Bluffton Pediatric Dentist Guide
Bluffton’s children’s dentists, with who is board-certified, who treats special needs, who answers after hours and how close each is to your child’s school.
For a pediatric dentist in Bluffton, call Adventure Pediatric Dentistry (board-certified, special healthcare needs, on call after hours), Sea Smiles Pediatric Dentistry (board-certified, half a mile from Old Town) or High Tide Pediatric Dentistry (board-certified, membership plan). Pediatric Smiles is a block from Red Cedar Elementary.
Updated
Bluffton Facts for Kids’ Dentists
- Families with children
- About 4,200 households inside the town limits have a child under 18, roughly 1 in 3, and about 6,300 across ZIP 29910 (as of 2024).
- Fluoride in the tap
- BJWSA’s 2025 water quality report shows fluoride at 0.55 parts per million in its main system, added to promote strong teeth.
- Board-certified
- Adventure, Sea Smiles and High Tide are each led by a board-certified pediatric dentist.
- Near the schools
- Pediatric Smiles is 0.2 mi from Red Cedar Elementary, Sea Smiles 0.7 mi from Michael C. Riley Elementary, and Adventure 1.4 mi from River Ridge Academy.
- Special healthcare needs
- Adventure Pediatric Dentistry treats patients with special healthcare needs of all ages.
- After hours
- Adventure Pediatric Dentistry is on call for after-hours emergencies.
Pediatric Dentists in Bluffton, SC
How we chose these: children’s dental offices in Bluffton, each with a record of parent reviews. Each card lists what the practice publishes about itself, including where the office is; the stars open a summary of what parents say.
337 Buckwalter Pkwy, Bluffton, SC 29910
Phone: (843) 815-6000
Dental care for infants, children, teens and patients with special healthcare needs, plus lip and tongue ties.
Why it’s listed: Dr. Jim Mason is a board-certified pediatric dentist who treated military families’ children in the Air Force and trained further in caring for special needs patients. The first visit, at age 1 to 2, is done with a parent present. Parents describe a child with cracked teeth seen first thing after a weekend of texts with the dentist.
- Where:
- Buckwalter Pkwy, 0.1 mi from Buckwalter Place and 4.2 mi from Old Town; 1.4 mi from River Ridge Academy
- Dentist:
- Dr. Jim Mason, board-certified pediatric dentist
- Patients:
- Infants to teens, and special healthcare needs at any age
- After hours:
- On call for after-hours emergencies
164 Bluffton Rd, Bluffton, SC 29910
Phone: (843) 815-5437
Cleanings, fillings, crowns, laser dentistry and sedation options for children, with drill-free options where they fit.
Why it’s listed: Dr. Shane Harpham is a board-certified pediatric dentist and a past president of the South Carolina Pediatric Dental Association (2022). The office lists silver diamine fluoride, Curodont and the Hall Technique among its drill-free options. Parents describe nervous toddlers who left laughing and an eight-month-old’s first visit.
- Where:
- Bluffton Rd, 0.5 mi from Old Town; 0.7 mi from Michael C. Riley Elementary; serves Bluffton, Hilton Head and Beaufort
- Dentist:
- Dr. Shane Harpham, board-certified pediatric dentist
- Hours:
- Weekdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Nervous kids:
- Sedation options and drill-free treatments
291 Red Cedar St #103, Bluffton, SC 29910
Phone: (843) 707-7915
A children’s dental office on Red Cedar Street, a block from Red Cedar Elementary.
Why it’s listed: Parents describe Dr. Courtney and a team who make toddlers and older children comfortable, honest and realistic advice, and a clean, efficient office. Families say they have brought their children for seven years or more.
- Where:
- Red Cedar St, 1.1 mi from Belfair Towne Village and 1.3 mi from Old Town; 0.2 mi from Red Cedar Elementary and 0.7 mi from Bluffton Middle
- Patients:
- Toddlers through older children
5 Mott St, Bluffton, SC 29910
Phone: (843) 227-3177
A new children’s dental practice led by a board-certified pediatric dentist, with a membership plan.
Why it’s listed: Dr. Melissa and her family settled in Bluffton and opened the practice, which offers a membership plan for families without dental insurance. Parents describe a dentist who sums up each visit and says what to expect next, and a family that followed her from her practice in Chicago.
- Where:
- Mott St, 0.8 mi from Buckwalter Place and 4.3 mi from Old Town; 1.8 mi from River Ridge Academy
- In business:
- New practice
- Paying:
- Membership plan
Your Child’s First Dental Visit in Bluffton
Adventure Pediatric Dentistry sees children for a first visit at age 1 to 2, with a parent in the room, and Sea Smiles parents describe an eight-month-old’s first appointment. Ask when you call how long the first visit runs and whether a parent stays for the cleaning; most offices here keep that first one short.
Moving to Bluffton with children? Book the dentist when you register for school: see the Bluffton schools guide for zones, and the doctors in Bluffton for a pediatrician.
Fluoride in Bluffton Tap Water
Most Bluffton homes get water from the Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority (BJWSA), which draws from the Savannah River. Its report for 2025 shows fluoride at 0.55 parts per million in the main system, with a range of 0.44 to 0.55, and lists it as an additive that promotes strong teeth.
Homes on a private well get no added fluoride, and families who drink bottled water get little. Tell the pediatric dentist which you have at the first visit. To check who supplies your address, see the Bluffton utilities guide.
Pediatric Dentist for Special Needs in Bluffton
Dr. Jim Mason at Adventure Pediatric Dentistry trained further in caring for special needs patients and treats them at any age, not only as children. Sea Smiles offers sedation options and drill-free treatments, worth asking about for a child who finds a dental chair hard.
Among the family dentists, May River Crossing Dental reviewers describe a hygienist who made an autistic teenager’s visit go smoothly; see the best dentists in Bluffton.
Child’s Dental Emergency in Bluffton
Call the child’s dentist first. Adventure Pediatric Dentistry is on call after hours, and its parents describe a weekend of texts with the dentist before a Monday-morning visit. For a chipped or knocked-out tooth when the child’s dentist can’t be reached, see emergency dentists in Bluffton. For a blow to the head, swelling that spreads, a fever or trouble swallowing, go to the emergency room; see hospitals near Bluffton.
Insurance, Medicaid and Membership Plans
Ask each office whether it is in network for your plan, and whether it takes South Carolina Medicaid for children, before booking. High Tide Pediatric Dentistry offers a membership plan for families without dental insurance.
On Hilton Head Island, Kidz Planet Pediatric Dentistry is on Mathews Drive; see the best dentists on Hilton Head Island. For braces when the adult teeth come in, see orthodontists in Bluffton.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the best pediatric dentist in Bluffton, SC?
Adventure Pediatric Dentistry (Dr. Jim Mason), Sea Smiles Pediatric Dentistry (Dr. Shane Harpham) and High Tide Pediatric Dentistry (Dr. Melissa) are each led by a board-certified pediatric dentist. Pediatric Smiles on Red Cedar Street has families who have come for seven years or more.
When should my child first see a dentist in Bluffton?
Adventure Pediatric Dentistry does a first visit at age 1 to 2 with a parent present, and Sea Smiles parents describe an eight-month-old’s first visit.
Is there a pediatric dentist in Bluffton for special needs?
Yes. Adventure Pediatric Dentistry treats patients with special healthcare needs of all ages, and Dr. Jim Mason trained further in their care. Sea Smiles offers sedation options for children.
Does Bluffton tap water have fluoride?
Yes. BJWSA’s report for 2025 shows fluoride at 0.55 parts per million in its main system. Homes on a private well get no added fluoride, so tell the dentist at the first visit.
Which pediatric dentist in Bluffton handles emergencies?
Adventure Pediatric Dentistry is on call for after-hours emergencies. For a head injury, spreading swelling or a fever, go to the emergency room.
Is there a pediatric dentist near Old Town Bluffton?
Sea Smiles Pediatric Dentistry on Bluffton Road is half a mile from Old Town, and Pediatric Smiles on Red Cedar Street is about a mile north. Adventure and High Tide are near Buckwalter Place.
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