Your Visits
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends your child’s first dental visit with Pediatric Dentist by the age of one. Our goal is to allow your child to become familiar with our team and have a positive dental experience, which will help to maintain your child’s oral health over lifetime.
WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT AT YOUR FIRST VISIT?
You and your child will be greeted by our friendly staff and accompanied to their treatment location. For children under the age of three, we have a specially equipped private room filled with toys and sensory tools to provide an age-appropriate setting for their comfort.
For children over the age of three, our office has a semi-open bay treatment area where children can be surrounded by others of their own age, reinforcing the modeling concept of behavior. This allows some children to feel more relaxed seeing that other children are having a good experience around them. At the same time, we maintain privacy for you and your child by having a divider between each chair.
Patient and parent education on oral hygiene, habit cessation, and nutrition are the most important parts of this first visit and will comprise the majority of your time here. Some children are willing and able to complete a dental exam and cleaning at this first visit. Some children are more hesitant, and that is okay. We do not force treatment; we work to gain trust. Each child has different needs, and we always take this into consideration. Positive reinforcement of having a trust-building experience at each recare visit will help to improve their behavior and willingness to participate in the dental exam and cleaning.
Our office uses low-dose digital radiography and we recommend X-rays for children starting at age 3 (about 6-12 months after your child’s posterior teeth contacts have closed). The purpose of radiography is to detect cavities and pathology in the areas we are unable to see clinically. Detecting cavities when they are small allows for less invasive treatment options for your child. Based on your child’s cavity risk assessment, appropriate X-ray intervals will be determined for subsequent recare visits.
You are always welcome to accompany your child for treatment in our office. Our goal is to provide safe, effective, and gentle treatment and give your child a positive experience they can take with them into adulthood.