Affordable Pediatric Dentistry in East Bakersfield, CA: Costs, Insurance and Dental Services

By Your Health Magazine Contributor

Your Health Magazine Contributor

. https://YourHealthMagazine.net

More Dental Health Articles

Affordable Pediatric Dentistry in East Bakersfield, CA: Costs, Insurance and Dental Services

Quick Answer

Families looking for affordable pediatric dental care in Bakersfield have several options, including practices that accept Medi-Cal, offer reduced-cost new-patient visits, provide payment plans, or combine pediatric dentistry with orthodontics and sedation services.

The five offices below illustrate some of the services, insurance options and payment arrangements families may encounter when comparing pediatric dental practices in the Bakersfield area.

• Children’s Choice Dental Care Bakersfield – East — Medi-Cal with a no-cost exam and X-rays, sedation, special needs care, braces and Saturday hours in one kids-only office.
• Smileland Dentistry for Kids (Ming Ave) — A long-running kids’ dental group that welcomes Denti-Cal.
• Kinder Pediatric Dental — A pediatric office on Union Avenue in East Bakersfield with a $99 new-patient special.
• Kern Kids Dental — A pediatric office on San Dimas Street with dentistry and orthodontics.
• Bakersfield Kids’ Dentistry and Orthodontics — A kids’ office on Allen Road for PPO and HMO families.

Verified Directory: Name, Address and Phone

Each listing was checked against the practice’s own website and its Google Business Profile on October 23, 2026. Opening hours have their own section further down.

What Kids’ Dental Care Costs in Bakersfield

What a parent pays depends far more on how they pay than on which office they choose. The same checkup can cost several hundred dollars, $99 or nothing at all.

The table below compares California’s average cash prices, published by the dental cost tracker Pearl, with what Bakersfield families pay through Medi-Cal or a local new-patient special. Pearl’s figures are statewide averages for all ages, so treat them as a ceiling rather than a quote.

The checkup math: at California average cash prices, a cleaning, exam and X-rays add up to about $508. Kinder Pediatric Dental and Kern Kids Dental both offer that bundle for $99 to new patients without insurance, a saving of about $409. With Medi-Cal, Children’s Choice provides the exam and X-rays at no cost, every 6 months.

For a family with two children seeing the dentist twice a year, that is the difference between roughly $2,032 a year at average cash prices and $0 with Medi-Cal.

Braces are the biggest single expense. Children’s Choice publishes its California retail prices: up to $5,200 for a standard two-year course of metal braces and up to $6,500 with clear aligners. Through November 30, 2026, families can start with $99 down and payments from $119 a month, after a free consultation. Medi-Cal covers orthodontics for teens who qualify.

Free care often goes unused. Statewide, only 47.6% of children enrolled in Medi-Cal had a dental visit in 2022, according to a state commission report covered by Becker’s Dental. Every child under 21 on Medi-Cal already has dental coverage, so the cheapest checkup is usually the one a family hasn’t booked yet.

Five Ways Bakersfield Families Pay Less

1. Use Medi-Cal Dental to its full limit.

Children under 21 on Medi-Cal are covered for exams, cleanings, fluoride, X-rays, fillings and medically necessary sedation. Babies and toddlers up to age 3 can have an exam every 3 months, twice the usual frequency, which helps catch early decay while it is still cheap to treat. Children’s Choice and Kinder Pediatric Dental both accept Medi-Cal, and Smileland welcomes Denti-Cal.

2. Check a Covered California children’s dental plan.

If you buy coverage through Covered California, pediatric dental is included for children 0–18. As one example, the California Dental Network children’s HMO plan sold there caps out-of-pocket costs at $350 a year for one child and $700 for two or more, with no office copay, according to its 2024 copayment schedule.

3. Ask for the new-patient special.

If your child has no insurance, Kinder Pediatric Dental and Kern Kids Dental each offer a $99 cleaning, exam and X-ray bundle to new patients. Kinder also offers a $69 emergency exam with X-ray.

4. Spread big treatment over time.

Children’s Choice treatment coordinators review benefits, file insurance claims for you and set up payment plans or financing, and its braces offer starts at $99 down. Bakersfield Kids’ Dentistry and Orthodontics offers the Smile Generation Dental Plan, a discount membership for families without coverage.

5. Start early.

An AAPD survey reported by DrBicuspid noted that children who first see a dentist before age 1 have about 40% lower dental costs over their first five years. A $0 Medi-Cal visit at age 1 is the cheapest dental care a family will ever buy.

Which Office Offers What

Affordability only helps if the office can actually treat your child. This is what each practice publishes on its own website, or what Kern County Public Health lists in its Medi-Cal dental provider directory.

Children’s Choice appears across several of these service categories, including pediatric preventive care, sedation, special needs dentistry and orthodontics.

Practice Profiles

Each profile covers what the office offers, what’s good to know before booking, and one question worth asking when you call. Addresses and phone numbers are in the directory above.

Children’s Choice Dental Care Bakersfield – East

Children’s Choice Dental Care Bakersfield – East is a kids-only office on White Lane and part of Children’s Choice Pediatric Dentistry, a network of more than 25 California offices that includes a second Bakersfield location on the west side. The practice describes its staff as award-winning and bilingual, and its offices as designed around children.

Everyday and preventive care

• Exams, cleanings and fluoride varnish
• Digital X-rays, which the practice says use up to 90% less radiation than film
• Same-day appointments and emergency visits

Fillings, crowns and extractions

• Tooth-colored fillings and bonding
• Stainless steel crowns for back teeth, and white-faced crowns for front teeth
• Extractions, with space maintainers so nearby teeth don’t drift

Sedation for anxious kids and extensive treatment

The practice offers laughing gas for mild anxiety and general anesthesia for extensive work, given by a board-certified anesthesiologist with a PALS-certified team. Most sedation visits take 60–90 minutes.

Special needs dentistry

A dedicated program for children with physical, developmental, sensory, behavioral or medical conditions, with sedation available when needed.

Orthodontics

Early treatment, braces and Invisalign, with iTero 3D scans in place of putty impressions. Consultations are free, and through November 30, 2026, treatment can start with $99 down.

Insurance and payment

• Medi-Cal Dental, with a no-cost exam and X-rays every 6 months
• Most private insurance, with claims filed for you
• Treatment coordinators who explain benefits and costs
• Payment plans and financing

The practice also states that its team will never ask about a family’s immigration status.

Good to know: the website lists Saturday hours from 8 AM to 5 PM, which is rare among Bakersfield kids’ offices. Confirm the Saturday schedule when booking.

Ask when you call: “Can you check my child’s Medi-Cal or insurance benefits before the first visit?”

Appointments can be booked online through the Bakersfield – East page.

Smileland Dentistry for Kids — Ming Avenue

Smileland is a kids’ dental group with offices across Bakersfield, Delano, Tulare, Visalia and Fresno. Its website lists children’s dentistry, braces and laughing gas, welcomes Denti-Cal, and runs school dental check-ups and a Smilerewards incentive program. Kern County Public Health lists the Ming Avenue office as serving ages 2–20 and children with special needs.

Good to know: the office is open weekdays only, so plan school-day appointments.

Ask when you call: “Can you walk me through the treatment plan and material options before work begins?”

Kinder Pediatric Dental

Kinder is a pediatric office on Union Avenue in East Bakersfield, led by Dr. Edward Dove, with Spanish-speaking staff. It says it accepts all insurance including Medicaid. It offers laughing gas, oral sedation and general anesthesia, with a dentist, anesthesiologist and nurse present for anesthesia cases. Kern County Public Health lists it as serving ages 1–17 and children with special needs.

Good to know: the office is open Monday to Thursday only.

Ask when you call: “Do I qualify for the $99 new-patient special?”

Kern Kids Dental

Kern Kids Dental on San Dimas Street lists Dr. Raymond and Dr. Sanjeeta on its team. Its website covers infant exams, cleanings, sealants, tooth-colored fillings, baby root canals, extractions, special needs care, laughing gas, general anesthesia, Invisalign and braces. It offers same-day appointments and a $99 new-patient special for families without insurance, and keeps blankets and iPads on hand to help kids relax.

Good to know: the office is closed Friday through Sunday, and its homepage doesn’t list accepted insurance plans.

Ask when you call: “Which insurance plans are you in network with?”

Bakersfield Kids’ Dentistry and Orthodontics

This Allen Road office in west Bakersfield is part of the Smile Generation network, with a pediatric dentist and an orthodontist on its team. It accepts most PPO and HMO plans, including Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, Cigna, Delta Dental, Guardian and MetLife, and offers the Smile Generation Dental Plan for discounted fees without insurance.

Good to know: it’s on the west side of town, a longer drive from East Bakersfield, and Medi-Cal isn’t listed among its plans.

Ask when you call: “Does the dental plan discount apply to orthodontics?”

Opening Hours

Hours as published on each practice’s website or Google Business Profile, October 2026. Call ahead on holidays.

All five are closed on Sundays. Children’s Choice is the only one that lists Saturday hours, which saves working parents a missed shift or a pulled-from-school morning.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should families compare when choosing an affordable pediatric dentist in Bakersfield?

Families should compare insurance acceptance, out-of-pocket costs, office hours, available pediatric services, sedation options and whether orthodontic or special-needs care is available when needed. Some Bakersfield practices accept Medi-Cal, while others offer new-patient specials or payment arrangements for families without coverage.

How much does a child’s dental checkup cost in Bakersfield without insurance?

At California average cash prices, a cleaning, exam and X-rays come to about $508. Kinder Pediatric Dental and Kern Kids Dental each offer the same bundle for $99 to new patients without insurance.

Is pediatric dental care free with Medi-Cal?

For most routine care, yes. Children under 21 on Medi-Cal are covered for exams, cleanings, fluoride, X-rays, fillings and medically necessary sedation. Children’s Choice provides a no-cost exam and X-rays every 6 months to eligible members.

How much do braces cost for kids in Bakersfield?

Children’s Choice lists California retail prices of up to $5,200 for two years of metal braces and up to $6,500 with aligners. Through November 30, 2026, treatment can start with $99 down and payments from $119 a month. Medi-Cal covers braces for teens who qualify.

Which Bakersfield kids’ dentist is open on Saturday?

Among the five offices in this guide, Children’s Choice Bakersfield – East is the only one that lists Saturday hours, from 8 AM to 5 PM.

Do Bakersfield pediatric dentists offer sedation?

Yes. Children’s Choice offers laughing gas and general anesthesia with a board-certified anesthesiologist. Kinder Pediatric Dental offers laughing gas, oral sedation and general anesthesia, and Kern Kids Dental offers laughing gas and general anesthesia.

Will Children’s Choice ask about my immigration status?

No. The practice states on its website that its team will never ask about a family’s immigration status.

What if I can’t find a Medi-Cal dentist with openings?

Call the Medi-Cal Dental Telephone Service Center at (800) 322-6384, Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. Kern County Public Health also publishes a list of local Medi-Cal dental providers.