Pediatric dentistry is a recognized specialty that requires two additional years of residency training beyond dental school, plus a written qualifying examination and an oral case-based examination administered by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry (ABPD) for a clinician to earn Diplomate status (in plain English, an ABPD Diplomate is a dentist who completed the additional pediatric residency and passed the board’s certifying exams; this is the highest credential a pediatric dentist can hold). The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends a child establish a “dental home” by age 1 or within six months of the first tooth eruption, and pediatric specialists are trained to manage care from infancy through adolescence, including patients with special health care needs. The three Nashville practices below were selected for board-certified pediatric specialty training, AAPD affiliation, and a service range that covers infant exams through teen care.
Quick Comparison #
| Firm | Credentials | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| McNutt Pediatric Dentistry | Dr. Timothy E. McNutt, Sr., DDS ABPD Diplomate with Dr. David McNutt, DDS UTHSC pediatric residency, AAPD members. | Infant through adolescent care, age-1 dental home, special health care needs dentistry, sedation tiers, sealants, pulp therapy. |
| Thompson Pediatric Dentistry | Dr. Barbara Thompson, DDS, Meharry Medical College graduate with Howard University pediatric specialty residency. | Nitrous oxide and IV sedation, hospital general anesthesia partnerships, exams, composite fillings, stainless-steel crowns, space maintainers. |
| East Nashville Pediatric Dentistry | Dr. Marissa Sandidge, ABPD Diplomate and AAPD member practice. | Dental home model, behavior guidance, silver diamine fluoride for caries arrest, fluoride varnish protocols, pit-and-fissure sealants. |
1. McNutt Pediatric Dentistry #
Located at 3817 Bedford Avenue, Suite 120 in the Green Hills area of Nashville, McNutt Pediatric Dentistry is led by Dr. Timothy E. McNutt, Sr., DDS, a Board Certified Pediatric Dentist who completed the ABPD written examination, oral examination, and case history requirements to attain Diplomate status. He is joined by Dr. David McNutt, DDS, who completed his pediatric residency at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center with rotations at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Both doctors hold AAPD membership, and Dr. Timothy McNutt has been recognized multiple times as a “Top Dentist” by Nashville Lifestyle Magazine. The office number is (615) 383-0171.
Patient Ages and Special Needs Care #
The Green Hills office sees patients from infancy through adolescence and offers a complimentary first visit for children under 24 months of age, consistent with the AAPD age-1 dental home recommendation. Special health care needs dentistry is part of the regular service line, and the clinical team adapts behavior-guidance techniques and appointment pacing for patients with sensory, developmental, or medical considerations.
Preventive and Restorative Service Range #
Preventive care at the practice includes digital radiographs, prophylaxis cleanings, topical fluoride, and dental sealants placed on permanent molars to reduce occlusal caries risk in school-age children, in line with American Dental Association sealant guidelines. Restorative work covers fillings, stainless-steel crowns, pulp therapy, and oral surgery procedures appropriate to the pediatric patient. The office also provides orthodontic evaluation and a range of sedation dentistry options scaled to the child’s age, anxiety level, and treatment plan.
2. Thompson Pediatric Dentistry #
Thompson Pediatric Dentistry sits at 1700 Dr. D.B. Todd Jr. Boulevard in North Nashville and is led by Dr. Barbara Thompson, DDS, who earned her dental degree from Meharry Medical College and completed her pediatric specialty residency at Howard University, the two-year accredited training required for pediatric specialty recognition. Dr. Thompson has practiced in multiple states before returning to Tennessee, giving the office a broad clinical reference base. The phone number is (615) 349-8450, and the office operates Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sedation and Hospital Dentistry #
The office offers nitrous oxide (“laughing gas”) for routine mild anxiety cases and intravenous (IV) sedation for longer or more complex appointments, and it maintains partner-hospital arrangements for children who require treatment under general anesthesia in an operating-room setting, a pathway often used for very young children, patients with extensive caries, or patients with medical conditions that preclude clinic-based care. The sedation tier is selected based on AAPD behavior-guidance criteria and the child’s medical history.
Family Preventive Program #
Services include exams, prophylaxis cleanings, topical fluoride application, sealants, and digital X-rays for diagnostic imaging at reduced radiation exposure. Restorative care covers composite fillings, stainless-steel and esthetic crowns, pulpotomy procedures, extractions, and space maintainers to preserve arch length when a primary tooth is lost prematurely. Infant and toddler visits, adolescent care, and dentistry for children with special health care needs are all part of the regular schedule, supporting a continuous care model from the first tooth through the teen transition.
3. East Nashville Pediatric Dentistry #
East Nashville Pediatric Dentistry is located at 1077 East Trinity Lane, Suite 104, in the East Nashville neighborhood and is led by Dr. Marissa Sandidge, a certified Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. The office is a proud AAPD member practice, with a clinical team that includes a dental hygienist, a lead dental assistant, additional dental assistants, and patient coordinators who handle scheduling and insurance verification. The phone number is (615) 669-4858, and standard hours are Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., with Friday morning hours from 8 a.m. to noon.
Neighborhood Dental Home Model #
The clinic positions itself as a “dental home” for families on the east side of the river, the framework the AAPD describes as an ongoing relationship between dentist and patient that includes preventive, acute, and chronic oral health care delivered in a coordinated way. Children are scheduled for routine recall visits typically every six months, and parents receive age-specific guidance on brushing technique, fluoride exposure, dietary habits, and pacifier or thumb-sucking transitions.
Pediatric Specialty Care Scope #
Care is delivered by a team trained in pediatric behavior guidance, which covers tell-show-do communication, positive reinforcement, and the use of nitrous oxide when clinically appropriate. The office accepts patients from the first-tooth visit through the teen years, and the Diplomate-led care model means treatment plans are anchored in the AAPD evidence-based clinical guidelines, including topics such as silver diamine fluoride for caries arrest in suitable cases, fluoride varnish protocols, and pit-and-fissure sealant placement.
https://www.eastnashvillepediatricdentistry.com/
Reference Notes #
- American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD): age-1 dental home recommendation and behavior-guidance policy.
- American Board of Pediatric Dentistry (ABPD): Diplomate certification requires a two-year accredited pediatric residency, a written qualifying examination, and an oral case-based examination.
- American Dental Association (ADA): fluoride varnish and dental sealant clinical guidelines.
- AAPD policy on Silver Diamine Fluoride for caries arrest.
- Pediatric sedation tiers: nitrous oxide, oral sedation, intravenous sedation, and hospital-based general anesthesia, selected by patient age, anxiety, and treatment complexity.
- TennCare Kids: Tennessee Medicaid dental benefit for children, including preventive and restorative services.
Selection Methodology #
Pediatric dentistry sits behind a residency-trained credential: the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry Diplomate status that follows a two-or-three-year ADA CODA-accredited specialty residency past the DDS or DMD degree. The filter for the three practices above started at the ABPD Diplomate register and worked through American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry membership, infant oral exam scope under AAPD’s 12-month guideline, anxiety-management protocol disclosure (nitrous oxide tier, oral conscious sedation under TBOD anesthesia permits, hospital case privileges at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt where claimed), Davidson or Williamson County office tenure, and Special Needs Care scope where the practice serves the developmentally diverse population. General dental offices marketing pediatric care without ABPD-trained leadership were excluded.
Frequently Asked Questions #
Q: How do I verify a Nashville pediatric dentistry practitioner holds the right credentials?
A: Use the Tennessee Department of Health Board of Dentistry license verification at health.tn.gov, the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry Diplomate directory at abpd.org, and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry member directory.
Q: What sets these three apart from the broader Nashville pediatric dentistry field?
A: Pediatric dentistry is a two-year residency on top of the DDS or DMD, and the practices above each seat at least one Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. The shortlist also weighs the things parents actually feel on a first visit: chairside language with anxious patients, sedation pathway (nitrous versus oral conscious versus hospital-based GA referral), and whether the practice serves children with autism, sensory differences, or special healthcare needs without sending the family to a tertiary center.
Q: Are any of the three practices paid placements?
A: No. The three profiles above are editorial selections drawn from publicly verifiable sources. No practice sponsored placement.
Q: How should I prepare for a first appointment?
A: Confirm in-network status with your insurer, bring photo ID, the child’s immunization record, and a list of current medications, and request the practice’s published new-patient intake forms in advance to streamline the first visit.
Editorial Note #
This guide was published on 2026-05-11 and reflects research current as of that date. Verify licenses, phone numbers, and current business status before engaging any firm.