Dr. Joseph Hylton grew up in a small town in Utah and completed his undergraduate education at Brigham Young University and received his dental training at the University Of Maryland College Of Dentistry. His two years of pediatric specialty training was completed at the University of Illinois, Chicago College of Dentistry. He thinks his job is a ton of fun and he enjoys working with children of all ages.
He married his high school sweetheart and they have found the Missoula community to be the perfect place for them to raise their five children. His family enjoys the outdoors and you may see them rafting, skiing, biking, or hiking in the areas surrounding Missoula.
Dr. Darby Lefler was raised in Western Montana. After completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Montana, he attended the Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health. He then completed his training in Pediatric Dentistry in the Lutheran Medical Pediatric Dentistry Program at the Anchorage Alaska site.
Dr. Lefler is impressed by the courage and humor of his pediatric patients and enjoys interacting with them. The greatest rewards for him are the growth and confidence a child gains with each visit to the clinic.
Dr. John was born and raised in Butte, America. Following graduation from Butte High School, he attended Carroll College and this is where he became interested in dentistry. He then attended Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, OR and graduated in 2012.
His first job was working at a general dental practice for kids in Colorado. During his time here, he met his now fiance, Marissa, and also discovered his passion for treating and caring for children. This prompted Dr. John to return to OHSU to complete a pediatric dental residency, which he finished in 2018.
After working at a pediatric practice in New Mexico, he could feel Montana pulling at his heart and happily accepted his new position at Childrens Dentistry of the Rockies. When out of the office, Dr. John, Marissa, and their fur-baby, Finley, love taking advantage of all that Montana has to offer, including hiking, RZR rides, target shooting, and escaping to the cabin. Dr. John is thrilled to be back home and looks forward to meeting all of his new patients and families.
Our staff members work together to bring our patients the best dental experience possible. From our front office staff that greets you, our dental assistants that guide you through your visit from beginning to end, our hygienist that educates and keeps our patients teeth and gums clean, and our dentists who provide gentle and thorough treatment.
Throughout your life you will have two sets of teeth: primary or baby teeth, and secondary or permanent teeth. Many teeth begin forming before a child is even born with primary teeth starting formation at 6-8 weeks in utero and some permanent teeth starting at around 20 weeks in utero. A babys first tooth is often a lower central incisor and the average age of eruption is between 6-10 months. The remaining primary teeth typically erupt by the age of three, but the place and order varies.These ages are only averages and every child may be different.
Permanent teeth will begin to erupt into the mouth at around age six and except for wisdom teeth, are all present by age twelve to fourteen. Wisdom teeth typically begin breaking through from age seventeen and on. The total number of permanent teeth is 32, though few people have room for all 32 teeth. This is why wisdom teeth are often removed.
When an infant is teething it is common for their gums to be sore and tender which may cause irritability. Rubbing sore gums gently with a clean finger, the back of a cold spoon or a cold, wet cloth helps soothe the gums. Teething rings work well, but avoid teething biscuits-they contain sugar that isnt good for baby teeth.
Stainless steel crowns are prefabricated and are adapted to individual teeth. They are indicated when gross decay, decalcification or developmental defects are present. They are also used following pulpotomies (see below) that weaken the teeth and make them prone to fracture. The crown will last the life of the primary tooth, and the patient will not have to undergo repeated restorations on the same tooth.
The best space maintenance therapy is the preservation of the primary molars until they are lost naturally. Sometimes, when the teeth are unrestorable, the need for extraction is unavoidable. The purpose of the space maintainers or spacers is to preserve the space for the developing permanent teeth.