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NEW We’re now welcoming new patients.

Magnolia Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics

#1 Chicago Pediatric Dentist | Dr. Melissa Connell , DMD

Drs. Melissa Connell and Megan Davenport – work together to ensure your child has a pleasant, happy experience at each visit!

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    • Our Team
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    • FAQ
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    • Common Problems
    • Emergencies
    • Tooth Decay Prevention
    • Glossary of Terms
  • Treatment +
    • Early Dental Care
    • Pediatric Dentistry
    • Teething
    • Thumb Sucking
    • Fluoride and Your Child
    • For Pregnant Moms
    • Nitrous Oxide for Children
    • Space Maintainers
    • Sleep Apnea
    • Orthodontics
    • Technology
  • Book Appointment

Early Dental Care

Keeping your children healthy is our top priority and this starts with home care. Controlling their diet to keep their body and teeth healthy is a great start, and we’ll add other services and products to make their teeth strong.

Sleeping Baby

Teething

Typically, a baby’s first tooth erupts between 6 to 12 months of age. Gums can be sore, tender, and sometimes irritable until the age of 3. Rubbing sore gums with a clean finger, the back of a cold spoon or a cold, wet cloth can help soothe the gums. Teething toys can work well too. It’s important to look for signs of baby bottle decay while your baby is teething. Examine your child’s teeth, especially on the inside or tongue side, every 2 weeks for lines or dull spots. A bottle left in an infant’s mouth while sleeping can cause tooth decay, which can happen when sugar in the liquid mixes with bacteria in dental plaque, forming acids that attack tooth enamel. Acids continue to attack teeth for about 20 minutes after the liquid is drunk. Saliva carries the liquid away when awake, but during sleep, the saliva isn’t carried away as fast allowing the acids to cover the teeth for longer periods of time,

Infant’s New Teeth

Baby teeth, also known as primary teeth, play an important role in dental development. Without baby teeth, children cannot chew food properly and can have speaking difficulty. Baby teeth are also critical to the development of the jaws for guiding the permanent teeth into place when they replace baby teeth around age 6. A space maintainer might be required to hold open the natural space if a child is missing any primary teeth. Without a space maintainer, the permanent teeth might not come in correctly, and could cause long-term damage to them. The way your child cares for their primary teether plays a critical role in how they treat their permanent teether. Adults and children are equally susceptible to dental problems, which is why we recommend dental check-ups every 6 months.

Book Appointment

Welcoming New patients
(312) 957-8131

Existing Patients (312) 281-4860

Mother and infant child

Infant Tooth Eruption

Teeth actually start forming before birth. As early as 4 months old, the baby’s (primary) teeth begin to push through the gums, usually starting with the lower incisors, then the upper central incisors, with the remaining 20 teeth arriving by age 3. Permanent teeth typically being erupting by age 6, starting with the molars and lower central incisors, and continues until around age 21. Adults have 28 permanent teeth – 32 including the wisdom teeth.

Diet & Healthy Teeth

Teeth, bones, and soft tissues in the mouth require a well-balanced, healthy diet. A variety of foods from the five food groups help minimize and avoid cavities or other dental problems. Healthy foods like vegetables, low-fat yogurt, and cheeses should be consumed by children to promote strong teeth.

Preventing Baby Bottle Tooth Decay

Infant tooth decay can be reduced or prevented by not allowing a sleeping infant to bottle-feed. Infants who need a bottle to comfortably fall asleep should be given a water-filled bottle or pacifier.

Child’s First Visit

Your child’s first visit to the dentist should be scheduled around their first birthday. The most important part of the visit is getting to know and get comfortable with the dental team. A good first experience builds trust and puts the child at ease for future dental visits.

Mother and infant child

Rupal Naik, DDS, MS
Zesheng Chen, DMD, MS
Melissa Connell, DDS, MS

Contact Us

1611 N. Wolcott Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622
Click for Map & Directions
Welcoming New Patients
(312) 957-8131
Existing Patients
(312) 281-4860

Office Hours

Monday: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Thursday: 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday: 8:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Sunday: Closed

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Home
Patient Offers
Contact Us
Patient Info First Visit
FAQ
Common Problems
Emergencies
Decay Prevention
Glossary of Terms
Treatment Early Dental Care
Pediatric Dentistry
Teething
Thumb Sucking
Fluoride Treatment
Pregnancy and Child’s Teeth
Nitrous Oxide
Treatment Space Maintainers
Sleep Apnea in Children
Orthodontics Starting Age 7

Office
Team
Policies
Financing
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Following her graduation from dental school, Dr. Karras moved to Milwaukee, WI to complete a 26-month specialty training program at Marquette University, where she earned a certificate and Master of Science in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. Her research, which focused on the efficacy of the Invisalign system and its attachment types, was accepted for publication in the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics (AJO-DO), the world’s leading orthodontic journal. Dr. Karras feels fortunate to be a part of a profession where she can transform people’s smiles but also their self-confidence.

Outside of the office, Dr. Karras enjoys traveling, amateur photography, skiing, exploring Chicago’s food scene, and spending time with her “big fat Greek family.” She is fluent in English and Greek and speaks some Spanish as well.

Dr. Anna will be providing pediatric dental care at Magnolia on Friday afternoons and Saturdays and working side by side with Dr. Z, our awesome orthodontist to offer more opportunities for pediatric and orthodontic collaborative visits. Like all of us at MPDO, Dr. Anna enjoys providing a high level of comprehensive care to our patients. She can’t wait to meet you soon and help take care of your smile!

Dr. Davenport is a Diplomat of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. She was awarded the Richard C. Pugh Achievement Award for scoring in the top 3% across the nation on her written board examination. Dr. Davenport is on staff at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and maintains active memberships in the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, Illinois Society of Pediatric Dentists, American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, College of Diplomates of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, American Dental Association, Illinois State Dental Society, and Chicago Dental Society.

When she’s not at work, Dr. Davenport stays busy chasing around her two young kids with her husband, Kevin. She enjoys baking, college football (Go Irish!), hand lettering, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends. She looks forward to meeting you and your family at your next visit!

When she’s not providing excellent care to her patients and their parents, Dr. Connell loves spending time with her husband, Bob Burger, a Keller Williams real estate broker, and their three kids. As a family, they frequently embark on adventures both local and abroad, and they especially like the Pacific side of Costa Rica.