We provide care that will set the stage for your childs dental care well into adulthood. Most people who have a fear of the dentist had bad experiences in their childhood. Our main goal is to make sure your child only has great experiences at Cumberland Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, everytime. As both Pediatric and Orthodontic specialists, we know that we need to bring together technologies that protect your childs health, comforts that help them receive anxiety-free dental care, and amenities that make trips to the dentist fun!

Dr. Sam was born and raised in Buffalo, NY. She completed her undergraduate education at St. John Fisher College, where she majored in Biology and minored in Spanish. Dr. Sam received her Doctorate of Dental Surgery Degree from The University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine. She graduated dental school with magna cum laude honors, and was the recipient of the New York State Dental Foundation Scholarship, The ADA Foundation Scholarship, and the Womens Dental Guild Scholarship. Her post-doctoral training was completed at Indiana University/ Riley Childrens Hospital for Children, where she received her Certificate in Pediatric Dentistry and Master of Science in Dentistry. While in residency, Dr. Sam completed the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) Fellowship. This fellowship is an interdisciplinary leadership-training program focused on working with children and families affected by Neurodevelopmental Disabilities.

Dr. Sam loves being involved and giving back to the community! She has volunteered for Remote Area Medical mission trips in Tennessee, and provided dental care in the Dominican Republic and Ecuador. In her free time, she enjoys going to concerts, traveling, baking, and cheering on the Buffalo Bills!

Dr. Lauren grew up in the state of Washington. She completed her undergraduate education at Seattle University, where she played softball and majored in Finance. Dr. Lauren received her dental degree from the University of Louisville School of Dentistry. She graduated dental school in 2017 with magna cum laude honors, was the Omicron Delta Kappa Outstanding Graduating Senior Award for her class, and was a member of the Omicron Kappa Upsilon Honor Dental Society.

Her post-doctoral training was completed at Indiana University/Riley Hospital for Children, where she received her Certificate in Pediatric Dentistry and received a Masters in Science Dentistry for a project focusing on presurgical treatment of cleft lip and palate patients. While in residency, Dr. Lauren was named Chief Resident her second year of the program.

Dr. Lauren loves giving back to the community. She has volunteered for the Union Gospel Mission free dental clinic in Seattle, Give Kids a Smile: Kentucky, and has completed two mission trips to Jamaica to provide free dental care.

Dr. Blerta received her Bachelors of Biomedical Science degree from the University of South Florida where she graduated with top honors. She continued on to dental school at Nova Southeastern College of Dentistry where she graduated again with honors, as a member of Omicron Kappa Upsilon. Dr. Blerta completed her orthodontic residency at Texas A&M Baylor College of Dentistry and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics.

Originally from Albania, Dr. Blerta and her family moved to the United States in 2008. She now lives in Nashville with her husband, Erik, and their puppy, Ove. In her free time, she enjoys travelling, hiking, and cooking.

Dr. Jennell Galloway, one of our beloved pediatric dentists in our Murfreesboro clinic, is being deployed at the end of April 2022, and shes planning to be back home at the end of fall this year. To support her and wish her well and the rest of our troops we are having a celebration week!

Wear your favorite superhero gear! Whether it be a Tshirt, socks, or the whole costume we want to see your superhero shine! Dr. Galloways favorite superhero is Wonder Woman so you will see lots of her around the office!

If you take any photos in our clinic during this week, show it off on Instagram with #cumberlandsmiles we will be randomly selecting patients to win a fun prize! You can either add the hashtag, or tag our main Instagram account @cumberlandsmiles, to enter to win!

White spot lesions (WSL) are areas that appear lighter than the surrounding tooth enamel. These white spots appear because bacteria or food acids have been in contact with the tooth too long and started to dissolve the tooth surface. When bacteria sits on your teeth, it produces acids that can wear away the enamel. The enamel then becomes discolored and chalky.

WSLs are a common issue for people who have braces. Braces can be challenging to clean around and trap food and bacteria around the teeth. Whether you have braces or not, the good news is that WSLs can be prevented.

To prevent white spots, brush your teeth at least twice a day for 2 minutes, especially before bedtime. Focus on the areas at the gum line or between the orthodontic brackets and gums where WSLs are most common. Make sure to floss at least once a day to remove plaque and debris from between your teeth.

A healthy diet is also important in preventing white spots. Reduce the intake of acidic sugary food, drinks, and carbohydrates, which basically break down into sugar. If you can, brush after every meal or least rinse with water. In fact, when it is time to reach for a drink, make an effort to go for the water more often! Many other drinks contain sugar or acids which will definitely contribute to white spot lesions. And lastly, dont forget to visit the dentist twice a year for a professional cleaning and check-up.

There are things you can do on your own or with your oral health care provider to take care of these spots. You can help repair the enamel with regular brushing and flossing and using toothpaste with fluoride.

Your dentist can use a remineralizing agent or microabrasion to improve appearance and protect against decay. Your dentist may also recommend a prescription fluoride toothpaste to help strengthen the enamel in the area of the WSLs.

Dr. Melvin attended the University of Georgia where she earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology and Psychology and graduated Magna Cum Laude. She then attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry where she received her Doctor of Dental Medicine degree.