Convenient Access from Silver Springs Shores
Parents hunting for a dentist near Silver Springs Shores can reach Pruitt Dentistry in about 19 minutes. The office is in south-central Ocala, inside the city limits, and it cares for kids, teens, parents and grandparents under one roof. The first appointments begin at 8:00 AM, so a checkup can happen before the school day instead of cutting into it.
Start at the Silver Springs Shores Community Center on Silver Road and take Pine Road out to SE Maricamp Road (CR 464). Follow Maricamp northwest for about five miles, then turn left onto SE 31st Street, which becomes SE 32nd Street. A right on SE 3rd Avenue (CR 475), then SW 1st Avenue and SE 29th Street, leads to 2835 SE 3rd Ct, Ocala, FL 34471.
The whole run is 9.9 miles with no tolls, and roughly half of it is the same stretch of Maricamp Road that Shores residents already use to get into town. You can pull up the office on Google Maps before you leave. Neighbors in Belleview and along the Maricamp corridor make similar trips, and each community has its own page.
A Practice That Fits How Silver Springs Shores Families Live
Silver Springs Shores is a census-designated place in southeastern Marion County, roughly ten miles from the center of Ocala. It is the largest community in that corner of the county, and locals often just call it "The Shores." It works mainly as a bedroom community, so many households already head into Ocala for work.
That pattern suits a practice with steady weekday hours. We are open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM and Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, with Mondays and Fridays alternating. Tuesday through Thursday are the dependable days, so a quick call tells you which Monday or Friday is open in a given week.
Because one household can book several people back to back, a parent driving in from the Shores does not need a separate trip for each child. Family block appointments are built into how our family dentistry works. They matter most when the drive takes close to 20 minutes each way and the kids have somewhere to be afterward.
Some families also have a grandparent living with them or nearby. Since we treat every age, the same team can handle a child's sealants and a grandparent's denture adjustment, and everyone's records stay in one place.
Not every Silver Springs Shores household starts near the community center, so your own drive may run a few minutes longer or shorter. The last stretch is the same for everyone: SE 3rd Avenue (CR 475), SW 1st Avenue and SE 29th Street to our door.
What Silver Springs Shores Parents Should Know About Growing Smiles
The Shores skews young. Census figures show about one in four residents is under 18, and roughly a third of households have children at home. Most of those kids attend Emerald Shores or Greenway elementary, then Lake Weir Middle and Lake Weir High School out on Maricamp Road.
For school-age children, the basics carry the most weight: cleanings, exams, digital x-rays and sealants on back molars that are hard to brush well. Fluoride treatments add another layer of protection for growing teeth. Tooth-colored fillings handle the cavities that do slip through, without a silver spot that shows when a child smiles.
Teenagers bring different needs. Chipped front teeth from a fall or a stray elbow are common, and small chips can often be repaired with bonding. If a tooth is cracked, pushed out of place or knocked out, call the office right away, because we do our best to see patients same-day when emergencies happen. For a severe injury, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room first.
Parents tend to put their own care last. Gums that bleed when you brush, or a filling that has started to feel rough, are worth checking at the same visit as the kids. Catching gum disease early usually means a simpler fix.
Silver Springs Shores also has a fair number of older residents, about one in six aged 65 or over by census count. Crowns, bridges, dentures and implants are all handled at the same office, so a grandparent in the Shores does not need a different practice from the grandchildren. Dr. Pruitt places implants right here in Ocala, and the first implant consultation is free.
Choosing a Dentist Near Silver Springs Shores for Every Age
Family Dentistry
Checkups, cleanings, digital x-rays, sealants and fluoride for kids, plus fillings and gum care for adults. Family block appointments line up several people in back-to-back slots, so one drive up Maricamp Road covers the household.
Nitrous Oxide Sedation
Nitrous oxide is a mild sedative breathed through a small nose mask, and it fades quickly once the mask comes off. It helps nervous adults, and certain children who can breathe comfortably through the nose, stay relaxed in the chair.
Cosmetic Dentistry
Bonding repairs small chips and cracks and can often be completed in a single visit, which helps when a teenager's front tooth takes a hit. Porcelain veneers cover larger chips and reshape teeth for adults who want a longer-term change.
Periodontal Cleanings
When gums bleed or look puffy, a deep cleaning removes tartar below the gum line that a toothbrush cannot reach. The area is numbed first, and follow-up maintenance visits help keep the problem from returning.
Zoom® Teeth Whitening
Coffee and tea stains build up fast on rushed school mornings. Choose an in-office Zoom session for a quick change, or custom take-home trays that let you whiten on your own schedule over one to two weeks.
Our full list of services also covers oral cancer screenings, fillings, extractions and emergency treatment for chipped or knocked-out teeth.
Meet Your Ocala Dental Team
Dr. Sydnie Costello earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Florida in 2017 and her DMD from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry in 2023. She has cared for Ocala-area patients since 2023, and her compassionate, personalized style suits children meeting a dentist for the first time. Dr. Patrick Pruitt, who opened the practice in 2019, completes a two-dentist team, which gives families more choice when booking.
Insurance & Financing
The office works with a multitude of insurance providers, files your claims and gives you a detailed cost breakdown before treatment starts. New patients without insurance can use the $99 Cleaning, Exam & X-Ray offer, provided there is no periodontal (gum) disease. Cherry monthly plans spread out larger bills, and checking your options involves no hard credit check.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Pruitt Dentistry from Silver Springs Shores, and how do I get there?
The office is 9.9 miles from the Silver Springs Shores Community Center, about a 19-minute drive. Take SE Maricamp Road (CR 464) northwest, then SE 31st Street west and SE 3rd Avenue (CR 475) north toward SE 29th Street and SE 3rd Ct. Families who want a dentist near Silver Springs Shores make the trip with no tolls.
How often should my kids have a cleaning and checkup?
Twice a year suits most children. Those visits let our dentists catch small problems early and keep up with sealants and fluoride as new teeth come in. Booking the kids together in a family block keeps it to two trips a year for the whole household, which helps when the drive up Maricamp Road takes close to 20 minutes.
Will I be judged if I haven't seen a dentist in years?
No. Our dentists never judge anyone for how long it has been, and they meet you where you are. Everything is explained before it happens, and you stay in control; just say stop, and we stop. Parents often put their own care on hold while raising kids, and a first visit simply builds a plan from today.
Are digital x-rays safe for my kids?
Digital x-rays use a low dose of radiation, which is one reason our office relies on them. They are fast and comfortable, and they show what is happening beneath the surface of the teeth, where cavities between teeth often hide. The team explains why each image is needed before taking it, so you always know what it is for.
Who qualifies for the $99 cleaning, exam and x-ray offer?
New patients without dental insurance qualify, as long as there is no periodontal (gum) disease. The offer covers a cleaning, an exam and x-rays. If the exam does show gum disease, the dentist explains the deeper cleaning it needs and its cost before anything begins, and Cherry monthly plans can help with a larger treatment plan.
Schedule Your Visit from Silver Springs Shores
If you want a dentist near Silver Springs Shores who can see the whole family, call 352-389-4054 to set up a first visit. You can browse every community we serve on the Areas We Serve page, or start at our Dentist Ocala, FL homepage for the full picture of the practice.