Somewhere between scheduling your four-year-old’s first cleaning, reminding your teenager about their retainer, booking your own overdue exam, and figuring out when your dad can get that crown sorted — managing a family’s dental health can feel like a part-time job.
The obvious solution is a practice that can handle all of it. Not a pediatric office that sends you elsewhere once the kids hit twelve. Not a cosmetic-only practice that isn’t really set up for your parents. A genuine family dentist — one that knows your household, remembers your history, and can see everyone on the same afternoon if you need them to.
That’s what we’ve built at Jenkins Cosmetic and Family Dentistry. We care for patients of every age, from their first tooth through their retirement years, all from our Floyds Knobs practice serving New Albany and the surrounding communities. Here’s what that actually looks like at each stage of life.
Starting Early: Kids and Toddlers
The recommendation most parents haven’t heard — or haven’t taken seriously — is that a child’s first dental visit should happen around their first birthday. Not when they start school. Not when something looks wrong. Around age one, or within six months of that first tooth coming through.
We know that sounds early. But those first visits aren’t really about teeth cleaning. They’re about monitoring jaw development, catching anything unusual early, and — just as importantly — helping your child get comfortable in a dental environment before they ever need anything done to them.
A child who visits the dentist regularly from a young age and has consistently positive experiences rarely becomes an anxious adult patient. A child who first walks into a dental office because something hurts has a harder road ahead.
At our practice, we work to make early visits genuinely easy for kids. We explain things in terms children understand, we go slowly, we celebrate the small stuff. The goal is for your kid to leave feeling good about having been here — and looking forward to the next visit rather than dreading it.
As they grow, preventive care for children includes professional cleanings, age-appropriate X-rays, fluoride treatments, and sealants on the grooved surfaces of back teeth where most childhood cavities form.
The Teen Years
Teenagers tend to fall through the cracks of dental care — old enough that parents assume they’re managing their own hygiene, young enough that they’re not really thinking about long-term oral health.
A few things become clinically relevant in the teen years. Wisdom teeth start to develop, and we monitor them closely so that if extraction is eventually needed, it’s planned rather than reactive. Orthodontic needs often become apparent around this time too.
For teens interested in straightening their teeth, we offer clear aligner therapy through SureSmile® — a system that uses 3D imaging to plan precise, predictable tooth movement. For teenagers who don’t want to deal with metal braces during high school, clear aligners are removable and nearly invisible. They come out for sports, for special occasions, for photos.
We also talk to our teen patients about sports and dental injuries. If your teenager plays contact sports, a properly fitted mouthguard is worth having a conversation about.
And honestly — the habit of conversations matter too. We use the check-up as an opportunity to talk about brushing habits, diet choices, and what happens to teeth over time if certain patterns continue. Not in a lecture way. Just honestly.
Adults: Prevention, Maintenance, and Getting Things Fixed
For adults in their twenties through their fifties, the focus shifts to staying on top of what’s there and addressing issues before they grow into bigger ones.
Routine cleanings every six months remain the foundation. Most dental problems — cavities, gum disease, early structural changes — are caught and managed easily when they’re small. They become expensive, time-consuming, and sometimes painful when they’re not.
Beyond the basics, adult dental needs often include restorative work. A crown for a tooth that’s been patched too many times. A bridge or implant for a gap that’s been there longer than it should be. An onlay for a tooth that’s cracked but doesn’t need a full crown. At our practice, most of this can be done in-house — including same-day CEREC® crowns that are finished in a single appointment, with no temporary and no second visit.
Cosmetic care is a meaningful part of adult dentistry too. Professional teeth whitening is one of the most requested treatments we offer — it’s non-invasive, delivers genuinely visible results, and can be done in-office in about an hour or at home with custom trays. For patients who want to go further, porcelain veneers can address shape, colour, and alignment concerns together.
For adults dealing with snoring — or whose partners are dealing with their snoring — we offer Solea Sleep, a quick laser treatment that gently tightens the soft tissue in the mouth to reduce vibration. Many patients notice an improvement the same night. It’s one of those treatments that sounds almost too simple to work, until it does.
Senior Dental Care
Oral health gets more complex as we age, and the stakes are higher than most people realise. Research has connected chronic gum disease to cardiovascular disease, diabetes complications, and other systemic health issues. Regular dental care in the senior years isn’t just about keeping teeth — it’s part of overall health management.
At Jenkins Cosmetic and Family Dentistry, we’re equipped to provide comprehensive care for older patients. For tooth loss, we offer dental implants, implant-supported restorations, and All-On-4® — a fixed full-arch solution for patients who’ve lost most or all of their teeth and want a stable, permanent result rather than removable dentures.
For patients dealing with gum disease — which becomes more common with age and with certain medications — we use the Solea® laser for periodontal treatment. It’s more precise than traditional surgical approaches and generally involves less post-procedure discomfort.
Dry mouth, which affects many senior patients because of medication side effects, is something we discuss and address. Tooth wear from decades of use or grinding is something we monitor. And at every comprehensive exam, we screen for oral cancer — a check that takes a minute and can genuinely make a difference if something is caught early.
For older patients with mobility considerations, we’ve designed our office environment and scheduling approach with accessibility in mind.
What Makes One Practice Work for Everyone
The thing that actually makes multi-generational family dental care work isn’t just a long services list. It’s continuity.
When Dr. Chris Jenkins has known your family for years, he knows that your daughter has a particular sensitivity on her lower left side and doesn’t love the impression process. He knows that your father’s been putting off that bridge conversation and might need a bit more time to discuss it. He knows what’s happened with your teeth over time, which changes how he reads your X-rays today.
That kind of familiarity doesn’t happen at a practice where you see a different face every visit. It builds over time, through consistent care with a team that pays attention.
Over 1,000 five-star reviews from patients across New Albany, Floyds Knobs, and Greenville reflect that. People come back. They bring their families. They refer to their neighbours. That’s the clearest measure of whether a practice is actually doing what it says.
Booking for Your Family
Jenkins Cosmetic and Family Dentistry is at 750 Highlander Point Dr, Floyds Knobs, IN 47119. We’re open Monday–Wednesday 8:30 AM–4:30 PM, Thursday 8:30 AM–3:30 PM, and Friday 8:00 AM–2:00 PM.
Call us at (812) 923-2200 or book online at jenkinsfamilydentistry.com. If your family is spread across different stages of care, we’ll help you coordinate visits so it’s manageable — not another thing on the list.
Frequently Asked Questions
At our practice, we care for every member of your household — from toddlers getting their first check-up to grandparents needing restorative work — all under one roof. We build a genuine long-term relationship with your family, which means we know your history, understand each person’s comfort level, and can coordinate everyone’s care seamlessly.
We’re proud to serve patients across all life stages, and our services reflect that. From a child’s first cleaning to orthodontic guidance for teens, adult restorations, and senior care, we’ve structured our practice so that no one in your family ever needs to be referred elsewhere for routine or restorative needs.
We recommend bringing your little one in around their first birthday, or within six months after their first tooth appears — whichever comes first. Early visits help us monitor jaw and tooth development, give us a chance to spot any concerns early, and most importantly, help your child feel comfortable and confident in the dental chair from day one.
One of the things our families appreciate most is the ability to book block appointments — siblings, parents, and grandparents can often all come in on the same day. No more driving across town to separate specialists. We handle it all in one place, which means fewer days off work and fewer interruptions to your family’s routine.
We provide a full range of senior dental care, including crowns, bridges, dental implants, and periodontal maintenance. We also address common age-related concerns like dry mouth, tooth wear, and missing teeth. Our goal is to help every older adult maintain full oral function and a smile they feel confident in.
We work hard to make every child’s visit a positive one. We use gentle language, take time to explain what we’re doing in a way that makes sense to kids, and celebrate every milestone — whether it’s a first cleaning or a great check-up. Our goal is for children to actually look forward to coming in, not dread it.
Absolutely. Routine cleanings and exams are the foundation of healthy teeth and gums at every life stage. For children, they protect developing teeth from cavities. For adults, they help us catch gum disease or early decay before it becomes a bigger problem. For seniors, regular visits allow us to monitor for oral cancer, tooth wear, and bone changes. Prevention is always easier than treatment.
We’ve designed our office with every age group in mind — a welcoming waiting area for active toddlers, flexible scheduling options for working parents, and thoughtful accommodations for patients with mobility considerations. Our team communicates clearly, takes time to answer questions, and treats every patient with genuine warmth and respect.
Yes — that’s one of the things that sets a true family and cosmetic practice apart. Whether your teenager needs orthodontic guidance, a parent is interested in teeth whitening, or a grandparent requires implants or a crown, we handle it all without sending you elsewhere. Continuity of care makes a real difference.
Just give us a call or book online — we’ll do our best to coordinate your family’s visits so everyone can come in together or back-to-back. Our front desk team is experienced at scheduling multi-generational blocks, and we’ll make the whole process as straightforward as possible.
