My primary goal in working with children is to do whatever is necessary to have them grow up remembering that a trip to the dentist is a safe, comfortable experience. A good childhood impression of dentistry plays such an important role in adulthood; so many patients who had bad dental experiences as children put off needed dental work, leading to bigger problems and more complex solutions. Many eventually wind up with dentures or complex bridgework, all because they put off routine care due to fear that originated from a bad childhood experience at the dentist.
Children who come to our office grow up with no fear of the dentist. In fact, they enjoy coming! The primary things that we consistently offer children are an atmosphere of safety, friendliness, empowerment, and freedom from pain. As adults, they enjoy a lifetime of good childhood dental memories, which ensures regular preventive care.
I take great personal pride in staying up to date in my profession. It is not unusual for me to accumulate double the required number of continuing education hours each year. As a part-time instructor for over 20 years at OHSUs department of pediatric dentistry, I was able to learn as much as I taught, from routine procedures to unusual, complex treatments.
I grew up in Saginaw, MI, where the winters are long and cold, and ice skating on outdoor ponds is the best. My wife, Marney, and I were married in 1964 and moved to Portland in 1965 when I was accepted to the childrens dental program at OHSU.
We have three wonderful children. Michelle is married to Scott and lives in Arizona. Steven is married to Allison and they have a daughter, Coco. Shes a delightful eleven year old who gets a lot of our attention. Steven is the third-generation dentist in our family, after his grandfather and me. Fortunately, he chose to come and practice with me here in Portland. Its been such a pleasure practicing with him these last eleven years. My life is so much easier now that he is here. He not only has a wonderful way with children and their parents, but also is very organized and enjoys staying up to date with the latest research and materials. Our third child is Jamie. She also lives here in Portland, and works in the dental field as a dental hygienist. I know shes good at what she does, because she takes such good care of my teeth! Allison and Steven generously share Coco with us every Thursday, and Aunt Jamie comes over to help. Life doesnt get much better than that!
My main hobbies include old cars, woodworking, golf, and flying, but my passion is dentistry. My longest and most satisfying project was writing a book called Pediatric Dentistry: Building a No-Fear Practice. It explains how my methods of keeping children happy in a dental office evolved from the commonly accepted strict authoritative culture, to one of gentleness and empowerment, where a childs memory of a dental visit is just as important as the treatment itself.
The most rewarding aspect of my work is to help children feel more comfortable at the dental office. Its tremendous fun to meet all the interesting people who bring their children to the office. When parents tell me their kids are excited to come to the office, then I know weve done our job well. Its great to know there are so many dedicated parents committed to raising their children the best they can. Im honored that so many of these families choose to make our office their dental home.
Providing dental care to children while creating a positive experience is really a team effort. The people who work in our office are absolutely amazing! They are so great at engaging the kids and helping them to be interested in healthy teeth. Everyone here takes a very interactive approach to working with kids. We love to engage them in the whole process. The more that kids are involved, the more fun we all have.
I joined Dr. Pike Dentistry for Children in 2007, after working in the environmental field evaluating how chemicals in the environment effect peoples health. One day, my father, Dr. Allan Pike, asked if I would be interested in joining him. I said yes, and its been one of the best decisions Ive ever made!
Keeping up with the latest science allows me to deliver the highest quality care and provide a wide range of treatment options. I often attend CE in the areas of cariology, prevention, interceptive orthodontics, and behavior modification. The study of hypnosis has provided great insights into childrens behavior and helped me to make children more comfortable in our office.
When Im not working, Im usually spending time with my wife and our eleven-year-old daughter. I enjoy living in Portland and taking advantage of all the city has to offer. During the summer, I ride my bike to work, and in the winter, I love hitting the slopes!
I am very passionate about pediatric dentistry and a big advocate for improving oral health for children. I enjoy the preventive aspect of pediatric dentistry with a big emphasizes on positive engaging experiences in the dental office. Ensuring the development of life-long trustworthy relationships with the dental providers that motivate patients to tirelessly care for their teeth and maintain healthy dentitions.
What makes patient care efficient and safe is a child-friendly passionate team approach. Working with a team as ours is both gratifying and rewarding as it allows for personalized care with the patient and family being at the center of attention.
I joined Dr. Pikes office in 2018 after serving as the Department Chair for Pediatric Dentistry at Yale University and Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) respectively. I enjoy the evidence based approach to childrens oral health and am a big believer of non-invasive preventive approaches to restoring childrens teeth.
I am Canadian and grew up in Toronto and Geneva, Switzerland. I did my professional education in different parts of the US and am currently pursuing a MBA degree from OHSU. I have 2 young adult children who go to college in Oregon. On my free time, I enjoy reading, horseback riding and travelling with my family.
We recognize that all of our patients are unique and deserve to receive dental care that reflects their individual needs. Our experienced and talented dental team is committed to working with you and your family to create a comfortable, stress-free, and rewarding dental experience every time you visit our practice. We are pleased to welcome you and your family, and we look forward to working with you.
Reviews
Rating 5.0 out of 5 based on 49 reviews
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newest oldest highest lowestZeina Matar
a year ago
Dr. Steven Pike and his team are incredible! Our 4 year old son unfortunately had a traumatic experience at the dentist when he was 1.5 years old, and since then he simply would not step foot into another dental office as he was too fearful (and we tried several different dentists). Being new to Portland, we took our chances on Dr. Pike Dentistry for Children after reading the many wonderful reviews highlighting how caring Dr. Pike and his team are. As we (unfortunately) expected, my 4 year old had a tantrum when we walked into the office building for a routine checkup/cleaning. My 8 year old son had an appointment as well, but my 4 year old was so upset that he did not even want to walk into the building for his brother's appointment. I called the office to explain the situation and to apologize that we wouldn't be able to make the appointments. The staff member I spoke with was very empathetic and said that Dr. Pike would be happy to come outside and try to talk to my 4 year old if we were interested. Not only did Dr. Pike come outside, introduce himself and patiently talk to me and my boys, but (to my surprise) my 4 year old subsequently entered the building and dental office freely! Once inside, the entire office staff was welcoming and helped my kiddos feel very safe and comfortable. In addition to offering the kids a chance to play before their checkup, they also gave them the opportunity to feed the office gerbils--which they really enjoyed. Dr. Pike is clearly well versed in human behavior and seems to truly care about the well-being of the children he treats. I'm happy to say that my once dentist-fearful boy left with a clean set of teeth and, most importantly, a feeling that he is brave! Additionally, my 8 year old, who doesn't have worries about the dental office, also had a great experience. As a parent, I am thrilled that my kids are developing a positive view of the dentist as that mindset sets them up for a very healthy life-long habit. We are very fortunate to have found this incredible office and look forward to future visits :)
Rosa Walker
2 years ago
Wonderful, warm staff and a child-centered approach! My kids felt comfortable and empowered here, which was especially important because we were coming from another pediatric dentist where we had had a traumatic experience. As an educator and mother, I highly recommend Dr Pike and his team.
Peggy Baran
2 years ago
Dr.Pike and his team are kind, knowledgeable, compassionate, all wonderful human beings! In a horrible incident, our 20 month old baby fell down and injured his gum, lips and tooth. We were told to take him to a pediatric dentist asap. We called Dr.Pike's office and they accommodated us at the same day, during their lunch hour. When we arrived, the assistant came to the waiting area and greeted us and gave our baby toys and started playing with him. Then we went to the back, Dr.Pike interacted with our baby with kindness and let him walk around and explore. They were extremely patient. Absolutely no rush. They did everything to put our baby in ease, comfort and trust. After examining the mouth and teeth, Dr.Pike explained to us all possibilities and what we could do to help expediting the healing process. We are so grateful to Dr.Pike and his team! Our baby is in good hands.
Adrian G
2 years ago
This was one of my best experiences with a dentist they are all very nice and careful.
Kelly Asbra
2 years ago
I really cannot say enough amazing things about Dr. Pike and his team. My daughter fell at school and BROKE her front tooth and the tooth beside in in half. We have a family dentist that we started to see after my Brother in Law who was our dentist moved. I called our dentist and he was out of town and they were suggesting we go next door to a different adult dentist. My daughter was in pain and I called my BIL to ask for suggestions as I did not want her first major dental appointment to be with someone who did not really have great kid skills. All she has ever had was teeth cleanings and those already make her anxious. Without hesitation he told us to go to Dr. Pike. We were not even patients! When I called at 2:45PM and talked to Emma and explained they got us in right away. They let my daughter feed their gerbils to get her to feel calm and want to come to the back. We ended up with a true dental emergency and she needed a pulpectomy as her nerve was exposed. The way all of the staff treated her was beyond impressive. Lexi the assistant was so fun and reassuring my daughter loved her. Dr. Pike was so gentle and funny he put her at ease. These wonderful people even stayed late, over and hour and a half past closing to help with this emergency. Lexi needed to be somewhere but stayed to help my child and Amanda one of the other assistants jumped in to help! My daughter was so scared when we walked in and left asking to have this become her and her sisters new dentist! She said it was not as scary as she thought and he helped her not hurt. Plus she was pretty impressed with the prize at the end :). The fact that my child had this as her first real experience and actually cannot wait to go back speaks volumes about how truly amazing Dr. Pike and his team are. We are exited to transfer their records over and know we have the best pediatric dentist in Portland!
Amanda Brungardt
2 years ago
Last night my daughters wire in her mouth came dislodged and was causing both discomfort and anxiety because it broke. There was no way for us to fix it. I called first thing Friday morning to find out they are closed on Fridays but there was an emergency line to call. I left a message with what was going on hoping to hear back and that our daughter would not have to wait 3+ days for it to get fixed. I got a text back within 10 mins that they would see us in the office about and hour and half later to get everything fixed. This was such a relief and Dr Pike was able to get everything fixed. Our daughter was so relieved and happy that everything was fixed. Dr Pike went above and beyond and we are so grateful. Great work, great service and why we go here for all of our daughters dental work.
Jamie Sah
2 years ago
Dr. Pike saved my son and daughter's teeth! They were absolutely amazing. We were so blessed to have found them while we lived in Portland. Our family will be forever thankful and grateful for the care we received and the grace and support they poured out to our family. I cannot recommend them enough. Dr. Pike's care was exceptional. Thank you Dr. Pike for everything!
Patricia Rupert
2 years ago
Dr. Pike and all his team are really amazing, I have been taking both my girls for the last two years and they love it. It is amazing to see the excitement on my kids faces when I tell them it's dentist time!
Lara Jones
2 years ago
I looked, and can't believe I haven't left a review until now...because I've recommended Dr Pike's office to roughly 1,000 other people (basically, anyone who asks or even looks like they could benefit from an amazing pediatric dentist haha)! We had a terrible, terrible experience at our former dentist, and w/I the very first visit to this office...our child went from screaming and terrified, to empowered and counting the days b/w visits. The staff have been so very patient with our child (and myself)...words can't express our gratitude and feelings of good fortune to have found Dr. Pike Dentistry for our child.
Lea Mae
2 years ago
My husband went here as a child. Our children have been seen here as well. Great family practice. Dr.Pike Sr. Retired last year. It just isn't quite same without him!
Joseph Cadousteau #Ahi Toa
3 years ago
My wife and I are so happy to have found Dr. Pike's dentistry. We've been taking our 3 children here for 3 years now. The kids feel comfortable and actually look forward to the visits. The dentist and staff are exceptionally kind and aware of childrens fears and needs. When we first found Dr. Pike we had just moved and didn't have insurance yet, they were willing to work with us on payment options and they really won our trust. It feels great to have found a dentist we trust to take excellent care of our kids oral health as they grow.
Jamie Sah
3 years ago
Dr. Pike saved my son and daughter's teeth! They were absolutely amazing. We were so blessed to have found them while we lived in Portland. Our family will be forever thankful and grateful for the care we received and the grace and support they poured out to our family. I cannot recommend them enough. Dr. Pike's care was exceptional. Thank you Dr. Pike for everything!
Patricia Rupert
3 years ago
Dr. Pike and all his team are really amazing, I have been taking both my girls for the last two years and they love it. It is amazing to see the excitement on my kids faces when I tell them it's dentist time!
Lea Mae
3 years ago
My husband went here as a child. Our children have been seen here as well. Great family practice. Dr.Pike Sr. Retired last year. It just isn't quite same without him!
Lara Jones
3 years ago
I looked, and can't believe I haven't left a review until now...because I've recommended Dr Pike's office to roughly 1,000 other people (basically, anyone who asks or even looks like they could benefit from an amazing pediatric dentist haha)! We had a terrible, terrible experience at our former dentist, and w/I the very first visit to this office...our child went from screaming and terrified, to empowered and counting the days b/w visits. The staff have been so very patient with our child (and myself)...words can't express our gratitude and feelings of good fortune to have found Dr. Pike Dentistry for our child.
John D
3 years ago
Amazing place, they are changing the way kids think of the dentist. The dentist is no longer a scary experience for kids like it was when I was a child. The whole staff is super friendly and really know what they are doing. Top quality care! my 4yr old is shy but warmed right up to Dr. Pike and staff. Great experience definitely our new and only dentist for our kids.
Joseph Cadousteau #Ahi Toa
3 years ago
My wife and I are so happy to have found Dr. Pike's dentistry. We've been taking our 3 children here for 3 years now. The kids feel comfortable and actually look forward to the visits. The dentist and staff are exceptionally kind and aware of childrens fears and needs. When we first found Dr. Pike we had just moved and didn't have insurance yet, they were willing to work with us on payment options and they really won our trust. It feels great to have found a dentist we trust to take excellent care of our kids oral health as they grow.
becca Bice
3 years ago
If I could give 10 starts I would! This place is amazing! My 4 year old had to have a procedure and after our pre appointment I left there feeling so overwhelmed with happyness and felt like my child was in good hands! They made Whenmy son feel so comfortable there. we came in for the appointment they were very good at explaining everything and keeping us updated of any changes through out the whole thing! He was under general anesthesia for it. Dr tan the anesthesiologist was above great as well!she even called that night after to mcheckninnon him and see how he was doing. . I highly recommend this place for your children! Wish they accepted adults!
Eryka A
3 years ago
We met Dr Pike this last week and I'm telling you they are the absolute BEST when it comes to children. Especially kids like my little Drew who is terrified of the dentist (I have absolutely no clue why he's so afraid he's been going to the same dentist since he was 6 months old). They took an hour with him and walked him around, showed him everything and let him lead the appointment within his comfort, he even got to pick out the feed for the gerbil. Within 20 minutes Drew let go of my hand and walked away with the assistant to wash the cars and he even let her brush his teeth! The first appointment! He tells me he can't wait to go back and I cant either. Our appointments will always go at the speed Drew is comfortable with. I'm so thankful our pediatrician referred us here to have positive experiences at the dentist. No kid needs to be afraid or taken away from their parents for dental or medical needs.
Theo Inc
3 years ago
No pain at all fillings! 10/10
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