Office Tour
We have just opened a new version of Smiles For Kids which features all the old
values with updated, modern and exciting approach to pediatric dentistry and our
families. We chose “Travel The World” as our theme because Dr. Lindhorst loves travelling
and discovering new things in life and wants to instill this passion in our little
patients. We also believe that dental health in a lifetime journey that we want
to guide our patients through. In this new update you will find exciting things
for both patients and parents as we now can accommodate needs of both in a wonderful
kids’ friendly environment. We want to take you on the tour of our office so please
read on so you can learn what to expect when you come visit us!
After you pass our beautiful collage of the world icons at the front door, Carrie
will welcome you in the reception area and she will lead you through our electronic
health history form. This will let us get your little one set up in our computer
system. Meantime, the kids of all ages can play in the waiting room with our toddler
friendly toys, read books, watch movies or play with Wii or X-box games depending
on their age. Initially the health history and consent forms will take a few minutes
to fill out, but on all subsequent appointments they will be a breeze to review!
So please take your time and let your little ones have a blast while they get familiarized
with the initial “dental travel” experience. Postcards from the Grand Canyon and
Texas will welcome you as you take your seat in the waiting area.
If your little one is a new patient, or if your darling is still under three years
of age, we will invite you to our New Patient Room. We created this special area
to accommodate both patients and parents in an individualized room with toys, books
and a TV with child friendly movies to better get to know our families. Two of our
postcards from France and Australia adorn the walls of this room. Little ones get
to play, meet the hygienist, assistant and the doctor under caring wings of their
parents. We spend time with our families there talking about oral hygiene, healthy
eating habits, concerns parents might have and finally we do our cleaning and exam.
If you have been here before and have a kiddo that is over three years of age we
will take them to the “hygiene” area which is our open area. Here they get their
teeth cleaned while they enjoy our world map and the “Gateway to the West” or the
St. Louis arch. Parents are welcomed back if they chose to assist their little ones
or they can wait in the waiting are until cleaning is finished and the doctor is
ready to invite them for the exam. Meantime the kids can play in another special
toy area or watch the same movie as is being played in the waiting room if they
are finished with cleanings, but waiting for their siblings or the doctor.
When we are ready for the exam we invite the parents to our new special room we
call the “Check Room or Exam Room”. Here we have the ability to show parents our
digital x-rays enlarged on the TV screen and have them assist us in the exams where
we can really show parents everything we measure (such as bite, tonsil size, cavities,
or orthodontic needs). We discuss treatment options if necessary and talk about
any concerns parents might have. This room features our Great Wall of China postcard
and we hope to have you peek at it!
After New Patient, Well Baby, or regular check-up exams are done we walk our families
to the check-out counters where the kids pick a prize out of the treasure tower
and search for their favorite sticker in addition to the abundance of dental hygiene
supplies they take home!
In case that your little one needs any kind of dental work done (such as fillings,
space maintainers, extractions, appliance fittings or emergency visits), you will
get to explore our treatment rooms in the back of the office. Both of these rooms
have overhead TVs that children can watch while getting work done. One of the rooms
is our “Safari Room” while the other is themed “Space Travel”. In the Space Room
we feature not only an amazing mural of the space shuttle, but also pictures of
real astronauts with dedications and signatures to Smiles For Kids. We have lots
of stories about our experiences with the space shuttles and astronauts so come
hear them! Because being in these rooms requires special kind of bravery from our
patients we reward them with special prizes.
We use many tools such as digital x-rays, diagnodents, intraoral cameras, models
and brochures to communicate with parent our diagnostic thoughts and decisions.
Our philosophy is that parents are an integral part of the dental treatment of children.
They are the most trusted and loved people in their children’s lives and we respect
this relationship. However, at times we might ask that you allow us to try to take
your child through part of the dental experience alone. Everyone in our office is
highly experienced in helping children overcome anxiety. Studies and our experience
have shown that most children over the age of 3 react more positively when permitted
to experience the dental visit on their own and in an environment designed for children.
If we are not successful, first thing we will do is ask for your assistance! We
want to utilize your help as part of our “bag of tricks”.
We hope you have enjoyed this virtual tour. We hope that we will see you soon to
be able to show off our office which we have built together with you and your children
in mind. We are looking forward to your call and visit!