Special Needs Pediatric Dentist in Parkland, FL
Every Child Deserves Compassionate Dental Care
Finding a dentist who truly understands your child isn’t easy. If your child has autism, ADHD, sensory processing differences, Down syndrome, or another developmental or
medical condition, you’ve probably experienced visits that were rushed, providers who weren’t prepared, or offices that simply said they couldn’t help. That stops here.
At Sunshine KiDDS Dentistry, board-certified pediatric dentist Dr. Sheryl George has
dedicated years of her career to caring for children with special health care needs with
the training, the patience, and the environment to make every visit work for your child.
Extended appointment times
Sensory-adapted environment
Desensitization visits available
We provide specialized dental care for children with a wide range of developmental, medical, and behavioral conditions, including:
Adapted communication, predictable routines, and sensory accommodations
Shorter task sequences, movement breaks, and flexible pacing
Control over sounds, lights, textures, and tastes in the treatment environment
Monitoring for delayed eruption, crowding, gum disease risk, and airway considerations
Adapted positioning, gentle handling, and coordination with your child's medical team
Individualized communication and behavior guidance at your child's level
Coordination with pediatricians, neurologists, and other specialists as needed
If your child's condition isn't listed here, please call us. Dr. George has treated children across a wide spectrum of needs, and we'll tell you honestly whether we're the right fit.
General dental offices often say they "welcome all children." We do something different — we've built our training, our environment, and our scheduling around children who need more than a standard approach.
Before any clinical work happens, we want to understand how your child communicates, what triggers discomfort, what calms them, and what's worked or failed at previous dental visits. We often start with a phone call with parents well before the first appointment.
For children who need to build familiarity gradually, we offer "happy visits" — short, no-treatment appointments where your child can explore the office, sit in the chair, meet Dr. George, and leave with a positive memory. There's no clinical agenda. The only goal is trust.
Our office isn't accidentally calm — it's designed that way. We can adjust overhead lighting, minimize background noise, offer noise-canceling headphones, provide weighted lap pads, and let your child hold familiar comfort items. If something in the environment bothers your child, we change it.
We don't squeeze special needs appointments into standard time slots. Extra time is reserved so there's never a sense of rushing, and so Dr. George can move at whatever pace your child needs — even if that pace changes mid-visit.
Dr. George works alongside your child's pediatrician, developmental specialist, occupational therapist, or behavioral therapist when needed. If a medical clearance is required before sedation, or if your child's therapist has strategies that work well, we want to know.
You know your child's patterns, signals, and comfort strategies better than anyone. You're welcome in the treatment room, and your input shapes how we approach every visit.
Some children with special health care needs benefit from sedation — not because of fear, but because their condition makes it genuinely difficult to sit still, tolerate oral sensations, or cooperate with treatment for the time required. For these children, sedation isn't about convenience — it's about making safe, thorough dental care possible.
Every sedation decision is made collaboratively with parents and, when appropriate, in consultation with your child's medical team.
Learn more about sedation dentistry for kidsDr. Sheryl George is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. Her 2–3
years of additional pediatric residency training included extensive coursework and clinical rotations in treating children with special health care needs — covering behavioral guidance, adapted communication, medical complexity, and pediatric sedation.
This isn’t something she learned from a weekend seminar. It’s central to her practice and a reason many families travel from across Broward County specifically for her care.
Real words from real families who found their fit here.
What sets Sunshine KiDDS apart is the time Dr. George takes to connect with my daughter and make her feel comfortable and at ease. No matter how busy they are, she gives us her undivided attention and never rushes us.
Dr. George and her team have been an absolute blessing for our son who has autism. They take the time to explain every step, never rush him, and he actually looks forward to his appointments now. I never thought that would be possible.
If your child has been turned away or had a difficult experience at another dental office, you're not alone — and we hear that story often. Many of our most successful patient relationships started with a parent who was running out of options.
Yes. Dr. George has extensive experience caring for children on the autism spectrum. We use visual schedules when helpful, maintain predictable routines, adapt sensory input (lighting, sound, texture), offer desensitization visits, and always move at your child’s pace. Every appointment is tailored to your child’s specific communication style and comfort level.
A desensitization visit is a short, no-treatment appointment designed to help your child become familiar with our office. They might sit in
the chair, meet Dr. George, explore a few tools, and leave with a positive experience — no exam, no cleaning, no pressure. For many special needs children, one or two of these visits make the difference between a successful clinical appointment and a stressful one.
Yes. Dr. George is trained in behavior guidance techniques specifically for children who have difficulty cooperating due to developmental or medical conditions. We also offer sedation options — nitrous oxide or oral conscious sedation — for children who need additional support. The approach is always individualized and discussed with parents first.
Absolutely. We welcome input from your child’s pediatrician, neurologist, occupational therapist, behavioral therapist, or any other member of their care team. If medical clearance is needed before sedation, we’ll coordinate that directly. The more we understand your child’s overall care, the better we can serve them.
Yes, by design. We can dim overhead lights, reduce background noise, provide noise-canceling headphones, offer weighted lap pads, and allow your child to hold comfort items. If something in the environment is bothering your child, tell us — we’ll adjust. Our goal is a calm, controlled experience, not a standard one.
We accept many major dental PPO plans and verify your benefits before your appointment at no charge. Some special needs dental services may qualify for enhanced coverage depending on your plan. Call (754) 203-3003 and our team will walk you through your specific situation.
Dr. Sheryl George is a pediatric dentist in Parkland, FL. serving infants, children, teens, and children with special health care needs. The office also serves the surrounding cities of Boca Raton, Coral Springs and Coconut Creek, FL 7533 North State Road 7, Parkland, FL 33073 | Ph: 754-203-3003
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