A member of the American Dental Association, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, American Academy of Pediatrics, Illinois State Dental Society, Chicago Dental Society, Illinois Society of Pediatric Dentistry, Fox River Valley Dental Society and I am the past-president of the Elgin Dental Society / study club.
Dr. Matt Karsten, pediatric dentist and founder of Kids First Pediatric Dentistry received his bachelors degree cum laude from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Next he attended the Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine. After graduating from dental school, he completed a 2 year residency in pediatrics at St. Christophers Hospital for Children in Philadelphia. After residency, he started Kids First Pediatric Dentistry. Since he was born and raised in the area, it is an honor to serve the children growing up in the community. His vision for the practice is to nurture and care for childrens oral health from infancy to adulthood. He is an accredited member of the American Dental Association, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, American Academy of Pediatrics, Illinois State Dental Society, Chicago Dental Society, Illinois Society of Pediatric Dentistry, Fox River Valley Dental Society and was the past-president of the Elgin Dental Society/study club. His free time is devoted to his loving family. He and his wife Samantha have five children. When he is not spending time with his family, hes an avid sports fan.
Dr. Amanda Frankel is originally from NewJersey. She graduated from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL where she obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She then went on to attend dental school at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA where she received a Doctorate in Dental Medicine. After graduating from dental school, she completed a two-year specialty-training program in pediatric dentistry at the University of Illinois at Chicago,while also receiving a Masters Degree in Oral Sciences. Dr. Amanda lives in the Chicago suburbs with her fianc Jared. In her free time, she enjoys doingpuzzles, playing tennis with her fianc, and biking along the many beautiful trails in Illinois. Dr. Amanda looks forward to meeting and working with all the families at Kids First Pediatric Dentistry.
Every accomplishment I have ever had pales in comparison to being a father to my daughters and a husband to my wife. My family is what drives me every day to be the best dentist I can be for other families. ~ Dr. Gil
Dr. Gil was born and raised in Chicago, IL. He graduated with a BS in Chemistry from DePaul University in 2002. After college, he immediately went on to dental school and became a graduate of the College of Dentistry at University of Illinois at Chicago in 2006. He practiced General Dentistry in private practice from 2006 until 2018 as the owner of a small practice in Palos Heights, IL. He found great joy in treating patients of all ages, but his passion had always been treating children and patients with special needs since his training in dentistry began over a decade and half ago. When he was accepted into the pediatric dental residency at Childrens Hospital of Michigan, he accepted it as one of the greatest honors of his life. Finally, now having his chance to fulfill his passion for specializing in the care for childrens oral health, he was compelled to liquidate his lifes work to gain extra training as a pediatric dentist, which was completed in 2020.
He finds pleasure in being an integral part of your childs oral care by creating a fun and comfortable setting where oral care can be accomplished safely and efficiently. He feels strongly that both education and prevention are the best ways to manage childrens oral disease, and he will compassionately work with your family to make your childs dental experience a positive one.
Spending time with his two beautiful daughters and his wonderful wife of over 10 years currently fills Dr. Gils personal life. They enjoy traveling, cooking, baking, exercising and rooting on the Chicago Bears, White Sox, Bulls, and Blackhawks.
Teething is a natural occurrence that is necessary for the growth of your child. Although it can be difficult to handle, we have information designed to help you to prepare for this stage in your childs life.
There is a lot of misinformation out there about teething, so it is important to understand what exactly to expect. Knowing the correct symptoms will help you to know when you must contact a dentist or doctor for your child.
Abnormal symptoms would be if your baby has a fever, rash, diarrhea, severe gum swelling, redness, or bleeding. If your baby has any of these symptoms, call your doctor immediately to make sure it is not an indication of a larger problem.
Teething TreatmentIf your baby is experiencing sore or inflamed gums, it can be quite difficult to calm them down. A solution to soothe their mouth would be trying a chilled pacifier or teething ring. You can also try massaging their gums gently with a clean finger or dampened piece of gauze.
For the safety of your child, do not use topical pain relievers or homeopathic teething gels and tablets. These forms of relief have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA, which means they might be dangerous for young children.
Dental care is needed as soon as your baby develops their first tooth. When that first tooth emerges you should gently wipe your babys gums with a dampened cloth at least twice a day. Also, once your child develops two teeth that touch, you should begin using floss or an interdental brush daily.
Within 6 months of developing their first tooth, your child should visit our pediatric dentist in 60194. When telling your child about the dentist, maintain a positive attitude so they feel as comfortable as possible.
Reviews
Rating 4.7 out of 5 based on 313 reviews
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newest oldest highest lowestEric Sanchez
a year ago
Alexis was excellent he went above and beyond to make sure my kids felt comfortable. My 3 year old was a bit anxious and Alexis helped her through us and she was able to sit through her appointment. Thank you Alexis and Dr. Amanda. Our family loves kids first.
Caitlin Davis
a year ago
It was my 4 yr olds first time. Dr. Amanda and everyone who worked with her were so good with her. My daughter was a little unsure about a few things and they didn't pressure anything on her that made her nervous! She loved going :)
Nicholas Jodscheidt
a year ago
Always a great experience at Kids First Pediatric Dentistry of Elgin. Big shout out to Vivianna, Tiffany and Hannah for taking such great care of my sons cleaning and exam. Thank you to Dr. Amanda for your assessment and recommendations as well as acknowledging my care for my sons teeth. Thank you to Connor for being thorough with the billing and helping me schedule follow ups. Overall a solid and professional team which is a great reflection of the owner Dr. Matt. Would highly recommend.
Dawn Garcia
a year ago
My son has been going to kids first since he was 2. He is 12 now. . Love coming great staff and love dr matt
Christina Sladek
a year ago
Everyone is so kind and helpful. Dr. Gil is great with children - very reassuring.
Julie Vanderville
a year ago
5 Star Superstars! Tiffany and Dr. Matt worked magic today! They both connected with my son personally to put him at ease! X-rays, cleaning and exam all completed with professionalism, compassion, smiles and laughs! Best dentist appointment ever! Thank you!
Julie Mann
a year ago
Staff is affable and very helpful! My son is terrified of the dentist and Kid's First has made him feel comfortable and at ease when getting his teeth cleaned. They let him see and feel the tools before the cleaning begins and also let him brush a stuffed alligators Teeth to ease him into the process. The waiting room is full of bold cheerful colors and always has a family friendly movie playing on the TV. The bathrooms are always kept clean as well. We have recommended classmates to Kid's first and highly recommended Dr. Matt and Dr. Gil for a pleasant experience.
Margraita Mimi
2 years ago
It was my son's first visit. When I was scheduling the appointment I've been told that a maximum cost without insurance will be $300 (X-rays, teeth cleaning and doctor consultation). So, we did it all and the total they showed us at the checkout was $600 !!!!!!!!!!!!! I asked why, they told me they needed to take more pictures. Such a fraud!!!! All they need is your money.
Brian&Lisa Haag
2 years ago
Kids first dentistry has been nothing but good experiences for my daughter. They are so friendly and kind towards her and go out of their way to patiently explain what they're about to do, to ease her mind. We love every Dr she has had and I highly recommend them!
Bella Brown
2 years ago
I only have one thing to say: Bree. Is. AMAZING. and Dr Matt too
Richie Henson
2 years ago
SHOUT OUT !!Breezy is the best ever and dr matt.
andrea crone
2 years ago
So sorry to have to post this review after going here for 13 years. We are all signed up to go to Schaumburg and then I get a text the night before to go to Elgin. This is at least a 30 minute drive from my house now where Schaumburg is by my house. So we go to Elgin and they say we are to be in Schaumburg. What!!! They said there was a mistake in their system and this has been happening. Well you should fix this. They made us wait for 30 minutes which I wasn't expecting. So sad to say but we will be leaving and going elsewhere. Poor customer service and I know this would have never happened years ago. They have lost the person family feel and turned into a factory. When I told the girl at the front that she will be going to a different dentist they didn't seem to care. We love Dr. Matt and will miss him but this make us sad to leave after 13 years.
Joanna Roberts
2 years ago
Phenomal practise! From minimal wait time to the exam itself! Our daughter was very nervous prior to the visit, th assistant took the time to explain and show her everything! The doctor had an outstanding approach! Highly recommend!
Melissa McFadden
2 years ago
Office itself is great, but I have never called this place and talked to an actual human no matter what time of day or day of the week that I call which is really annoying.
Daylen Davis
2 years ago
Had a fabulous experience here after trying 2 other "Children's dentists". We had very poor outcomes at a clinic in Crystal lake and another in Huntley. At both of those businesses, we left defeated and deflated. We were seeing a trend of frustrated and opinionated Dentists that were commenting on our parenting styles etc. Our visit here at Kids first was completely different! I was impressed with the open floor plan and very kind dentist/owner. We had been stressing about a cavity for months from the prior clinics. The first thing he said to me was "this thing is tiny and its a baby tooth." If he keeps it clean, it won't be a problem before this tooth falls out naturally anyway. There is no need to have a cavity filling procedure done! Knowing that he could've easily given me the same suggestion as teh two previous dentists, but chose to be open and honest with us made for an amazing experience. This was the best clinic we have experienced and will be recommending them to all who ask our advice!
Jennifer Howard
2 years ago
My son loves going to kids first. They're patient and super nice.
J Love
2 years ago
The front desk staff was amazing and also the young lady who took my daughter's x-rays. I was recommended to this pediatric dental office but my experience with Dr. Amanda wasn't pleasant. I'm amazed that she works in an office with children and doesn't know how to speak to them. As a special education teacher, there is a manor in which you approach children and speak to them. Maybe it was my tattoos or the way I dressed down that made her think it was ok to talk to me and my child in a condescending manor. Others have wrote reviews about her and I found it to be true. In addition, check out the yelp reviews and you'll see their yelp reviews do not reflect their google reviews. They're also big on putting kids under anesthesia for EVERYTHING. That's just being greedy or not actually wanting to deal with kids. I wouldn't recommend.
Colleen Mirza
2 years ago
We love Kids First Elgin! They are always so kind and informative, especially handling my 3 littles :)
Cindy States
2 years ago
Our pediatrician recommended this dentist and when we first went it was great but now that I need to get my son in, It's been a challenge to get a staff to return my call to set up an appointment and the message says it's a 24 to 48 hour turnaround time. Had to call a new dentist.
Wendy Greguras
2 years ago
We always have a great experience here with both of our kids. We have a special needs daughter and Tiffany is AWESOME with her!! Thank you for all that you do!!
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