Mon, Tue, Thu 8:30–5 · Wed 8:30–2:30
Board Certified · Infancy Through Adolescence
Care from a board-certified pediatric dentist in a bright, beachy office your child will actually look forward to visiting. Every child is welcome here, at every ability level, since 1997.
One tap dials our front desk: (740) 588-5437
Diplomate, American Board of Pediatric Dentistry
Special needs & sensory-friendly careDr. Malek is board certified in pediatric dentistry — a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry — and an active member of the organizations that set the standard for children’s dental care.
Kids First holds a five-star average on Google. We would be glad to earn yours too.
Read our Google reviewsComplete Dental Care
Everything a growing smile needs, from the very first check-up through the teenage years, delivered by a board-certified pediatric dentist.
Early prevention and education keep small problems small. Regular check-ups, cleanings, fluoride treatments, and sealants protect against cavities, while bite guards and night guards support overall oral health, all planned by a board-certified pediatric specialist.
When a tooth needs help, we repair it gently and completely. From simple composite fillings to more complex procedures, board-certified training means treatment is planned around your child’s comfort, growth, and long-term dental health.
Children and adolescents with sensory, developmental, physical, or medical differences are treated here, at a pace and in an environment built around them. Caring for patients with special healthcare needs is a formal part of board-certified pediatric training.
Why Families Choose Kids First
Board certification is the foundation, but it is how that training gets used that parents notice. Our approach is tailored to each child and, just as importantly, to the parent making the decisions.
Any dentist may treat children. Dr. Malek is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry — the highest credential in children’s dentistry, earned through residency and board examination.
We explain everything in kid-friendly language, keep parents beside their child, and never rush a nervous patient. Visits are calm, predictable, and often fun.
Board-certified training covers patients with special healthcare needs, so children with sensory differences, disabilities, or real dental fear are cared for here rather than sent elsewhere.
From a first-tooth visit to a teenager’s sports guard, your child stays with a team that already knows their history — no starting over at each stage.
You leave each visit knowing exactly what to do at home: brushing technique, diet choices, and what to watch for before the next appointment.
You will always know what we found, why we recommend it, and what it costs before treatment begins — nothing gets added at the chair.
A Practice For Every Child
Kids First cares for children and adolescents of all abilities: special healthcare needs, sensory processing differences, developmental and physical disabilities, and children who are simply frightened of the dentist. This is not something we squeeze in on request. Caring for patients with special healthcare needs is a formal part of board-certified pediatric dental training, and it is one of the reasons Dr. Malek pursued board certification.
If your child has had a hard dental experience elsewhere, or has never managed to finish a visit, tell us when you call. We will build the appointment around what your child can handle today and grow from there.
Call (740) 588-5437 — no referral needed
Visits are structured and predictable. We use simple picture-based explanations, keep the same routine every time, and build tolerance across several short appointments when that works better than one long one.
Lights, sounds, and textures are the usual triggers, so we dim what we can, offer sunglasses and noise-reducing headphones, and let your child keep a weighted or comfort item throughout the visit.
We can start with a familiarization visit where nothing clinical happens. Tell-show-do, a stop signal your child controls, and a parent beside the chair turn dread into something manageable.
The office is wheelchair accessible, and we coordinate with your pediatrician or specialist when a medical condition, medication, or syndrome affects dental treatment.
Non-speaking and limited-verbal patients are welcome. Bring the device, signs, or cards your child already uses, and we will follow your lead rather than asking them to adapt to us.
One call ahead of time changes the whole visit. Share what calms your child and what to avoid, and we will note it in the chart and find a quieter time of day before you walk in.
Dr. Robert Malek Board Certified Pediatric Dentist
Meet Your Pediatric Dentist
Dr. Malek is a Board Certified Pediatric Dentist and a 1990 graduate of The Ohio State College of Dentistry. He completed the two-year Pediatric Dentistry Residency Program at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, where he served as Chief Resident and received the Orthodontic Excellence Award.
He then joined the US Air Force, leading the department of pediatric dentistry at Sheppard AFB in Texas and later at Misawa AB in Japan, and became a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. After completing his service in 1997, he practiced in Mansfield, Ohio, then moved his family to Zanesville in 1999 to open this practice.
Board certification also covers the care of patients with special healthcare needs, and that training shapes how this practice runs every day: children with sensory differences, developmental or physical disabilities, and significant dental anxiety are treated here rather than referred away.
Outside the office, Dr. Malek and his wife — married since 1990 — have raised two children and enjoy kayaking and camping. He also plays in a Columbus-area band he and his bandmates started in 2013.
Your First Visit
No paperwork maze and no surprises. Here is exactly how a first appointment at Kids First works.
Step 1
One tap dials our front desk. Tell us your child’s age and anything we should know, and we will find a time that fits your family’s schedule.
Step 2
Your first visit starts with a friendly tour, not a procedure. We introduce every tool, answer questions, and let your child settle in before we begin.
Step 3
You go home with a clear picture of your child’s oral health, what we recommend next, and simple habits to build between appointments.
Parent Questions
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends a first dental visit by your child’s first birthday, or within six months of the first tooth coming in. Early visits are short, friendly, and focused on getting your child comfortable while we check growth and answer your questions.
Board certification is the highest credential in pediatric dentistry and it is voluntary, so most dentists who treat children do not hold it. After dental school, Dr. Malek completed a two-year pediatric dentistry residency and then passed the examinations of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry to become a Diplomate. He is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. In practical terms, it means your child is treated by a dentist whose training, examination, and continuing education are devoted specifically to children, teenagers, and patients with special healthcare needs.
We move at your child’s pace. Our team explains every step in words children understand, lets them see and touch instruments before we use them, and keeps parents involved throughout. Managing dental anxiety in children is part of board-certified pediatric training, so this is a planned clinical approach rather than improvisation. The office itself is designed to feel bright and playful rather than clinical.
Yes. Caring for patients with special healthcare needs is a defined part of board-certified pediatric dental training, and Kids First welcomes children and adolescents with autism, ADHD, sensory processing differences, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, developmental delays, medical complexity, and physical disabilities. Tell us what helps your child when you call and we will plan the visit around it, whether that means a quieter time of day, a familiarization visit before any treatment, headphones or sunglasses, a favorite comfort item, or simply extra time.
Yes. Our practice cares for patients from infancy through adolescence, including teens who need sealants, sports mouth guards, night guards, or monitoring as their permanent teeth and jaws finish developing.
We are at 3539 Cliffhanger Way in Zanesville, Ohio. The office is open Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm and Wednesday from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm, and closed Friday through Sunday. Call (740) 588-5437 to schedule.
Join Our Family
Let us be part of your child’s journey to a lifetime of healthy smiles. One tap connects you to our Zanesville front desk, and we will find a time that works for your family.
Schedule an AppointmentOr dial directly: (740) 588-5437
| Monday, Tuesday, Thursday | 8:30 am – 5:00 pm |
|---|---|
| Wednesday | 8:30 am – 2:30 pm |
| Friday – Sunday | Closed |
Free parking directly outside the entrance, with stroller-friendly access.
Get directions
3539 Cliffhanger Way, Zanesville, OH
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