Dr. Stacey Zaikoski, Dr. Angela Cook, and our team are so glad you found us. Lion’s Tooth Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics (formerly PedZ Dental) is a doctor-owned, doctor-led practice built around one simple belief: every child deserves to feel brave in the dental chair.
We provide gentle, comprehensive care for growing smiles, including pediatric dentistry, treatment of tethered oral tissues (tongue ties), and orthodontic care with our in-house orthodontist, Dr. Erin Speier. From a baby’s first tooth to a teenager’s last bracket, we are here for every stage of the journey.
The name Lion’s Tooth comes from the French word for dandelion, dent de lion. The dandelion is the flower of the military child, a symbol of resilience and the ability to bloom wherever you are planted. Our founders know that experience firsthand and we built this practice to honor it.
At Lion’s Tooth, our mission is to create dental experiences that children actually look forward to. We know that sounds like a tall order. We also know it is possible, because we do it every day.
Our doctors and team take the time to meet each child where they are. We explain every step before we take it, in language that makes sense for that particular child on that particular day. We believe that when kids understand what is happening and why, fear gives way to confidence. Confidence gives way to pride. And pride, it turns out, is a pretty powerful motivator for brushing your teeth at home.
We are not just treating teeth. We are helping children build a relationship with their own health that will follow them for the rest of their lives. That is the foundation we are here to lay, and we take it seriously.
Every child who walks through our door is welcomed like family, supported like family, and sent home feeling a little more like a lion than when they arrived.
Dr. Stacey Zaikoski, Dr. Angela Cook, and Dr. Betty Tucker are board certified pediatric dentists who begin caring for children at the first tooth or first birthday. Those early visits matter more than most people realize. When a child’s first experience in the dental chair is calm, gentle, and even a little fun, it shapes how they feel about their health for years to come.
We provide comprehensive pediatric dental care with a focus on prevention, gentle treatment, sedation dentistry, and care for children with special needs, all in a warm, unhurried environment designed with kids and families in mind. Whatever your child needs, we meet them there.
Sometimes the small things make the biggest difference. A tight frenulum, the tissue connecting the tongue or lip to the mouth, can affect how a baby feeds, how a child speaks, and how comfortable everyday life feels. These are called tethered oral tissues, or TOTS, and they are more common than many families realize.
At Lion’s Tooth, Dr. Greg Notestine focuses his practice on the diagnosis and treatment of tethered oral tissues. He performs frenectomies using advanced laser technology, making the procedure safe, precise, and far more comfortable than families typically expect. Most patients are back to normal quickly, and the difference in function can be remarkable.
To learn more about tethered oral tissues and Dr. Notestine’s work, visit midwesttonguetieprofessionals.com.
There is something powerful about a child who knows their smile is being looked after by someone who truly understands how it grows.
Dr. Erin Speier is a board certified orthodontist who joined Lion’s Tooth to bring specialized orthodontic care under the same roof as the pediatric dentistry your family already trusts. Her focus is on growth modification and early intervention, which means she works with each child’s natural development rather than waiting for problems to fully form before addressing them. Guiding the jaw and facial structures during the right growth windows can make a significant difference, often reducing the need for more complex treatment down the road.
Dr. Speier offers a full range of orthodontic treatment options including traditional braces and Invisalign clear aligners, tailored to each child’s needs, timeline, and comfort. Whether your child needs early Phase I guidance, comprehensive braces, or a more discreet path with aligners, Dr. Speier brings both clinical expertise and an encouraging chairside presence that puts kids at ease.
Having pediatric dentistry and orthodontics together in one practice is not just convenient. It means your child’s doctors are communicating, coordinating, and looking at the full picture of their oral health from the very beginning. That kind of continuity of care is something we are proud to offer, and something families feel the difference of right away.
Most people have never heard of oral myofunctional therapy. Once they understand what it does, they wonder how they went so long without knowing about it.
Hannah Lacy is a registered dental hygienist and certified oral myofunctional therapist who works alongside our doctors to address the way the tongue, lips, and facial muscles move, rest, and function. These patterns have a surprisingly significant influence on breathing, swallowing, speech, facial development, and even orthodontic outcomes.
Hannah works closely with our team in the care of patients before and after frenectomy procedures. Before a tongue tie release, therapy prepares the muscles for better movement. After, it helps retrain the tongue to rest, move, and function the way it was meant to, supporting healing and helping ensure the procedure delivers its full benefit.
Her work extends well beyond surgical support. Hannah helps children develop healthy nasal breathing patterns, improve tongue strength and tone, correct oral posture, and break habits like prolonged thumb sucking or teeth grinding that can affect how the jaw and palate develop over time. For children who have completed orthodontic treatment, myofunctional therapy is one of the most effective tools available for reducing the risk of relapse.
For our youngest patients, Hannah also provides lactation support, partnering with families from infancy to promote healthy feeding and set the stage for proper oral development from the very beginning.
She is passionate about this work. Families feel that the moment they meet her.
For some children, completing dental treatment while awake is not the right path forward. That is not a failure. It is simply where they are, and we have built a solution that meets them there.
Lion’s Tooth is proud to partner with Dr. Justin Klanke, a board certified anesthesiologist with Safe Sedations who specializes in office-based anesthesia for children. Dr. Klanke provides in-office general anesthesia for children who need more extensive dental treatment or who are not able to comfortably complete care while awake, whether due to age, anxiety, a strong gag reflex, or complex dental needs.
Because this care takes place in our own office rather than a hospital or surgery center, your child receives treatment in a familiar, trusted environment surrounded by the team they already know. In most cases, all of their dental needs can be addressed in a single visit, with no pain, no fear, and no memory of the procedure itself.
This matters beyond the appointment. Children who experience dental treatment under anesthesia often return for future visits without the fear or avoidance that can follow a difficult experience. Protecting a child’s emotional relationship with dental care is just as important to us as the clinical outcome, and this is one of the most meaningful ways we can do that.
Dr. Klanke works closely with our dental team from start to finish, with safety and individualized care guiding every decision. Families consistently tell us that knowing this option exists changes everything about how they feel walking through our door.
We believe every child deserves excellent dental care, full stop. That is why we are in network with Delta Dental and Superior Dental Care, and why we offer convenient payment plan options through CareCredit. If you have questions about coverage or costs, please reach out to our team. We will always do our best to help your family find a path forward.
Lion’s Tooth is where brave kids come to show us their teeth. We cannot wait to meet yours.
Hours:
Mon – Thurs 9am-4pm
Occasional Fridays 9am-4pm
Same smiles, same care, same doctor-owned and operated small business.
Same smiles, same care, same doctor-owned and operated small business.