Alice Ann B. Kelly, DDS

704-867-4321
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As a proud new member of the Kelly Dentistry team, it is my goal to create healthy and beautiful smiles in a gentle and caring environment. All Kelly Dentistry staff are well prepared and happy to assist in treating adults as well as children. As a general dentist, I enjoy all aspects of general dentistry. A background of serving in a public health pediatric dental clinic has helped to shape my interest in treating children. I find it a very joyful experience to see the world through the eyes of a child, and strive to make your child's first and subsequent visits to the dentist a pleasant memory.

Learn more about Dr. Alice Ann Kelly

Education

Doctor of Dental Surgery

Bachelor of Science
Pfeiffer University

Professional Associations

Community Involvement:

Interests and Hobbies:

Questions and Answers with Dr. Alice Ann Kelly

Q: Who do you treat?
Dr. A: We realize how hectic it is to get everyone in the family's dental needs addressed. For your convenience, we try to accommodate the needs of a family, by offering to see children in the same location (even the same time, if desired) their parents are seen. As a general dentist, I am fully trained and happy to see patients of any age range. My time working in a pediatric public health clinic has advanced my skills in working with children and young adults. Though I do see adults, I particularly enjoy treating our younger patients, while Drs. Jim and Bill Kelly focus primarily on the needs of our adult clientele, making us a well-rounded office, and quite possibly your one stop dental office.

Q: What type of services do you provide?
Dr. A: As a general dentist, I provide a broad range of services, including radiographs, preventative care, dental restorations (fillings), crowns, root canals, space maintainers, etc. At Kelly Dentistry, we offer nitrous oxide (laughing gas) for our more apprehensive, or difficult to manage, patients.

Q: Are parents allowed back in treatment area?
Dr. A: As a general rule, it is preferred that parents remain in the waiting area during treatment. Children are very capable of following instructions, and tend to do best with a parent waiting for them outside the treatment area. At the end of the hygiene visit, parents will be escorted back for treatment plan discussion. This is a time for parents to get to know the dentist who will be working on their child, as well as ask questions or mention concerns they may have, regarding their child's treatment. Parents will ALWAYS be informed of what treatment will be performed at any given visit. No treatment will be rendered if a parent objects.

Q: How should I prepare my child for dental visits?
Dr. A: Always be encouraging! Let them know that the dentist is their friend, someone who is there to help, not harm. Often, we do have to administer local anesthetic (shots) or extractions, but please do not mention or scare your child in advance of this possibility. Put a positive spin on things. If a child happens to ask about the needle specifically, say something about "sleepy juice" that will make their teeth fall asleep, or the whistle that will tickle their teeth.

Q: Should my child see a specialist?
Dr. A: Most children tend to do very well at a family practice. One of the advantages of seeing a general dentist is that they are able to grow and become comfortable in seeing the same dentist throughout their lives. I feel very comfortable working with most any child, even our more challenging patients. If your child's behavior makes them difficult to manage, we may offer oral sedation or nitrous oxide (laughing gas) to help calm them. If a child is unmanageable after taking those measures, we may then need to refer your child to a specialist.

Q: Are baby teeth important to save? Won't they just lose them anyway?
Dr. A: Primary teeth are extremely important to care for, not only for esthetic reasons, but functional (chewing and speech development). Baby teeth help to guide permanent teeth into alignment, and if one is lost, it may alter the path permanent teeth take while erupting. I also contend that baby teeth are God's way of giving us a "practice run" so we can learn to care for our teeth properly before we get our second and final chance in permanent teeth.

Q: What do I do if there is a dental emergency?
Dr. A: Get in touch with your dentist asap! Fast action on your part may save your child's tooth. If a permanent tooth is knocked out, try to hold it in place back in the mouth. If that is not possible, saliva or milk are the best choices to put the tooth in while it is being transported to the dentist's office.

Q: Is there a particular food that causes decay?
Dr. A: So glad you asked! There are a number of candies out there, and some are definitely worse than others! Sticky candies, such as skittles, starburst, caramels or taffies (even fruit roll ups) are the bad guys. These candies have retentive qualities and tend to stay lodged in the grooves of teeth for a long time, feeding sugar to bacteria, which leads to decay. If your child must have candy, offer them chocolate, which can be washed away more easily by saliva than sticky foods. And never ever put your child to bed with anything to drink, besides water. Saliva does not flow as much while we are asleep, so it doesn't wash away sugars as effectively as in the day time. Milk and juice have sugars in them that, if allowed to "rest" on the teeth at night without being washed away, can cause decay. If your child must have a drink after brushing at bedtime, make sure the only choice is water!