Your First Visit

Giving teeth a healthy start

Good habits begin early! Your child’s dental health begins long before the eruption of their first tooth — it starts with the mother’s nutrition during pregnancy and with the family’s medical history. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends establishing a “Dental Home” by one year of age.

The Dental Home is the ongoing relationship between the dentist, as the primary dental care provider, and the patient. This includes comprehensive oral health care before a problem arises and causes pain.

Helping your child feel at ease

We aim to make your child’s first visit enjoyable and positive — and you can play a large part in preparing them! Try to act relaxed and at ease; any anxiety on your part will be sensed by your child. Please avoid frightening words such as “needle,” “pull,” “drill” or “hurt.” Instead, use words like “sleepy juice,” “wiggle,” “whistle” and “take pictures.”

We thoroughly explain each procedure to your child in terms they can understand before we do it. This technique, known as “Tell-Show-Do,” is extremely effective in helping children feel comfortable during their visit.

Your child’s first visit includes

• Meeting the doctor and becoming familiar with the office and staff
• Cleaning, fluoride treatment, scaling and x-rays as needed
• A thorough oral examination
• Guidance on diet, brushing, bite, home care and oral habits
• A diagnosis and treatment plan discussed with parents

Parents are welcome in all our treatment rooms

With very young children, you may be invited back for the initial examination — and if your child needs you, you’re always welcome to accompany them. Be assured we treat your child as gingerly as our own. We do our best to make every visit easy and quick, and we’ll happily answer any questions you have.

If cavities are found, we schedule restorative visits and use Nitrous Oxide to keep things pleasant — it alleviates fear and helps children relax. Children with special needs and very young children respond very well to it. If needed, an anesthesiologist can come to our office to administer general anesthesia or IV sedation for extensive treatment.

Your child will then be placed on a six-month periodic examination schedule, and you’ll receive a reminder call a few days before each visit. Your aim as parents and ours as dentists are the same — to keep your child’s mouth healthy and make the process pleasant for everyone!