (carsick toddler, and showed up for an appointment on the wrong day). Seriously, wish we could pack them up and move them with us when it's time for us to go to the next duty station. Plus, they have a dog and that stops my daughter from crying at the end of the appointment every time! (They always ask if it's okay to let the dog come over.)
Destiny Morris
2 years ago
We cannot say enough good about our experience! Every person we came into contact with went above and beyond to make our kids feel secure and cared for. Dr. Mason met both of my kids right where they are and treated them so specifically to who they are. The therapy dog was the cherry on top for us as it gave my anxious kiddos something to focus on. They actually cried when they realized they have to wait 6 months to go back! We are so grateful to have found Adventure to care for our kids!
Joshua Griz
2 years ago
Dr. Mason was amazing, staff was wonderful, and River was adorable! Would highly recommend! - Liz
James Terry
2 years ago
Hands down the best place to take your children for dental care! My son was very scared about having his 1st dental procedure other than cleanings done. Dr Mason and the great staff at Adventure Pediatric Dentistry made sure he physically wasn't in pain but also did a phenomenal job of calming his emotions by joking and reassuring him constantly!
jena reed
3 years ago
I can not say enough good things about Dr. Mason and his staff. Adventure Pediatric has been my son's first dental experience and I plan on it being his only as long as we can. Every single time we go we are greeted by the front staff and feel so welcomed. They have a cute little board where they write the names of all the patients of the day (you really feel special and important here). The dental assistants are very kind, caring and patient NEVER have my son or I felt uncomfortable, even when/if he has a fit. Dr. Mason is AMAZING with kids, and adults even! He is patient, funny, caring and kind which is super important when working with children. You can tell he loves what he does as he does it with passion. Going to the dentist can be scary, especially for a little one. Choosing a dentist that will make an impact on how you child views going to the dentist in the future is important, and I am SO GLAD I chose Adventure Pediatric. My son loves it here, and so do I. Dr. Mason treats each patient's individual needs and makes it personable. No every doctor does that AT ALL. Also, the theme inside is so cute, and I've never seen such a cute office! Thank you Adventure Pediatric Dentistry! - Jena and Tucker
Destiny Morris
3 years ago
We cannot say enough good about our experience! Every person we came into contact with went above and beyond to make our kids feel secure and cared for. Dr. Mason met both of my kids right where they are and treated them so specifically to who they are. The therapy dog was the cherry on top for us as it gave my anxious kiddos something to focus on. They actually cried when they realized they have to wait 6 months to go back! We are so grateful to have found Adventure to care for our kids!
Trish Reynolds
3 years ago
Highly recommend Adventure Pediatric Dentistry. We had a fantastic first dental appointment with our toddler...Dr. Mason and his staff are phenomenal! River, the therapy dog is so welcoming and sweet with the children. Thank you for the wonderful experience and we look forward to our next visit!
Ruth Magaly Morales
3 years ago
I highly recommend this office!!! They took their time and answered all my questions. You guys are simply awesome!!! A huge THANK YOU to Nayeli, Dr. Mason, and the staff at Adventure Pediatric Dentistry for being so sweet and professional with our little girl today. She was a little nervous going in but was all smiles coming out I'm so glad we switched to your practice.
Rebecca
3 years ago
I can not recommend this place enough. They're incredibly patient and do really well with toddlers who are screaming and not doing well. They're also very fast and accomodating. I've had two mishaps on my part that they didn't hesitate to work with (carsick toddler, and showed up for an appointment on the wrong day). Seriously, wish we could pack them up and move them with us when it's time for us to go to the next duty station. Plus, they have a dog and that stops my daughter from crying at the end of the appointment every time! (They always ask if it's okay to let the dog come over.)
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