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.
Reviews
Rating 4.9 out of 5 based on 375 reviews
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newest oldest highest lowestCarla Squires
a year ago
All of my kids love CDOTR!!!
Molly Havi
a year ago
Best place for kiddos! Efficient and quick with my kids, even my sweet autistic son loves going there!
Lacey Schiele
a year ago
All of the staff and doctors do an amazing job to make it a fun and exciting experience for the kids! My 10 year old has had to have some major work done in the past when she was younger and the team did such a great job making her comfortable (and smile and laugh) every step of the way. And they did an amazing job with the work done ! She still LOVES going to her dentist, it continues to be a fun time for her after all these years and work she's had to get done. She constantly reminds me to make appointments and is excited to go see her dental team and laughs and jokes with the staff the whole time !! It's so important for kids to start their life with positive dental experiences!!
Jeanette Rae Schouten
a year ago
Always quick yet thorough examinations. Awesome environment for the kiddos!!!
Matthew Barrett
a year ago
Friendly and awesome with kids
Amy York
a year ago
Cannot recommend higher! I had a very nervous 5 year old who admitted to being 'a bit nervous' then burst into tears. Our hygienist was thoughtful, sweet, and patiently talked her down. She showed her all of her equipment and explained everything that was going to happen thoroughly. Dr. John was kind and answered all my questions. He was straightforward and not fussy. I was Impressed with every I talked to and it was a great experience for my child. Thank you!
Maureen Ammondson
a year ago
Great place for kids! Lots of fun things to look at and play with!
Annika Riley
a year ago
Wonderful dental assistants and Dr. Lefler is great. Front desk staff member super unfriendly.
Jessica Garnett
a year ago
The staff is friendly and you are helped quickly! The dentists are quick to answer any question and make sure you don't have any doubts about treatment!!!
Kelly johnson
a year ago
Childrens Dentistry and The. Dentists are absolutely fabulous. They still provide dental care for my daughter who has a disability and is 27 Dr Hylton Is the only dentist she's ever really known and her comfort level is ...
Amber Barksdale
a year ago
Dr and Staff are wonderful. It is so wonderful being able to take my children somewhere I can trust the care of both the dentist and hygienists. Wonderful!@
Stephanie Watts
a year ago
The staff are truly amazing and great with kids of all ages! The entire office is full of games and other fantastic features to help kids feel at ease before and during their appointments! Including the movies that they can choose from while in the dental chair!
Joni Koch
a year ago
I enjoyed their professionalism. Their wait time was extremely good. And, very personable.
Kyra Harris
2 years ago
My daughter loves this dentistry. She has had teeth pulled and she is only 7, and she took it all like a champ. The gals where so nice and the dentist is amazing with kids. I'm so glad my kids experience can be way better then when I was a kid.
Tamisha Hardy
2 years ago
Great with all ages of kids!
April Wolff
2 years ago
Very friendly and professional! Clean offices and quick service. Very good for nervous kids. Two thumbs up.
Tabitha Marko
2 years ago
My children have seen Dr. Lefler since we moved to Missoula. This place is amazing and the staff are all so kind and patient. My kids love the prizes they earn by filling up their paw point cards. Best children's dentistry I've experienced.
Julie Wall
2 years ago
Dr. Joe and his staff are wonderful! I've been coming here for over 10 years.. My son is special needs and they've always made it a non-stressful, fun environment for my son.... I recommend Children's Dentistry of the Rockies to any parent who wants the best care for their child...
Jordyn Taylor
2 years ago
Very friendly and extremely welcoming!
Jenna Blakely
2 years ago
Dr. Joe Hylton is amazing! He is calm, quick and patient. My son was nervous about having 4 teeth extracted but Dr. Joe helped put him at ease and worked quickly to make it as pain free as possible.
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