Dr Matt and his team at Smiles Dentistry for Kids are excited to welcome Dr Tara Craven to the Smiles Dentistry for Kids team! Dr Tara received her Doctor of Dentistry Degree at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry and will complete her rigorous 2-year training program in Pediatric Dentistry at Children’s Mercy Hospital this June. During her training Dr. Tara received numerous awards and was part of the Pediatric Dental Honors Program where she cared for pediatric patients with special needs and those requiring advanced care. At Smiles Dentistry for Kids, families can always expect to be seen by a Board Certified Pediatric Dentist.

We are confident that Dr. Tara will provide the highest quality care and attention that our families have grown to expect and appreciate at Smiles Dentistry for Kids. Dr. Craven will begin seeing patients in August, 2023. To help our patients get to know her better we asked Dr. Tara a few questions:

Why did you choose to specialize in Pediatric Dentistry?
Pediatric dentistry is my dream job and an incredible avenue that allows me to connect with kids and families. Children not only bring excitement to the field of dentistry, they bring magic, hope and adventure. I feel honored to get the opportunity to not only provide education and knowledge about dentistry but to empower kids to enjoy brushing their teeth and coming to the dentist.

What are you looking forward to most as you start caring for families at Smiles Dentistry for Kids?
I am so excited to be able to serve this community and build relationships with kids and their families. I am passionate about providing a positive dental experience for kids that will last a lifetime.

Anything else you would like our families to know about you?
Outside of pediatric dentistry, I love spending time outdoors with my husband and Labrador, traveling to new places and spending time with friends and family.

Corona Virus

We are excited to announce that we have been given the green light to resume regular dental care by Governor Kelly, the Kansas Dental Association and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

While we are happy to start back on the road to “normalcy”, we are acutely aware that the COVID19 Pandemic is not over. We will continue to do everything we can to protect our team members, our patients, their families as well as the community. Please review the information below to learn more about what your upcoming visit may look like.

Here’s how you and your family can help:

  1. If you or your child/children or anyone you have been in close contact has experienced any of the following in the past 14 days, please immediately call to reschedule.
    1. Diagnosed with COVID19 
    2. Fever 100.3 or greater
    3. Cough
    4. Body Aches
    5. Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
    6. Sore Throat
    7. Headache
    8. Loss of taste or smell
  2. When possible, please bring only those healthy children with appointments to the office
  3. If able, please wear masks at all times while in the clinic. (we will have your child/children remove their masks during their appointment ☺ )
  4. Do your very best to maintain a reasonable physical distance from other families in the office.

To learn more about COVID-19 and what you can do to prevent the spread of COVID-19 we encourage you to visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID-19 page.

If you have questions regarding our COVID protocols or feel uncomfortable bringing your children in at this time, please call us at (913) 685-9990

We are excited to welcome Dr Tara Craven to the Smiles Dentistry for Kids team!Learn More
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