First Visit
When we think of milestones that children reach, we often think of the first step, the first word, and other scrapbook-worthy moments. However, the first dental visit is also an important milestone, and our team is here to make your first visit with us as easy and enjoyable as possible! If you have any questions or you need to schedule your child’s first appointment, please get in touch with our front office staff and we will be happy to assist.
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Your First Appointment
We recommend establishing a dental home for your child as early as possible to help them become familiar with the staff and the office. As they become more familiar with the practice and learn the routine of attending a dentist appointment, they should hopefully be less nervous about dental visits, and perhaps even look forward to them! Children should begin seeing a dentist regularly by the time their first tooth comes in or when they turn one year old, whichever happens first. This may seem early, but regular dental visits are essential for catching potential problems early and keeping tooth decay at bay. If your child is older and hasn’t visited a dentist yet, don’t worry. Our team will be happy to see them at their very first dentist appointment!
How can I help my anxious child at the dentist?
It’s perfectly normal for children to be nervous at the dentist’s office or scared to go in the first place. In fact, many patients experience varying degrees of dental anxiety well into adulthood. You are welcome to bring your child in before their first appointment to take a tour of the office and meet some of the friendly faces that they will be seeing at their next visit. We also recommend talking about dentistry in a positive way and emphasizing how important oral health is, to help your child understand that dentist visits are not something they should skip. Your child’s dentist can also have a chat with them, and we always take the time to show them our dental tools and explain what will be happening in a way that they can understand to build trust with each child.
What if my child needs a lot of restorative work taken care of?
No one wants to hear that their child needs a dental extraction or a root canal, but it’s important to treat problems early on to keep them from worsening and to ensure that your child maintains a healthy smile. Our compassionate dental team knows how to work with children to make them feel at ease in our office, and we also offer relaxing dental sedation options to make each patients’ appointment feel like a breeze. We welcome and encourage parents to stay with their children during their treatment if they think it would make things easier for them. We always try to avoid using words like “hurt,” “shot,” “needle,” and “drill,” and reward kids at the end of more extensive appointments to let them know that their cooperation is appreciated!
