Best pediatric dentists in Wake Forest: Heritage to Knightdale

Pediatric dentistry is a thin field inside Wake Forest. Only two practices have an office in town, and both are in the Heritage area: Triangle Pediatric Dentistry on Rogers Road and Wildberry Pediatric Dentistry on Heritage Trade Drive. No pediatric practice with its own office turned up in Youngsville, and the Rolesville leads did not hold up.

So the list widened to north Raleigh, northeast Raleigh and Knightdale, out to about 20 minutes from town. That brought in Carolina Pediatric Dentistry's Wakefield office, which the practice labels its "North Raleigh/Wake Forest" office, along with Little Tooth Co. on Buffaloe Road and Cultivate Kids Dentistry in Knightdale.

Our read: families whose kids need sedation have real choices close by, since several of these offices list IV sedation, general anesthesia or hospital dentistry.

How we chose

Offices inside Wake Forest came first; with only two in town, we then looked to north and northeast Raleigh and Knightdale, within about 20 minutes. Each pick needed a 2026 signal, such as a dated site update. Facts came from each practice's own site first, and awards counted only when named and dated. Board certifications appear as the practices state them (we did not run state dental board or ABPD lookups). We cut practices with no 2026 signal, family practices with no named pediatric dentist and offices beyond about 20 minutes.

Entries are alphabetical, not ranked, and prices were last checked in October 2026. The list stops at seven because that is where verified picks stop. The picks rest on checkable facts, and we have not hired any of them.

Carolina Pediatric Dentistry

In Raleigh's Wakefield area, on Wakefield Pines Drive, Carolina Pediatric Dentistry runs the office it calls its "North Raleigh/Wake Forest" location. Seven dentists are listed on the practice site, among them Dr. LaRee Johnson, Dr. Clark Morris and Dr. Taylor Windley. Care runs from infant and new-patient visits to sedation, special healthcare needs and emergency work. For complex cases, the practice says it does hospital dentistry under general anesthesia.

Why we chose them

• Every dentist on staff "has pursued or is actively pursuing" ABPD certification, per the practice.
• The practice has treated children since 2002, according to its team page.
• A second office on Glenwood Avenue in downtown Raleigh shares the same phone number.
• The site does not say which of the seven dentists work at the Wakefield office.
• Its careers link points to a job board under another dental company's name, and the site states no ownership.

Address: Raleigh — 2800 Wakefield Pines Dr., Suite 110

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Cultivate Kids Dentistry

Right off Knightdale Boulevard in Knightdale, Cultivate Kids Dentistry describes itself as "one doctor, one location." That doctor is Dr. Leslie Yuan Gazdeck, DDS, MSD, who earned her DDS at the UNC School of Dentistry in 2013 and a Master of Science in Dentistry at the University of Washington. New-patient forms are paperless, and appointment requests go through the same CareStack patient portal.

Why we chose them

• The practice calls Dr. Gazdeck a board-certified pediatric dentist and shows an ABPD badge on its About page.
• Medicaid families can call or email for an appointment, and the team confirms coverage, per the site.
• Knightdale is about 20 minutes from Wake Forest, at the outer edge of this list's radius.
• Patients are seen on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday only, per the practice's posted schedule.
• Every page on its sitemap carries a September 1, 2026 date, which looks like a site-wide republish.

Address: Knightdale — 1008 Big Oak Ct., Suite D

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Dino Kids Dental

On Tin Roof Way in northeast Raleigh, Dino Kids Dental is led by Dr. Lydia Oyegunwa, a graduate of the East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine with more than five years of child-focused practice, per the site. Visits for children with special needs can include quieter scheduling, desensitization visits and visual supports. Sedation ranges from nitrous oxide to deeper sedation with monitoring, decided case by case.

Why we chose them

• Dr. Oyegunwa's site bio states no pediatric residency or board certification.
• Complex cases go to a hospital-based pediatric specialist; the office does no hospital dentistry itself.
• Its office page showed an October 26, 2026 update and reviews dated September and October 2026.
• CareCredit is accepted, and the practice says it takes a range of major dental insurance plans.
• The Raleigh office is one of two in the group, with the other in Fayetteville, and no parent company is named.

Address: Raleigh — 5321 Tin Roof Way, Suite 101

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Little Tooth Co.

Dr. Jean You owns Little Tooth Co., a locally owned pediatric practice with three offices, including a new one on Buffaloe Road in northeast Raleigh. Four pediatric dentists are on its roster, and the site names an anesthesiologist, Dr. Braxton Henderson, for sedation visits. The practice recommends a first dental visit by age one and treats children with medical or special needs. It also has an orthodontics page for kids and teens.

Why we chose them

• All four dentists are ABPD board certified per the site; Dr. Katie Keogh lists certification since 2012.
• Sedation appointments are mornings only, and cancellations need 48 hours' notice, per the site.
• Other offices are on Health Park in Raleigh and on West Williams Street in Apex.
• The site does not say which doctors work at the Buffaloe Road office.
• The Buffaloe Road office is marked new on the site, with no opening date given.

Address: Raleigh — 7340 Buffaloe Rd., Suite 106

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Raleigh Pediatric Dentistry

Dr. David D. Olson, DDS, MS, leads this doctor-owned pediatric practice on Raven Ridge Road in north Raleigh. Dr. Anne D. Baker, DDS, MPH, is the second dentist named on its site. Before a first appointment, parents can read the Your Child's Visit and Office Policies pages or take the office tour online. Appointment requests go through Modento, and the site has an Emergencies/Post-Op page.

Why we chose them

• WakeMed's directory lists Betsy Kay Van Benthuysen, DMD, here as accepting new patients, on an undated page.
• The practice is a PA under Dr. Olson's name, and the site names no parent group.
• Its site mentions a Rolesville location, but no Rolesville address appears on the practice's own pages.
• The homepage was updated on October 14, 2026, per the site's sitemap.

Address: Raleigh — 10931 Raven Ridge Rd., Suite 105

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Triangle Pediatric Dentistry

On Rogers Road in the Heritage area, Triangle Pediatric Dentistry has served Wake Forest families since 2010, per its homepage, and shares a building with Gladwell Orthodontics. Three dentists see patients here: Dr. Buddy Hollowell, Dr. Allen Porter and Dr. Andrew Vaughn. The practice handles infant visits, special needs and sensory-friendly care, crowns and emergencies. For children who need more than nitrous oxide, an on-site pediatric anesthesia team provides IV sedation or general anesthesia.

Why we chose them

• Dr. Allen Porter is a board-certified Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, per the practice site.
• Dr. Hollowell earned a Master of Dental Science at VCU after a UNC dental degree with honors, per the practice blog.
• The homepage lists Delta Dental, Cigna, Aetna Dental, BCBS Dental and three other carriers as in network.
• WakeMed's provider directory lists Dr. Hollowell and Dr. Porter as accepting new patients on an undated page.
• Online requests go through Flexbook, and the office has to confirm the time before it is booked.

Address: Wake Forest — 2824 Rogers Rd., Suite 201

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Wildberry Pediatric Dentistry

Dr. Joanna Gamble is the dentist at this pediatric practice on Heritage Trade Drive, whose website also goes by Wake Forest Pediatric Dentistry. She earned her DMD at the University of Pennsylvania and finished a pediatric dentistry residency at the University of Florida, per the About page. The practice covers preventive, restorative and emergency care along with sedation and special needs dentistry. Families without dental insurance can start with a published new-patient special.

Why we chose them

• The practice calls Dr. Gamble a board-certified pediatric dentist on its About page.
• New patients under 3 without insurance pay $129 for a cleaning, exam and fluoride, per the practice.
• The $149 special for age 3 and up adds X-rays and also excludes insured patients.
• Medicaid appears on the booking form's insurance list, though the site does not say every listed plan is in network.
• Its own site gives no founding year; a third-party practice listing says 2023.

Address: Wake Forest — 3319 Heritage Trade Dr., Suite 101

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Services, prices and details last checked October 29, 2026.