Our office, as well as the The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Dental Association (ADA), and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) all recommend establishing a “Dental Home” for your child by one year of age. Children who have a dental home are more likely to receive appropriate preventive and routine oral health care.
The Dental Home is intended to provide a place other than the Emergency Room for parents.
You can make the first visit to the dentist enjoyable and positive. If old enough, your child should be informed of the visit and told that the dentist and their staff will explain all procedures and answer any questions. The less to-do concerning the visit, the better.
It is best if you refrain from using words around your child that might cause unnecessary fear, such as “needle”, “shot”, “pull”, “drill” or “hurt”. The office makes a practice of using words that convey the same message, but are pleasant and non-frightening to the child.
You are always welcome to accompany your child during his/her visit. However, we suggest you let your child accompany our staff through the dental experience if you are anxious about dental procedures because you can transmit your anxiety to your child without noticing. Our purpose is to gain your child’s confidence and overcome apprehension. For the safety and benefit of our patients we want them to have our undivided attention and we ask that children who are not being treated should remain in the reception room with a supervising adult.
We strive to make each and every visit to our office a fun one!
