Bay Pediatric & Adolescent Dentistry

A SOBERING TRUTH, A SPECTACULAR DISCOVERY: Baby teeth are important!

Primary teeth, sometimes called "baby teeth," are important to your child's health and development and should be cared for just as you would for permanent teeth.  Primary teeth serve critical functions as a child learns to eat and speak.  They are important for the normal growth and development of the face.  In addition, they maintain space on the dental arch and guide the eruption of the permanent teeth.  While some primary teeth are typically replaced around age 6, the back teeth (molars) can remain in until age 12 or 13.  Without proper care, these teeth can decay and possibly cause toothaches, gum disease and serious health problems.  For these reasons, primary teeth are significant and require good daily hygiene and regular professional attention, just like permanent teeth.  Please come and visit our office to learn more.  Happy Children's Dental Health Month (February)!

HAPPY NEW YEAR (and a little something about your upcoming appt)

We hope that you and your family have greeted this New Year with nothing but bright smiles!  We look forward to seeing you and your children in the coming weeks and months at their next scheduled appointment.  As we have always done, we will call you no less than 24 hours prior to this scheduled appointment to remind and confirm your arrival.

It has been brought to our attention that you may be contacted by a former employee in an effort to redirect and reschedule patients to a new dental practice.  Know that we remain here, ready and able, as we always have, to treat your child.  We look forward to providing compassionate, quality dental care to your child.  We hope to see you and yours in our office soon and for many years to come!

Should you ever have any questions, we always welcome your calls.

EXCITING NEWS: A Letter to the Parents of our Amazing Patients

I cannot believe it has already been six years since we opened the "little door" to the children of Baldwin County and beyond.  Thanks to you, we have continued to grow and serve the dental needs of thousands of children in our area, and this anniversary marks the beginning of a new chapter at Bay Pediatric & Adolescent Dentistry, and we welcome it with great enthusiasm!

In order to continue to meet the growing needs of our youth population, I am thrilled to announce that Dr. Ray Hammock, Jr,, DMD ("Doc") and Dr. Christi Clements, DMD have joined our team.  Doc and Dr. Christi, who together bring more than 40 years of dental experience, will work hand-in-hand with me to improve the quality of our service.  Additionally, effective November 1, 2011, Dr. Trey Fellers is no longer affiliated with the practice.

Going forward you should expect that my staff and I will continue to provide your children with the highest quality of dental care, and will do so in the same fun, safe, state-of-the-art office with which you are familiar.

As you might know, I have two young children of my own; I understand and value the trust that you place in me to care for yours.  I thank you for this and for your continued support of Bay Pediatric & Adolescent Dentistry, and our ongoing endeavor to provide the best dental treatment to our patients - your smiling children.

We look forward to seeing you and your children at their next scheduled appointment!

Sincerely,

"Dr. Wells"

THE PRACTICE

Pediatric Dentists, like Dr. Wells Hammock ("Dr. Wells" as his patients commonly refer to him), are dedicated to the oral health of children from 6 months to 21 years of age.  We at Bay Pediatric & Adolescent Dentistry provide a fun atmosphere in which children feel safe and comfortable.  We are aware of the fears and anxieties associated with dentistry and strive to alleviate them through compassion, patience and our own distinct way of providing the highest quality of pediatric dental care.

We believe that children become part of the cavity-free generation by taking pride in their healthy smile and responsibility for their oral hygiene from a very early age.  The first visit to the dentist may be the most important in a child's life and we have the skills and training to make that visit a positive experience.

We would be honored to provide the very best dental care to your child.  Please call us at (251) 928-5045 to schedule an appointment. We look forward to meeting you and your children in the near future!

Pediatric Dentists, like Dr. Wells Hammock ("Dr. Wells" as his patients commonly refer to him), are dedicated to the oral health of children from 6 months to 21 years of age.  We at Bay Pediatric & Adolescent Dentistry provide a fun atmosphere in which children feel safe and comfortable.  We are aware of the fears and anxieties associated with dentistry and strive to alleviate them through compassion, patience and our own distinct way of providing the highest quality of pediatric dental care.

We believe that children become part of the cavity-free generation by taking pride in their healthy smile and responsibility for their oral hygiene from a very early age.  The first visit to the dentist may be the most important in a child's life and we have the skills and training to make that visit a positive experience.

We would be honored to provide the very best dental care to your child.  Please call us at (251) 928-5045 to schedule an appointment. We look forward to meeting you and your children in the near future!

NEW PATIENT PAPERWORK

For your convenience, please complete the attached paperwork and bring it to your child's first appointment.  Please note that while you need to complete only one "New Patient Information" form per family, you must complete one "Medical History" form per child. Additionally, below please find a copy of our Office Policies. We recommend that you read through these and keep a copy for your own files as you are providing your consent to all of our policies by signing the New Patient Information form.  Thank you. 

Download NP Info

Download Office Policies

Download Med History

 

SERVICES AND SUCH

The Office with The Little Door welcomes patients 6 months to 21 years of age.

 Services include:

·   All restorative and preventative dental work

·   Treatment of special needs patients

·   Pediatric oral surgery and endodontics

·   Cosmetic dentistry, including whitening

·   Interceptive orthodontics

·   In-office conscious sedation

·   Full-mouth restoration under general anesthesia

Additionally:

·   We file all insurances

·   We accept Alabama Medicaid, BCBS of Alabama, AllKids & Southland

·   We provide 24-hour emergency services

DOCTOR BIOGRAPHIES

Wells Hammock, DMD

 

Dr. Wells Hammock received his Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology from Auburn University and his Doctorate of Dental Medicine degree from the University of Alabama School of Dentistry.  He then completed a two-year residency program in Pediatric Dentistry at the Boston University School of Dental Medicine.  His pediatric dental training included management and treatment of special needs patients; conscious sedation; pediatric dental rehabilitation; hospital dentistry with children under general anesthesia; and interceptive orthodontics.  During his 2-year residency, Dr. Hammock worked at the Franciscan Hospital for Children in Boston, which specializes in the treatment of medically and physically compromised patients.  Dr. Hammock is currently a member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Dental Association and the Alabama Dental Association.  In the past, he has served as President of the Baldwin County Dental Society.  Dr. Hammock is a native of Mobile, Alabama. He, his wife, Elizabeth, and their two sons, Bowdoin and Riggins, live in Fairhope.

Ray Hammock, Jr, DMD "Doc"

We are excited and honored to have Dr. Ray Hammock, Jr. join Bay Pediatric & Adolescent Dentistry.  “Doc” received his Doctorate of Dental Medicine from the University of Alabama School of Dentistry; he then completed his residency in orthodontics at the University of Pennsylvania.  To our practice, he brings his general dentistry skills and more than 30 years of dental experience.

Christi Clements, DMD

We are also thrilled to welcome Dr. Christi Clements to the practice.  Dr. Christi received her Doctorate of Dental Medicine from the University of Alabama School of Dentistry; she then completed a general practice residency at the University of Colorado.  To our practice, she brings more than 10 years of general dental experience.

*By overseeing hygiene and managing patient flow, Doc and Dr. Christi will work hand-in-hand with Dr. Wells Hammock to provide the absolute best dental care for your child.  Additionally, Doc may provide preliminary orthodontic evaluations and Dr. Christi may provide restorative treatment to our adolescent patients.

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY: AN OVERVIEW

About Pediatric Dentists

Pediatric Dentists are the pediatricians of dentistry.  Professional education includes 4 years of dental school and 2-to-3 years of specialized study that emphasizes child psychology, growth and development.  Infants, preschoolers, children and adolescents each require a different approach to their changing behavior, ongoing dental growth and development and avoidance of future dental problems.  The Pediatric Dentist is best qualified to meet these needs.

Why Are Baby Teeth So Important?

It is critical that the primary teeth be kept healthy until they are lost naturally.  They serve several extremely important functions, including: maintaining good nutrition by permitting your child to chew properly; providing for good pronunciation and speech habits; maintaining space that will ultimately be occupied by permanent teeth; guiding the proper eruption of permanent teeth; and giving your child the self-confidence that every smiling child deserves.

When Should Your Child First See The Dentist?

The ADA recommends that your child's first visit to the dentist be either 6-months within the eruption of the first tooth or when your child turns 12-months of age, whichever occurs first.  At this first visit, we will examine your child's teeth and gums, checking for decay and evaluating the effects of oral habits (thumbsucking and pacifier use, for example).  Your child's teeth will be professionally cleaned and topical fluoride will be applied to aid in cavity prevention.  Most importantly, however, you will learn how to properly clean and care for your child's teeth.

TEETH TRIVIA

 

·       One in every 2,000 babies is born with a tooth.

·       The average human produces 25,000 quarts of spit in a lifetime, which is enough to fill two swimming pools.

·       Squirrel and rabbit teeth grow continuously. Their incisors will grow six inches per year but stay short due to the constant wear they receive.

·       Cats have 30 teeth and dogs have 42.

·       In the United States, close to 3 million miles of dental floss was purchased in 1996 by dental consumers.

·       Paul Revere was a practicing dentist.

·       A crocodile replaces its teeth more than forty times in a lifetime.

·       Turtles and tortoises are toothless.

·       A mosquito has 47 teeth.

·       The Statue of Liberty's mouth is three feet wide.

·       An elephant's tooth can weigh more than six pounds!

·       Some whales do not have teeth. Instead, they have rows of stiff hair like combs that take food out of the ocean.

·       Snails are very small but they can have thousands of tiny teeth all lined up in rows.

·       Minnows have teeth in their throat.

·       Lemon sharks grow a new set of teeth every two weeks. They grow more than 24,000 new teeth every year!

·       "Long in the tooth," meaning "old," was originally used to describe horses. As horses age, their gums recede, giving the impression that their teeth are growing. The longer the teeth look, the older the horse.

·       Every person has a unique tongue print.

·       It takes 17 muscles to smile but 43 to frown.

 

DIRECTIONS

We are located at 115 Lottie Lane, which is directly behind the Big Lots shopping center on Hwy 98 in Fairhope, Alabama.

From Daphne/Spanish Fort/Mobile/all points North:

• Take Hwy 98 South until you reach a set of traffic lights at the intersection of Hwy 98 and Fairhope Avenue (Ruby Tuesday's is located on the NW corner of the intersection - on your left)
• Turn Left at the lights onto Fairhope Avenue and travel one block
• Take your first Right onto Lottie Lane (there is a Compass Bank on the corner)
• Our office is the 3rd building on the left
• Welcome to our office!

From Foley/Orange Beach/Gulf Shores:

• Travel on AL-59 North until you reach Hwy 98
• Take Hwy 98 North until you reach Fairhope Avenue (shortly after you pass Thomas Hospital look on your right for Hardees and Ruby Tuesday)
• Turn Right at the lights onto Fairhope Avenue
• Take your first Right onto Lottie Lane (there is a Compass Bank on the corner)
• Our office is the 3rd building on the left
• Welcome to our office!