No. 1 Pediatric Dentist in Fayetteville, NC
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Kids Dentist in Fayetteville, NC
Dino Kids Dental of Fayetteville sits at 1916 Skibo Road, near Cross Creek Mall and just a short drive from Fort Bragg. Our office was built around how kids actually experience the world — bright, Dino-themed, never sterile-feeling — because a child’s first few dental visits shape how they feel about dental care for the rest of their life. We see babies, toddlers, school-age children, teenagers, and children with special healthcare needs from across Cumberland County and the surrounding communities.
Welcome to DINO kids dental
Welcome to DINO Kids Dental, a collective of the best pediatric dentists in Fayetteville! Since 2020, our dentists and team have provided patients with excellent dental care.
We strive to make dentistry fun and comfortable for all children with our Dinosaur-themed office and a friendly team. Each child is special, and we provide personalized care to help your child maintain a healthy smile as they grow.
Trusted Children's Dental Care for Fayetteville, Fort Bragg, and Beyond
Our office is conveniently located on Skibo Road near Cross Creek Mall, with easy access for families across Fayetteville, Fort Bragg, Hope Mills, Spring Lake, and Raeford. The location matters for one practical reason: when you have small children, the last thing you need is a dental office that’s hard to reach. We’re 10–15 minutes from most of the homes our patients live in.
Something families often don’t realize until they’re here: our sister practice, O2 Dental Group of Fayetteville, sits right next door in Suite C3 of the same building. That means parents who want their own dental care at the same address as their kids’ care can have both — same parking lot, same standards, same family. Pediatric-focused care for the children, comprehensive adult care for the parents and grandparents, no extra driving on busy days.
Why Military Families and Fayetteville Parents Choose Dino Kids Dental
Built for Kids Only
Children are the only patients we see — not an afterthought or a side specialty.
Military Families Welcomed
We work with TRICARE and understand the rhythm of military life, deployments, and PCS moves.
Bilingual Care
English and Spanish-speaking staff so every parent in our diverse community can be fully informed.
Gentle, Patient Team
Trained in childhood development, comfortable with anxious kids and first-time visitors.
Special Healthcare Needs Experience
Quieter scheduling, desensitization visits, sensory accommodations, individualized care plans.
Same-Day Emergency Slots
Toothaches, broken teeth, and injuries can't wait — and we don't make families wait either.
Same Address as Adult Care
O2 Dental Group next door in Suite C3 means the whole family can be seen at one address.
Honest answers for parents
Practical guidance on brushing, diet, habits, and what to expect — not upsells.
A Note for Fort Bragg Families
Military families across Fort Bragg, Pope Field, and the surrounding installations are a meaningful part of our practice. We understand what military life looks like — the deployments that affect scheduling, the PCS moves that mean transferring dental records, the importance of being a steady, reliable provider regardless of what’s happening with your assignment. We accept a range of dental insurance plans, including those commonly used by military families. Visit our insurance information page for the full list, or call our office at (910) 965-0123 to verify your specific coverage before your child’s visit.
Dr. Carlos Garcia Soto
Dentist
Dr. Carlos Garcia Soto is a dedicated dentist with more than 37 years of experience across general, family, pediatric, and orthodontic dentistry. Originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico, he earned his bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from the University of Puerto Rico before graduating Magna Cum Laude with his Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry from the University of Puerto Rico School of Dentistry.
Dr. Garcia is passionate about providing compassionate, individualized care—especially for children. He prioritizes gentle treatment and preventive guidance, including evaluating airway and oral habits to support the healthy development of young patients’ smiles.
A strong advocate for collaborative care, Dr. Garcia believes in clear communication with parents and close coordination with other healthcare providers to support each child’s overall well-being.
Now living in North Carolina with his wife, Susan, he enjoys traveling, cooking, and staying active. He is also the proud grandfather of three amazing, loving, and strong little girls who continually inspire his commitment to helping young patients feel comfortable and confident.
At Dino Kids Dental in Fayetteville, NC, Dr. Garcia is excited to provide exceptional dental care for children and adolescents up to age 18, creating positive experiences that build healthy, confident smiles for life.
DINO kids dental
First Dental Visits: Infants, Toddlers & Baby Teeth
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends a child’s first dental visit by their first birthday, or within six months of the first tooth coming in — whichever happens first. Most parents are surprised by how early that is. Here’s why we recommend it anyway.
First visits aren’t about treatment. They’re about three things:
- Catching issues early. We look for signs of early childhood cavities, developmental concerns, and habits that could cause problems later. Most of what we find is reassurance — but when there’s something to act on, earlier is always better.
- Practical guidance for parents. Brushing technique, fluoride, weaning from the bottle, pacifier and thumb-sucking habits, diet, sippy cup use, what to do when the first molars come in — the kind of specific answers most parents never get from a pediatrician’s quick mention at well-child visits.
- Letting your child experience the dentist as a calm, friendly place. A toddler whose first dental visit is positive grows into a kindergartener who isn’t scared of the dentist, who grows into a teenager who actually wants to take care of their teeth. That’s the long game.
We work at your child’s pace. If a 1-year-old just wants to sit in your lap for the entire visit, that’s perfect. If they want to explore the chair, even better. First visits are positive, not productive.
Pediatric Dental Care for Children with Special Healthcare Needs
Children with autism, ADHD, sensory processing differences, developmental delays, or medical conditions affecting dental care deserve a dental visit built around them — not a rushed appointment that doesn’t account for what they need.
Our team has experience working with children with special healthcare needs. Depending on what your child needs, we can:
- Schedule appointments at quieter times of day when the office isn’t crowded
- Take extra time for desensitization visits before any treatment
- Use visual supports, step-by-step explanations, and predictable routines
- Coordinate with parents, caregivers, behavior therapists, and medical specialists
- Adjust the sensory environment — quieter, dimmer, no music, no extra people in the room
- Offer sedation options when a child needs them and it’s clinically appropriate.
We’re honest about limits. Some children with significant medical complexity or behavioral needs are better cared for at a hospital-based pediatric dental specialist with general anesthesia, and we’ll tell you straightforwardly when that’s the better path. What we promise is a thoughtful conversation about what your child actually needs — not a one-size-fits-all approach.
Children's Dental Services at Our Fayetteville Office
We provide a full range of dental care for children, all under one Dino-themed roof. Click any service for a deeper look at what to expect and how we approach it.
Pediatric Exams & Cleanings
Routine checkups, gentle cleanings, fluoride applications, and the steady cadence of preventive care that keeps small issues from becoming big ones.
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Dental Sealants
A thin protective coating on the chewing surfaces of permanent molars to prevent cavities in the deep grooves where decay typically begins.
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Tooth-Colored Fillings
Modern composite fillings that match the natural color of your child's tooth — no silver, no metal, just a quiet repair that doesn't show.
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Pediatric Crowns
For baby teeth too damaged for a simple filling, a crown protects what's left of the tooth and keeps it functioning until the permanent tooth comes in.
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Baby Tooth Extractions
When a baby tooth has to come out — usually because of severe decay or to help orthodontic timing — we make the experience as gentle as possible.
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Space Maintainers
When a baby tooth is lost too early, a space maintainer holds the room open so adult teeth come in straight rather than crowded.
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Emergency Pediatric Dentistry
Toothaches, broken teeth, knocked-out teeth, swelling, sports injuries — call first. Same-day slots held every weekday for urgent cases.
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Sedation Dentistry for Kids
Sedation options when a child needs extra support — discussed honestly, never recommended casually, always weighed against the specific situation.
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Special Healthcare Needs Dentistry
Patient, individualized dental care for children with autism, ADHD, sensory differences, and other special healthcare needs.
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First Visits & Infant Dental Care
A gentle introduction, not a procedure. Your baby's first checkup should happen by their first birthday.
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Habit Counseling
Thumb-sucking, pacifier use, tongue thrust, mouth breathing — we'll help you understand what's normal, what to watch, and when to intervene.
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Dental Care for Teens
Cleanings during orthodontics, custom sports mouthguards, wisdom tooth monitoring, and the ongoing care teen smiles need.
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Sedation Dentistry for Kids — When It Makes Sense
Most children do beautifully with our regular approach — clear explanations, patience, and the right amount of time. For children who genuinely need more support, we discuss sedation at the consultation rather than assuming one approach fits every situation.
Sedation in pediatric dentistry isn’t a single thing. The right approach depends on your child’s age, health history, anxiety level, the type and length of treatment they need, and what we observe at the visit. Options can range from nitrous oxide (laughing gas) for kids who just need a little help relaxing, to deeper sedation administered with appropriate medical monitoring for more involved cases.
We don’t recommend sedation casually. We use it when it makes a real, measurable difference for the child — and we’re upfront about when a particular case is better handled in a hospital-based setting with general anesthesia. Safety always wins over convenience.
Emergency Pediatric Dentist in Fayetteville
When your child has a dental emergency, every minute matters. The right call right now can save a tooth, prevent infection, and ease pain. Call our Fayetteville office at (910) 965-0123 as soon as the situation comes up.
Common pediatric dental emergencies we treat same-day:
- Tooth pain that’s keeping your child awake or affecting eating
- A broken or chipped tooth from a fall, sports, or biting something hard
- A permanent tooth completely knocked out (call immediately — time is critical for reimplantation)
- A loose baby tooth causing real pain or making it hard to eat
- Facial or gum swelling that wasn’t there yesterday
- A lost filling, crown, or space maintainer
- Injury to the lips, tongue, gums, or jaw
- Suspected dental infection or abscess
If a permanent tooth has been knocked out, gently rinse it with water (don’t scrub it), then place it in a small container with milk or your child’s saliva. Don’t use plain water — milk preserves the cells on the root surface that allow reimplantation. The best outcomes happen within 30 to 60 minutes of the injury, so move fast.
For severe injuries, uncontrolled bleeding, or any child having trouble breathing or swallowing, go to the nearest emergency room first — Cape Fear Valley Medical Center or Womack Army Medical Center, depending on where you are. Call us once the child is stable so we can plan the dental follow-up.
What Our Happy Parents Say
Areas We Serve from Our Fayetteville Office
Most of our patients live within about 20 minutes of our Skibo Road office. Families come to us from:- Fayetteville
- Fort Bragg
- Spring Lake
- Hope Mills
- Raeford
- Eastover
- Stedman
- Linde
We also see children from across Cumberland County and Hoke County. If you live further out and you’re not sure whether the drive makes sense for your family, give us a call — sometimes it does, sometimes a closer office is a better fit, and we’ll give you a straight answer either way.
Connect With Us!
Follow us on Instagram @dinokidsfay and show us your love with the tag #dinokidsfay
Kids Dentist in Fayetteville FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Where is Dino Kids Dental of Fayetteville located?
We're at 1916 Skibo Road, Suite C5, in Fayetteville, NC 28314 — near Cross Creek Mall and a short drive from Fort Bragg, Hope Mills, and Spring Lake. Our sister practice, O2 Dental Group, sits right next door in Suite C3, so families who want pediatric and adult dental care under one roof can get both at the same address.
What insurance do you accept for military families?
We accept a range of dental insurance plans, including those commonly used by military families across Fort Bragg, Pope Field, and the surrounding communities. Visit our insurance information page for the full list of accepted plans, or call our office at (910) 965-0123 to verify your specific coverage before your child's visit.
At what age should my child first see a dentist?
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends a first dental visit by your child's first birthday, or within six months of the first tooth coming in — whichever happens first. Early visits aren't about treatment; they're about getting your child comfortable with the dental office, catching any issues early, and giving you practical guidance on brushing, fluoride, and habits like thumb-sucking.
Do you see infants, toddlers, and teens?
Yes — every age. Babies starting around their first birthday, toddlers on their second and third visits, kindergarteners getting their first sealants, school-age children, teenagers managing braces and sports mouthguards, and young adults transitioning into our sister practice O2 Dental Group next door.
Do you treat dental emergencies for kids?
Yes. Toothaches, broken teeth, knocked-out teeth, swelling, lost fillings, and dental infections are all handled with priority scheduling. Call (910) 965-0123 as soon as the situation comes up. For a knocked-out permanent tooth, time is critical — call immediately.
Do you offer sedation dentistry for children?
We discuss sedation options for children who need extra support — based on the child's age, health history, anxiety level, and the type of treatment needed. We use sedation when it makes a real difference, and we're honest about when a particular case is better suited to a hospital-based pediatric specialist with general anesthesia rather than our office. Safety always wins over convenience.
Do you see children with special healthcare needs?
Yes. Our team has experience caring for children with autism, ADHD, sensory processing differences, developmental delays, and various medical conditions. We can schedule at quieter times, take time for desensitization visits, use visual supports, and coordinate with parents, caregivers, and other specialists. Some cases are better suited to a hospital-based setting, and we'll tell you honestly when that's the better path.
Do you have Spanish-speaking staff?
Sí. Our lead dentist, Dr. Carlos Garcia-Soto, is a native Spanish speaker, and we have bilingual team members so that Spanish-speaking parents in Fayetteville and across Cumberland County can ask questions, get answers, and feel fully informed about their child's care in their own language. ¡Bienvenidos!
What areas around Fayetteville do you serve?
Most of our patients live within about 20 minutes of our Skibo Road office. We see families from Fayetteville, Fort Bragg, Spring Lake, Hope Mills, Raeford, Eastover, Stedman, and across Cumberland and Hoke counties. Military families across the Fort Bragg community are an important part of our practice.
What makes Dino Kids different from a general dental practice?
Our practice was built for kids — not adapted from an adult office. The space is designed around how children actually experience the world: bright, Dino-themed, child-sized, and never sterile-feeling. Our team is trained in childhood development and works at each child's pace. A general dental practice treats kids occasionally; we see kids all day, every day.
Can my whole family be seen at this location?
Children come to Dino Kids Dental at Suite C5. Adults and teens 18 and older can be seen next door at our sister practice, O2 Dental Group of Fayetteville, at Suite C3 of the same building. Same parking lot, same address, same standards of care — two offices designed for two different patient populations.
How can I help prevent cavities in my child's teeth?
The basics matter more than the latest products. Brush twice a day with a small smear of fluoride toothpaste (rice-grain sized for kids under 3, pea-sized for older), help with brushing until your child can reliably do a thorough job themselves (usually around age 8), limit sugary drinks and snacks between meals, and bring your child for regular checkups. Sealants on permanent molars are highly effective for cavity prevention — we apply them as part of routine care when appropriate.
