John Eric Yezerski, DMD is originally from Murray, Kentucky. Upon graduation from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, Dr. Yezerski continued his education at the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry where he earned his DMD degree. Early in his dental school career, he was able to gain experience treating kids while traveling on a dental mission trip to Georgetown, Guyana in South America. During dental school, Dr. Yezerski found that, for him, treating kids was the best part of practicing dentistry. This led Dr. Yezerski to complete a two year pediatric dental residency at Childrens Memorial Hospital, Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois.

The two year program allowed Dr. Yezerski extensive experience in treating the oral health of children, adolescents, and patients with special needs. His residency program offered him a high level experience in prevention of dental disease, minor and complex procedures, operating room procedures, as well as, oral conscious sedation and nitrous oxide. After residency, Dr. Yezerski and his wife, Courtney, decided to settle in Franklin and to open his practice, Franklin Pediatric Dentistry. Dr. Yezerski is Board Certified by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and is a member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Dr. Yezerski also holds clinical privileges at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital.

Dr. Yezerski and his wife, Courtney, are the proud parents of three boys, Connor, Evan & Grant. Outside of dentistry, Dr. Yezerski enjoys a variety of interests. He is a music lover who enjoys playing both the piano and guitar. An avid sports fan, he looks forward to cheering on the Titans and Predators for many years to come.

At Franklin Pediatric Dentistry our goal is to help children, adolescents and those with special needs achieve optimum oral health through excellent and compassionate dental care. As a specialized pediatric dental practice, we take very seriously the responsibility of caring for children. We respect and appreciate the trust you place in us as we care for your child, and as a result, we treat and care for each child as if they were our own. We strive to advance the best possible oral health for children through prevention first, and intervention second. By working in partnership with kids and parents, we believe every child can begin their life with a healthy smile.

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that your child should visit the dentist by his or her first birthday. Your child's first visit to the dentist is very important as you, your child, and Dr. Yezerski begin working together to build healthy dental habits that will last a lifetime! Our goal is to build a relationship with your child that will last for years in a trusting, comfortable environment. There are a number of things you can do to help create positive experience. First, let your child know that the dentist is a friend and is there to help your child take care of their teeth. Second, explain that, during the visit, the dentist will brush, count, and take pictures of their teeth. Finally, please refrain from using words that may cause any unnecessary fear or anxiety. The words shot, hurt, needle, pull, and drill do not exist in our office. We are experts on explaining dental treatment to children, and we have developed a specialized language to describe our procedures to children in non-threatening ways.

The infant oral health exam, at the age of one, provides valuable information about how to take care of your baby's teeth, how to keep them healthy and cavity free, and how to assess normal dental development. At this first visit, we will perform an exam to evaluate your child's dental growth and development. We will also complete a cleaning and topical fluoride, as individually needed. We will also review proper brushing and flossing instructions, as well as, bottle/sippy cup use, oral habits, and nutrition.

Older children will also have an enjoyable first dental visit! We will use a 'Tell-Show-Do', technique to allow your child to see, touch, and understand every object he or she will come in contact with during this visit. Our staff uses age appropriate language that will help your child grasp dental ideas. Your child will have an oral exam, receive x-rays, and have a dental cleaning with fluoride treatment. Parents will receive nutritional and diet counseling, as well as, home care instructions for the child 's oral hygiene. Finally, at this visit, we will make sure that all questions from parents have been answered concerning their child 's dental health and any proposed treatment. In our office, we greatly appreciate the trust that each parent puts in us as we care for their children, and we want to make sure all questions and concerns are addressed.

At the conclusion of the visit, each child will receive a prize from the treasure chest, stickers, and praise for the things they accomplished. We work hard to reinforce positive behaviors and create an overall fun experience for every patient at the end of the first visit.

Payment for treatment is due at the time of service. If you have dental insurance, we will provide an ESTIMATE of what your insurance will cover. You are responsible for any portion that the insurance company does not pay. Our office will help in filing insurance claims on your behalf. For your convenience, we accept payment by cash, check, Visa and Mastercard. Information on third party financing is available for extensive treatment plans.

If you have insurance, we will help you to determine the coverage you have available. Professional care is provided to you, our patient, and not to an insurance company. Thus, the insurance company is responsible to the patient and patients are responsible to the doctor. We will help in every way we can in filing your claim and handling insurance questions from our office on your behalf. Remember, this is your insurance. You are responsible for monitoring the progress of payment. If you have not received information from your company one month after your visit, you should call them and see why they have not paid. REMEMBER We do not work with or for any insurance company. Our responsibility is to you and your child, and yours is to us and your insurance company.

A child's first visit to the dentist should be enjoyable and positive. The more you and your child know about the first visit, the better you will feel. Children are not born with a fear of the dentist, but they can fear the unknown. Our office makes a practice of using pleasant, non-frightening, simple words to describe your child's first dental visit and treatment. We want you to feel at ease from the moment your family arrives at our office.

According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), children should visit the dentist by their first birthday. It is important that your child's newly-erupted teeth (erupting at 6-12 months of age) receive proper dental care and benefit from proper oral hygiene habits right from the beginning.

Your child 's first tooth erupts between ages 6-12 months and the remainder of their 20 primary or 'baby' teeth typically erupt by age 3. During this time, gums may feel tender and sore, causing your child to feel irritable. To help alleviate this discomfort, we recommend that you soothe the gums by rubbing a clean finger or a cool, wet cloth across them. You may also choose to make use of a teething ring.

Your child's primary teeth are shed at various times throughout childhood, and their permanent teeth begin erupting at age 6 and continue until age 21. Adults have 28 permanent teeth, or 32 including wisdom teeth.

As new teeth erupt, examine them every two weeks for lines and discoloration caused by decay. Remember that sugary foods and liquids can attack a new tooth, so take care that your child brushes their teeth after feeding or eating. We recommend brushing three times a day for optimal oral hygiene: after breakfast, after lunch, and at bedtime. Brushing can be fun, and your child should brush as soon as the first tooth arrives. When a baby's tooth erupts, parents should brush the tooth with a soft-bristled toothbrush and a pea-sized amount of non-fluoridated toothpaste. Children should not brush with fluoridated toothpaste until they are old enough to spit out all toothpaste after brushing. We suggest reviewing proper tooth brushing procedures with your child.

Flossing is also a part of good oral hygiene habits, and should be part of a daily routine when teeth begin to touch. Not only does flossing clean between teeth where toothbrush bristles cannot reach, but daily flossing at an early age creates good oral hygiene habits that can last a lifetime.