Kids First Pediatric Dentistry

What Kids First Pediatric Dentistry does

Kids First Pediatric Dentistry is a private, founder-owned pediatric dental practice founded in 2008 by Dr. Matthew Karsten, operating two clinical locations in Elgin and Schaumburg, Illinois, serving children from infancy through adolescence and those with special health care needs across the western Chicago suburbs. The practice delivers a comprehensive suite of pediatric dental services including preventive care (cleanings, sealants, fluoride), restorative treatments (fillings, crowns, pulp therapy, space maintainers), surgical procedures (extractions, frenectomies, dental trauma repair, abscess treatment), problem-focused diagnostic exams using digital X-rays, and laser-assisted lip and tongue tie release. Clinical care is delivered by four pediatric dentists — Dr. Karsten, Dr. Teliane Bakala, Dr. Carneisha Cain, and Dr. Richard Klarck — supported by four lead dental assistants and a front-office team, with technology centered on digital imaging and laser frenectomy hardware rather than software platforms. The business model is direct-to-consumer fee-for-service: patients schedule appointments by phone or website contact form, the practice bills PPO insurance at the time of visit (with in-network status at several providers), and accepts CareCredit financing, cash, check, and major credit cards, with patient responsibility collected at the visit.

Name

Kids First Pediatric Dentistry

Legal name

Kids First Pediatric Dentistry

Website

https://kidsfirstpd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kids First Pediatric Dentistry is a founder-owned, two-location pediatric dental practice in Elgin and Schaumburg, Illinois, delivering preventive, restorative, surgical, and laser frenectomy dental care to children from infancy through adolescence.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Dental Services

NAICS

Offices of Dentists (621210)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLABAKAD

Pediatric Dentistry Group Practices

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Dental Care Services/Dental Service Organizations (DSOs) & Group Practices

SECONDARYHLABAGAA

Preventive & Wellness Pediatric Dentistry (Cleanings/Fluoride/Sealants)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Dental Care Services/Pediatric Dentistry

SECONDARYHLABAGAB

Pediatric Restorative Dentistry (Fillings/Crowns/Pulp Therapy)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Dental Care Services/Pediatric Dentistry

SECONDARYHLABAGAI

Pediatric Oral Surgery Services (Minor Surgical Procedures)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Dental Care Services/Pediatric Dentistry

SECONDARYHLABAGAD

Special Needs Pediatric Dentistry

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Dental Care Services/Pediatric Dentistry

Keywords

• Pediatric dental services
• Children's dental cleanings
• Pediatric dental surgery
• Laser frenectomy treatment
• Preventive pediatric dentistry

Headquarters

HQ city

Elgin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Pediatric Dental Services: Fee-for-service dental care including preventive services (cleanings, sealants), restorative care (fillings, crowns), surgical procedures (extractions, frenectomies), and emergency examinations. Services billed to insurance with patient responsibility collected at time of visit.
2. Insurance Billing and Financing: Accepts all PPO dental insurances, in-network with several providers. Bills insurance at time of visit. Offers Care Credit financing for patients needing assistance with their portion of costs. Accepts cash, check, and all major credit cards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kids First Pediatric Dentistry operates two pediatric dental clinics in Elgin and Schaumburg, Illinois, providing preventive care (cleanings, sealants, fluoride), restorative treatments (fillings, crowns, pulp therapy), dental surgery (extractions, frenectomies, trauma repair), and specialized lip and tongue tie treatment using laser technology. Services are delivered by four pediatric-trained dentists to children from infancy through adolescence, including those with special health care needs.

Product overview

Kids First Pediatric Dentistry operates as a pediatric dental practice offering a unified suite of dental care services for children. The core offerings include preventive services (Dental Cleanings, Dental Sealants), restorative treatments (Restorative Care with fillings, crowns, pulp therapy), surgical procedures (Dental Surgery including frenectomies), diagnostic services (Problem-Focused Exams with digital X-rays), and specialized lip/tongue tie treatment using laser technology. The practice serves children from infancy through adolescence and those with special health care needs, with locations in Elgin and Schaumburg, Illinois.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dental Cleaning Professional dental cleanings for children that include comprehensive oral exams, plaque and tartar removal, teeth polishing, and fluoride treatments, following the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommendation of six-month visits.
• Restorative Care Pediatric restorative dental services including tooth-colored fillings, pediatric dental crowns (stainless steel and zirconia), pulp therapy, space maintainers, and dental bonding for chipped or broken teeth.
• Dental Surgery Pediatric dental surgical procedures including tooth extractions, frenectomy for lip and tongue ties, dental abscess treatment, impacted tooth exposure, and dental trauma repair, with sedation options including nitrous oxide, IV sedation, and general anesthesia.
• Dental Sealants Protective thin plastic coatings applied to the chewing surfaces of children's back teeth (molars and premolars) to prevent cavities by sealing out food particles and bacteria from deep grooves.
• Problem-Focused Exam Limited oral evaluations that concentrate on specific dental concerns such as tooth pain, sensitivity, swelling, or injury, including visual examination, digital X-rays, decay assessment, and treatment recommendations.
• Lip Tie and Tongue Tie Treatment (Laser Frenectomy) Laser-assisted frenectomy procedures to release restrictive lip or tongue tissue, addressing breastfeeding difficulties, speech challenges, oral health concerns, and restricted lip movement using state-of-the-art laser technology.

Quantifiable outcome

• Dental sealants reduce the risk of cavities in molars by nearly 80%

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Heartland Dental: Largest dental support organization (DSO) in the U.S., supporting thousands of general and specialty dental practices nationwide. Comparable as a large-scale dental operator with multi-state footprint; offers overlapping pediatric and family dental services as part of a broader portfolio.
• Pacific Dental Services: Large U.S. DSO supporting hundreds of dental offices across multiple states, including family and specialty practices. Comparable as a scaled dental services platform that competes for the same patient pool and insurance contracts, though not exclusively pediatric.
• Aspen Dental: National DSO brand with hundreds of independently owned dental offices across the U.S., providing general dentistry, restorative, and specialty services. Comparable as a large multi-location dental operator with insurance-billing and marketing capabilities that compete in suburban markets.
• Great Expressions Dental Centers: Multi-state DSO operating dental offices offering general, specialty, and pediatric services. Comparable as a scaled dental operator with insurance billing infrastructure that competes in the same suburban PPO-insured patient pool.
• Smile Brands: Multi-brand DSO supporting hundreds of dental practices across the U.S., including general dentistry and specialty services. Comparable as a large dental support organization with overlapping suburban market presence and PPO insurance billing operations.

Direct peers

• Children's Dental Health: Multi-location pediatric dental group practice in the Northeast US, focused exclusively on pediatric dental services including preventive, restorative, and orthodontic care. Directly comparable as a similarly specialized pediatric-only group practice serving children from infancy through adolescence.
• Dentistry for Children: Pediatric dental group with multiple offices across several U.S. states, providing preventive, restorative, and orthodontic care exclusively to children. Directly comparable as a multi-location pediatric-only dental group with similar service mix and patient demographic.

Emerging players

• Tend: Modern, tech-forward dental startup with a focus on patient experience, online booking, and direct-to-consumer branding across multiple U.S. markets. Comparable as an emerging dental operator targeting the same digitally-native millennial parent demographic with a differentiated consumer experience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kidsfirstpd
• Instagraminstagram.com/kidsfirstpd
• TikToktiktok.com/@kidsfirstpd
• Xx.com/kids1stdentstry
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kidsfirstpd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kids First Pediatric Dentistry