Pediatric Dentists in Basking Ridge, Bernardsville and the Somerset Hills, NJ
By Tiffany Slowinski
Choosing my own dentist is mostly about trust, competence and whether I can get an appointment.
Choosing a pediatric dentist adds another person to the decision.
The child.
And children have opinions.
Strong ones.
If you are searching for a pediatric dentist in Basking Ridge, Bernardsville, Bedminster, Far Hills or Peapack-Gladstone, this guide deserves its own editorial section because parents are solving a very different problem from someone looking for a general dentist.
You are not just asking, “Is this dentist good?”
You are asking, “Will my child feel safe here?”
That changes everything.
The current Somerset Hills guide includes pediatric practices in Basking Ridge and compares the specialists each practice names. For inclusion, Garden State Circle checked the New Jersey dental license and pediatric specialty permit under the criteria published on the page.
The guide also records details the practices publish that parents may actually want to compare, including board certification, residency, ages seen, sedation information and how new patients get started.
That is much more relevant here than cosmetic dentistry or whether the office can do an implant in-house.
Pediatric dentistry is its own category for a reason.
A family dentist may see children and may be exactly right for your family.
A pediatric dentist is a specialist whose practice is centered on children, including infants, kids and adolescents. Some practices also specifically publish care for children with special needs.
If you are deciding between those options, I would start with your child.
How old are they?
Are they anxious?
Have they had a bad dental experience?
Do they have sensory sensitivities?
Are they the kid who will ask the dentist 19 questions before allowing anyone near their mouth?
I respect that kid.
For a first dental visit, ask the practice what the appointment typically looks like.
Parents tend to think success means getting every part of the visit done perfectly.
Sometimes success for a very young child is getting comfortable enough that the next appointment is easier.
Let the pediatric dentist guide that.
If your child is nervous, tell the office before you arrive.
If they are afraid of a specific thing, say it.
If there is a special need, autism, ADHD, sensory issue or developmental difference that affects medical appointments, ask the practice what accommodations it offers.
This is not the time to hope everyone figures it out organically.
Give them the information.
Sedation is another thing parents may see in the guide.
Some practices publish options such as nitrous oxide or other sedation services.
The fact that an option exists does not tell you whether your child needs it.
If sedation is being considered, ask the pediatric dentist what is recommended, why, what alternatives exist and what the risks and instructions are in your child’s specific case.
You are allowed to ask every question you have.
Then there are the logistics.
Does the practice see your child’s age?
How long will they continue seeing teenagers?
Can siblings be scheduled near each other?
How do new patients book?
How far is the office from school?
What happens if a child chips a tooth on a Saturday?
These things matter because pediatric dentistry is not one appointment.
You are hopefully choosing a place your child can return to for years.
This guide is a good starting point if you are searching for pediatric dentists Basking Ridge NJ, pediatric dentist Bernardsville NJ, kids dentist Bedminster, children’s dentist Somerset Hills, pediatric dentist for toddlers, first dental visit, dentist for anxious kids, special-needs pediatric dentistry, sedation dentistry for children or board-certified pediatric dentists near me.
The goal is not necessarily a child who loves going to the dentist.
That feels ambitious.
The goal is a child who trusts the office enough to walk back in next time without everyone needing a pep talk in the parking lot.
I will take that win.
We did the homework here.
For the places actually worth your time, money and babysitter, follow me: @tiffanyknowsnj.
The Guide: Pediatric Dentists in Basking Ridge and Bernardsville, NJ
How We Selected These Pediatric Dentists
This guide covers Bernardsville, Bernards Township (Basking Ridge, Liberty Corner and Lyons), Far Hills, Bedminster, Peapack-Gladstone.
A practice is on this page when it has a pediatric dentistry office in one of those towns and at least one named dentist whose New Jersey dental license the state register showed as Active on September 23, 2026, and who holds a pediatric specialty permit on that register at that office’s town, primary or branch, or a legacy specialty permit that the practice’s own words tie to pediatric dentistry. That is a test, not a judgment. Practices are listed alphabetically.
Where fewer than six practices in these towns met the criteria, the nearest practices that met the same criteria are listed in a second table, each with the town it is based in.
About This Guide
This guide is produced by Garden State Circle. Practices appear here because they meet the criteria described above — a pediatric dentistry office in the towns named above and at least one named dentist with an Active New Jersey dental license and a pediatric specialty permit. That is a test, not a judgment, and it is the only route onto this page. No practice can pay to be included in this guide, to be listed higher, or to change what the comparison table says about it. Practices are listed alphabetically, and every detail in the table was verified against each practice’s own website and the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs licensee register in September 2026.
Everything under the heading that begins this guide is governed by the rules above, on every guide we publish. Where a sponsor’s message appears above that heading, it is paid for and labelled, and it buys nothing in the guide. Garden State Circle is supported by the businesses that participate in it. Participation pays for our ongoing work: keeping a business’s entry accurate, re-checking its record, and publishing a page of its own details that the business maintains. There is no paid placement in this guide. Participation does not buy a place here, a position here, or anything the comparison table says. Where a row carries a verification date, that is when we last checked that business’s record ourselves. A row without one has not been checked recently — that is a fact about our work, not about the business. Nothing on this page is medical advice. Every treatment described here carries risks that depend on your own health and history, and the person to discuss them with is a licensed provider who has examined you.
Garden State Circle is published in New Jersey by Tiffany and Jake Slowinski and covers Bernardsville, Bernards Township (Basking Ridge, Liberty Corner and Lyons), Far Hills, Bedminster, Peapack-Gladstone. Contact the publisher at jake@gardenstatecircle.com. How every guide is made, in one place: how every guide is made.
The Pediatric Dentists, Compared
| Practice and town | Specialist(s) named, and the permit as the register prints it, checked Sept 23, 2026 | Board certification (as published) | Residency (as published) | Ages seen | Sedation offered (as published) | New patients | Record checked (Sept 23, 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basking Ridge Pediatric Dentistry Basking Ridge | Dr. Tina Nguyen, DDS — Dentist license Active · Pediatric-Pedodontic Spec Prmt 07465 Active Dr. Alexandra Ziarko, DDS — Dentist license Active · Pediatric-Pedodontic Spec Br Prmt 07520-01 Active | Nguyen: “board-certified pediatric dentist” | Nguyen: Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center Ziarko: Montefiore Medical Center | Children, adolescents, special needs patients | Laughing gas (site) | Not published | Sept 23, 2026 |
| Smile Works Pediatric Dentistry Basking Ridge | Dr. Andrea Mann, DMD — Dentist license Active · Specialty permit Active (legacy type, discipline as published by the practice) | “Board Certified Pediatric Dentist” | Not published | Infants, children, adolescents, and those with special needs | Not published | Appointment request | Sept 23, 2026 |
Checked against the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs Dentistry licensee search.
Permit status is what the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs licensee register showed on September 23, 2026, looked up by name. Board certification, residency, ages seen, sedation and new-patient wording are printed as each practice states them on its own website. Record checked names the date we last checked that practice’s record ourselves.
Nearby options
| Practice and town | Specialist(s) named, and the permit as the register prints it, checked Sept 23, 2026 | Board certification (as published) | Residency (as published) | Ages seen | Sedation offered (as published) | New patients | Record checked (Sept 23, 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Branchburg Pediatric Dentistry Based in Branchburg | Dr. Devi — Dentist license Active · Specialty permit Active (legacy type, discipline as published by the practice) Dr. Lapena — Dentist license Active · specialty permit under their name at another New Jersey address | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Appointment request | Sept 23, 2026 |
| Children’s Dentistry of Morristown Based in Morristown | Allison Brand, DMD — Dentist license Active · Pediatric-Pedodontic Spec Prmt 06769 Active Nicole Levine, DMD — Dentist license Active · Pediatric-Pedodontic Spec Prmt 07391 Active Elizabeth Oldendorp, DMD — Dentist license Active · specialty permit under their name at another New Jersey address | “American Board of Pediatric Dentistry Board Certified” (practice line) Oldendorp: “Board-certified pediatric dentist” | Not published | Not published | General anesthesia offered (site) | Online booking | Sept 23, 2026 |
| Starship Pediatric Dentistry Based in Madison | Sky Berdahl, D.D.S. — Dentist license Active · Specialty permit Active (legacy type, discipline as published by the practice) Jen Wilbur, D.D.S. — Dentist license Active · Specialty permit Active (legacy type, discipline as published by the practice) Saudamini Gadgil, D.D.S. — Dentist license Active · Pediatric-Pedodontic Spec Prmt 06707 Active Viveka Patel, D.M.D., M.P.H. — Dentist license Active · Pediatric-Pedodontic Spec Prmt 07124 Active | Berdahl, Wilbur: “Diplomate, American Board of Pediatric Dentistry” Gadgil: “Board-certified member” Patel: “Candidate for board certification in pediatric dentistry” | Berdahl: Jacobi Medical Center Wilbur: Jacobi Medical Center via Albert Einstein Gadgil: St. Barnabas Hospital, 2018 Patel: Rutgers, 2022 | infants, children, teens | Not published (site) Enteral Sedation Permit Active, Viveka Patel (register) | Appointment request | Sept 23, 2026 |
| The Children’s Dental Center Based in Somerville | Julianne Kane, D.M.D. — Dentist license Active · Specialty permit Active (legacy type, discipline as published by the practice) | Not published | Brooklyn’s Lutheran Medical Center | infants, children, adolescents and special needs patients | Not published | Appointment request | Sept 23, 2026 |
A Note on Reading the Table
Board certification and residency are printed as each practice states them on its own website. We have not checked them against a certifying board’s own list.
The Practices
Basking Ridge Pediatric Dentistry, Basking Ridge
25 Mountainview Blvd, Ste 201, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920
Named on the practice’s own site, with the register record as of Sept 23, 2026: Dr. Tina Nguyen, DDS — Dentist license Active · Pediatric-Pedodontic Spec Prmt 07465 Active; Dr. Alexandra Ziarko, DDS — Dentist license Active · Pediatric-Pedodontic Spec Br Prmt 07520-01 Active.
Smile Works Pediatric Dentistry, Basking Ridge
150 N. Finley Avenue Suite 101, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920
Named on the practice’s own site, with the register record as of Sept 23, 2026: Dr. Andrea Mann, DMD — Dentist license Active · Specialty permit Active (legacy type, discipline as published by the practice).
Nearby options
Branchburg Pediatric Dentistry, Branchburg
3322 U.S. 22, Suite 201, Building #2, Branchburg, NJ 08876
Named on the practice’s own site, with the register record as of Sept 23, 2026: Dr. Devi — Dentist license Active · Specialty permit Active (legacy type, discipline as published by the practice); Dr. Lapena — Dentist license Active · specialty permit under their name at another New Jersey address.
Children’s Dentistry of Morristown, Morristown
95 Madison Avenue, Suite A08, Morristown, NJ 07960
Named on the practice’s own site, with the register record as of Sept 23, 2026: Allison Brand, DMD — Dentist license Active · Pediatric-Pedodontic Spec Prmt 06769 Active; Nicole Levine, DMD — Dentist license Active · Pediatric-Pedodontic Spec Prmt 07391 Active; Elizabeth Oldendorp, DMD — Dentist license Active · specialty permit under their name at another New Jersey address.
Starship Pediatric Dentistry, Madison
300 Madison Avenue, Suite 201, Madison, NJ 07940
Named on the practice’s own site, with the register record as of Sept 23, 2026: Sky Berdahl, D.D.S. — Dentist license Active · Specialty permit Active (legacy type, discipline as published by the practice); Jen Wilbur, D.D.S. — Dentist license Active · Specialty permit Active (legacy type, discipline as published by the practice); Saudamini Gadgil, D.D.S. — Dentist license Active · Pediatric-Pedodontic Spec Prmt 06707 Active; Viveka Patel, D.M.D., M.P.H. — Dentist license Active · Pediatric-Pedodontic Spec Prmt 07124 Active.
The Children’s Dental Center, Somerville
148 West End Avenue, Somerville, NJ 08876
Named on the practice’s own site, with the register record as of Sept 23, 2026: Julianne Kane, D.M.D. — Dentist license Active · Specialty permit Active (legacy type, discipline as published by the practice).
Common Questions
How do I check a license myself?
The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs publishes a licensee search under Dentistry. Search by the dentist’s last name. The record shows the license number, the status and the town on file.
Verified
Verified means we checked identity, licence and published details - not service quality or results.Every detail on this page was checked on September 23, 2026 against each practice’s own website and the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs licensee register.
Additional Resources
The same guide for other markets
- Pediatric Dentists near Belle Mead, Skillman and Montgomery Township, NJ
- Pediatric Dentists in Bridgewater, Branchburg and Raritan, NJ
- Pediatric Dentists in Chatham and Madison, NJ
- Pediatric Dentists near Clinton, Flemington and Annandale, NJ
- Pediatric Dentists in Denville and Mountain Lakes, NJ
- Pediatric Dentists in Franklin Township, Manville and North Plainfield, NJ
- Pediatric Dentists in Long Branch and Red Bank, NJ
- Pediatric Dentists near Mendham and Chester, NJ
- Pediatric Dentists in Montville and Kinnelon, NJ
- Pediatric Dentists in Morristown, Morris Township and Morris Plains, NJ
- Pediatric Dentists near Parsippany, NJ
- Pediatric Dentists in Randolph, NJ
- Pediatric Dentists in Somerville and Hillsborough, NJ
- Pediatric Dentists near Warren, Watchung and Green Brook, NJ
NJ Division of Consumer Affairs license verification
Something out of date?
If anything here is wrong or has changed — a credential, who is at the practice, insurance participation, or whether they are taking new patients — tell us and we will check it. Corrections are free, for every practice on this page. A practice that is not listed here and meets the criteria described at the top of this guide can write to the same address.
admin@gardenstatecircle.com
This is not a ranking.
Part of Somerset Hills Guides