General Information

Your child’s first visit to a dentist is an important one and we promise to make it an awesome experience! We are excited to meet you and your child at this initial appointment. Our goal is to build a steady relationship that will last for years in a comfortable and trusting environment that will promote good oral health and habits.

As recommended by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, your child should visit the dentist by his or her first birthday. This early visit is what we refer to as a WELL BABY visit. At this appointment parents receive valuable information on how to take care of their children’s teeth, how to keep them healthy and cavity free, and how to assess healthy dental development. Your child will have his or her first oral exam and the parents will learn proper tooth-brushing techniques.

By the age of three your child will come for his or her NEW PATIENT VISIT. It is our goal to make this and every visit to the dentist enjoyable and positive for your child. We will use a “show and tell” technique to allow your child to see, touch, play with, and understand every object he or she will come in contact with during this visit. We use age appropriate language that will help your child grasp dental ideas. During this appointment, a thorough dental exam will be performed along with x-rays, a dental cleaning and fluoride treatment. You will receive home care instructions for your child and you as well as diet counseling. We invite you to be a part of this first appointment, but during future appointments we suggest that you allow your child to accompany our staff through the dental experience alone. We can usually establish a closer rapport with your child when we have their full attention. We will then invite the parents to join their little one during the dental exam to go over x-rays, dentition, bite and oral hygiene.

Parents are an integral part of all appointments. Your participation in preparing your child for the first dental visit is crucial. We suggest that you refrain from using words around your child that might cause unnecessary fear or anxiety, such as needle, shot, pull, drill or hurt. Our office makes a practice of using words that convey the same message, but are pleasant and non-frightening to your child. If you are anxious about the dentist, please don’t convey this to your child. We want your child to develop a positive opinion of the dentist.

Please be aware that during the first appointment, treatment such as fillings or extractions will not be done unless it is an emergency situation. We use this first visit to get to know your child and gain his or her confidence in us, to assess your child’s dental needs, and to evaluate behavior to determine the best approach to take in any necessary treatments.