Dr. Dr. Robert Lunka, DDS, MSD, Dentist (Pediatric)
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Dr. Dr. Robert Lunka, DDS, MSD

Dentist (Pediatric) | Pediatric Dentistry

5/5(3)
895 Rio East Court Suite #B Charlottesville VA, 22901
Rating

5/5

About

Dr. Robert Lunka is a trusted Pediatric Dentist specializing in treating and preventing oral diseases and conditions in infants, children and teenagers. He completed residency at the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Hospital in Richmond, Virginia. During residency, Dr. Lunka also earned a Master’s Degree and focused his research on using technology to improve the dental experience for children with autism.

The vision of Pediatric Dentistry is unique - it focuses on the oral health of the growing and developing child and how oral health impacts the overall health of the individual. Many of the nationally recognized faculty have subspecialty interests such as early childhood caries, pulpal therapy, clinical care delivery, behavior management, sedation, education and treating children with special health care needs and craniofacial abnormalities.

In 2008, Dr. Lunka obtained his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry. After graduating dental school, Dr. Lunka completed a General Practice Residency at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, Va. Later, he received an additional two years of training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery as an intern in New York and West Virginia before primarily focusing on Pediatric Dentistry. 

In his spare time Robert enjoys kitesurfing, hiking the beautiful mountains of Virginia with his wife and pet beagle, cooking, winemaking, and volunteering in his community. 

Education and Training

MCV/VCU School of Dentistry DDS 2008

MCV/VCU Pediatric Dentistry MSD 2020

University of Virginia BA 2003

Jacobi Medical Center Intern 2013

West Virginia University Intern 2014

UVA Hospital GP Residency Resident 2010

Provider Details

Male Spanish
Dr. Dr. Robert Lunka, DDS, MSD
Dr. Dr. Robert Lunka, DDS, MSD's Expert Contributions
  • At what age do children's teeth fall out?

    Children typically start losing their primary lower central incisors (lower front baby teeth) when they are 6-7 years old. This may vary from child to child and they may start losing teeth earlier or later than this. READ MORE

  • Does leaving toothpaste on your teeth help?

    After brushing for 2 minutes with fluoride toothpaste, you can spit without rinsing. This helps keep the fluoride on the teeth longer. I would not leave the actual paste on, as the ingredients may irritate your gums. READ MORE

  • How long can you leave a cavity untreated?

    Once the decay gets into the soft dentin (the layer below the harder enamel), the cavity will spread much faster. What determines how fast a cavity grows depends on the persons diet (acidic and/or sugary foods/drinks will cause the cavity to spread faster) and oral hygiene (not brushing at least 2x/day and flossing every day will cause the cavity to spread faster). Either way, if the cavity is left untreated, your tooth will get infected and/or the decay will grow to a point where you cannot save the tooth anymore because there won't be enough solid tooth structure left to restore it. READ MORE

  • Can you sleep with rubber bands on your braces?

    This is a question for your orthodontist. Depending on your individual circumstance, they may or may not recommend you sleeping with the rubber bands on. READ MORE

  • Are braces stains permanent?

    Braces alone usually do not cause staining. The "demineralized" or weak spot areas around the brackets typically result from consuming acidic or sugary foods/drinks while braces are on or from plaque accumulation around braces (there are also other reasons that may be specific to your individual situation). After braces are taken off, the best ways to improve staining are to eliminate sugary/acidic drinks/foods from your diet to prevent the weak spots from getting worse, brushing at least 2x/day for 2 minutes a session and flossing every day. This will remove plaque all around your teeth and reduce the acid-producing bacteria from contacting your teeth for long periods of time. Your dentist may be able to prescribe you a special toothpaste to re-harden or "re-mineralize" those areas. After those weak spots are re-hardened, you can talk to your dentist about bleaching or different cosmetic dentistry procedures that may work for you. However, these should not be attempted until there is a change in diet/ hygiene and the weak-spots are re-hardened....otherwise the condition can be made worse. READ MORE

  • Can you use floss picks with braces?

    Great question! Yes, floss picks such as the “platypus“ are designed to get behind orthodontic wires and between the teeth, but sometimes that won’t work in really tight spots and you might have to use floss threaders in those areas (“Gum-eez” or “Superfloss”). READ MORE

Areas of expertise and specialization

Pediatric restorative dentistryPediatric dental traumaPediatric dental emergency carePediatric sedation dentistryPediatric behavior managementSpecial health care needs dentistryInterceptive orthodonticsPediatric oral surgical procedures

Awards

  • 2020 Resident Recognition Award 2020 American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry 
  • 2019 ASEF Fellowship 2019 American Slovene Education Foundation 
  • 2018 Alexander Fellowship 2018 VCU School of Dentistry 

Professional Memberships

  • Virginia Dental Association  
  • American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry  
  • American Dental Association  
  • Virginia Academy of Pediatric Dentistry  
  • Southeast Society of Pediatric Dentistry  
  • Charlottesville Albemarle Dental Society  

Charities and Philanthropic Endeavors

  • Give Kids a Smile
  • Global Medical Brigades
  • Jamaica Project
  • Medical Dental Brigades

Treatments

  • Pediatric restorative dentistry, sedation, behavior management, interceptive orthodontics, special health care needs dentistry.

Internships

  • Jacobi Medical Center/ Beth Israel Hospital Internship in Oral and Maxillofacial SurgeryWest Virginia University Internship in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Fellowships

  • ASEF, Alexander Fellowship

Professional Society Memberships

  • AAPD, VAPD, ADA, VDA, SSPD, CADSs

Professional Affiliations

  • AAPD

Articles and Publications

  • "The Effect of Virtual Reality Glasses on the Behavior of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Dental Setting""Comparing Advanced Dental Education Programs in the European Union and United States""Published Abstract in the Virginia Dental Association Magazine: Management of Oral Mucositis in Pediatric Patients Receiving Cancer Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis"

What do you attribute your success to?

  • AAPD, ASEF, VCU Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Dr. Tegwyn Brickhouse

Areas of research

  • Autism, international dentistry

Awards

  • AAPD Resident Recognition Award

Philanthropic Initiatives

  • Give Kids a Smile, Global Medical Brigades, Medical Dental Brigades

Teaching and speaking

  • Pediatric oral surgery and medical emergenciesMedical Management of Immunocompromised Pediatric Patients.Local Anesthesia and Nitrous Oxide Administration Certification for Dental Hygienists CE CourseOral Surgery and Emergencies for the Pediatric Dental Patient

Favorite Place to Vacation

  • Slovenia, Croatia, Peru, England, Brazil, Greece, Aruba

Hobbies / Sports

  • Advocacy for children's oral health, Public speaking, Teaching, Kitesurfing, Whitewater kayaking, Skydiving, Winemaking, Hiking, Cooking, Volleyball

Favorite professional publications

  • Pediatric Dentistry Today, Journal of Pediatric Dentistry

Areas of research

"The Effect of Virtual Reality Glasses on the Behavior of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Dental Setting"

"Comparing Advanced Dental Education Programs in the European Union and United States"

Dr. Dr. Robert Lunka, DDS, MSD's Practice location

895 Rio East Court Suite #B -
Charlottesville, VA 22901
Get Direction
New patients: 434-817-5440

Dr. Dr. Robert Lunka, DDS, MSD's reviews

(3)
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Patient Experience with Dr. Lunka


5.0

Based on 3 reviews

Dr. Dr. Robert Lunka, DDS, MSD has a rating of 5 out of 5 stars based on the reviews from 3 patients. FindaTopDoc has aggregated the experiences from real patients to help give you more insights and information on how to choose the best Dentist (Pediatric) in your area. These reviews do not reflect a providers level of clinical care, but are a compilation of quality indicators such as bedside manner, wait time, staff friendliness, ease of appointment, and knowledge of conditions and treatments.

Media Releases

Get to know Pediatric Dentist Dr. Robert Lunka, who practices in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Dr. Lunka is a trusted Pediatric Dentist specializing in treating and preventing diseases and conditions of the teeth and gums in infants, children and teenagers. He completed residency at the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Hospital in Richmond, Virginia. During residency, Dr. Lunka also earned a Master’s Degree and focused his research on using technology to improve the dental experience for children with autism.

The vision of Pediatric Dentistry is unique – it focuses on the oral health of the growing and developing child and how oral health impacts the overall health of the individual. Many of the nationally recognized faculty have subspecialty interests such as early childhood caries, pulpal therapy, clinical care delivery, behavior management, sedation, education and treating children with special health care needs and craniofacial abnormalities.

In 2008, Dr. Lunka obtained his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry. After graduating dental school, Dr. Lunka completed a General Practice Residency at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, Va. Later, he received an additional two years of training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery as an intern in New York and West Virginia before primarily focusing on Pediatric Dentistry. 

Dentistry, also known as Dental and Oral Medicine, is a branch of medicine that consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders, and conditions of the oral cavity. Dentists diagnose and treat dental issues and help patients develop better oral hygiene regimens. They clean teeth, correct bite issues, perform surgeries and extractions, and perform other duties to ensure that the teeth and mouth are healthy. 

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UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA MEDICAL CENTERl

JEFFERSON PARK AVE CHARLOTTESVILLE VA 22908

Head south on Rio East Court 591 ft
Turn right onto East Rio Road (631) 2339 ft
Make a sharp left onto Seminole Trail (US 29) 1.7 mi
Continue straight onto Emmet Street North (US 29) 1.8 mi
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AUGUSTA HEALTHl

78 MEDICAL CENTER DRIVE FISHERSVILLE VA 22939

Head south on Rio East Court 591 ft
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Make a sharp left onto Seminole Trail (US 29) 1.7 mi
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Take the ramp on the right onto US 29 903 ft
Merge left onto US 29 3.7 mi
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MARTHA JEFFERSON HOSPITALl

500 MARTHA JEFFERSON DRIVE CHARLOTTESVILLE VA 22911

Head south on Rio East Court 591 ft
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