Learn more about pain-free shots at Pine Tree Pediatric Dentistry.
For West Linn families raising children with special needs, finding a dental provider who truly gets it can feel like an impossible search. Most practices aren’t built for it. The environment, the staff training, the pacing of appointments, and the availability of sedation all have to come together in the right way. Pine Tree Pediatric Dentistry was built around exactly that challenge, and West Linn families regularly choose us because their child’s needs are genuinely understood here.
Drs. Tesha Waggoner and Audrey Mikkelson at Pine Tree Pediatric Dentistry are dedicated pediatric dentists serving West Linn who bring both professional expertise and personal understanding as mothers to every appointment. Our sedation dentistry options and specialized approach help ensure your child receives the dental care they need while feeling safe and comfortable. We understand that children with autism, Down syndrome, developmental delays, and other conditions may require extra time, patience, and accommodations during their dental visits.
West Linn families who have a child with special needs often know this feeling: you’ve called several dental offices, asked whether they have experience with your child’s specific diagnosis, and gotten vague reassurances that didn’t hold up in practice. Our practice is different not because we say the right things — but because special needs care is genuinely embedded in how we run every appointment.
Dr. Waggoner completed her pediatric residency at OHSU, where special needs dentistry is a core training component — not an elective. She and her team have experience with children across the full spectrum of developmental and medical complexity, from mild sensory sensitivities to severe behavioral challenges requiring general anesthesia. West Linn families regularly make the drive to our Beaverton office because they’ve found that real, earned experience is hard to replicate.
We provide the full range of pediatric dental services adapted for children with special needs. Every service is delivered with modified protocols, extra time built into the appointment, and coordination with parents beforehand to understand what works for your child specifically.
Routine preventive care — cleanings, exams, fluoride, sealants — is always our starting point, and we’ve learned how to make these work even for children who resist dental contact. For children who need restorative work (fillings, crowns, or extractions), we assess sedation needs individually. For children with complex behavioral or medical profiles, in-office general anesthesia or hospital-based treatment at Providence St. Vincent or Legacy Randall Hospital may be recommended so that all necessary care can be completed safely in a single visit.
Our Beaverton office has been deliberately designed to reduce the sensory load of a dental visit. Weighted blankets, low lighting, and noise management are standard — not special requests. Our two in-office dogs, Meyers and CJ, are exceptional with children of all abilities and provide a level of calm that’s hard to achieve any other way.
For children who need advance preparation — particularly those on the autism spectrum or with significant anxiety — we offer pre-visit office tours and social stories with photos that walk through every step of the appointment visually. Many West Linn parents tell us this single tool transformed their child’s experience from dread to manageable. We also adapt the pacing, the language, and the sensory elements of every appointment in real time based on how your child is responding.
Preventive care is especially important for children with special needs, because small problems can escalate quickly when dental visits are difficult to complete. We work with West Linn families to build a dental home — a consistent relationship where your child becomes familiar with our team, our space, and our routines over time. Consistent early visits, even brief ones, make a real difference in long-term outcomes.
We also provide home care coaching tailored to your child’s abilities. For some children, standard brushing routines need significant modification. We work with parents to develop practical strategies that fit into your actual daily life, not a textbook ideal.
Pine Tree Pediatric Dentistry participates in the Down Syndrome Network Oregon Buddy Walk each year and supports Smile Oregon, which provides resources for children with craniofacial conditions. For West Linn families with children who have Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, or other developmental and medical complexities, we want you to know that your child’s needs are something we’ve genuinely prepared for — not adapted to on the fly.
West Linn families traveling about 25 minutes via I-205 North consistently tell us the specialist setting — a practice built only for children, with a doctor trained specifically in pediatric sedation and special needs care — is worth the drive.
We accept most dental insurance plans and are in-network with Delta Dental Premier. For families with Oregon Health Plan (OHP) Medicaid coverage, we accept ODS dental plans, as well as CareOregon and Advantage plans by referral. Our staff helps navigate insurance benefits and maximizes your coverage to make dental care more accessible.
If your child needs emergency dental care near West Linn after hours, we have an on-call dentist available to assist with urgent situations. Your child’s comfort and health are our top priorities, and we’re here to help whenever you need us.
If your West Linn child has been unable to complete dental care in a traditional setting, or if you’re starting fresh and want to do it right from the beginning, we’d love to talk. Call us at (503) 292-9274 to have a conversation before you schedule — we routinely do brief phone consults with parents of special needs children so we can come into the first appointment with a plan. You can also request an appointment online.
15962 Boones Ferry Rd, Suite 208
Lake Oswego, OR 97035
We’re so excited to share that Dr. Tesha and the Pine Tree Pediatric Dentistry team are opening a second location this July! We’re bringing the same warm, kid-friendly care families know and love — now closer to Lake Oswego. Stay tuned for more details!
