First Visit
We look forward to meeting you!
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.
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.
The Dental Home is intended to provide a place other than the Emergency Room for parents.
We invite you to stay with your child during the initial examination. During future appointments, we suggest you allow your child to accompany our staff through the dental experience. We can usually establish a closer rapport with your child when you are not present. Our purpose is to gain your child's confidence and overcome apprehension. However, if you choose, you are welcome to observe your child from the parent benches conveniently located outside the treatment rooms. For the safety and privacy of all patients, other children who are not being treated should remain in the reception room with a supervising adult.
Happy Smiles Tour
Do you have an anxious, nervous, or special needs child? Has your child previously had a traumatic medical or dental experience? Then your child may benefit from our free Happy Smiles Tour. These tours provide young children with the opportunity to have an interactive tour of our office, meet the staff, and familiarize themselves with the dental office before they have their first appointment with our doctors. Your child will be able to tour the clinical areas, have interactive education with some of the commonly used dental instruments, and ask questions to one of our dental assistants.
The Happy Smiles Tour is geared entirely towards your child, meaning this will not be a consultation or screening and we will not be addressing any dental concerns or questions from parents at this visit. This visit is all about your child and what they want to know!
We offer these tours for all children, but they are especially ideal for children ages 2-5.
For those families with special needs children, such as Autism, this tour will give the child a chance to see everything firsthand to help plan out their upcoming visit and relieve anxiety.
After your visit, you can decide if our office will be a good fit for you and your child and choose when to set up their first appointment. We think you are going to have a great time and love meeting our staff!
For information about the Happy Smiles Tour or to schedule a tour today, please call our office!
Tooth Fairy Letter
Your child will love getting this fun letter personalized for them from the Tooth Fairy. Not only is it fun, but it also helps educate them on the importance of proper oral health care and routine visits to the Tooth Fairy’s friend, the dentist.
Personalized Coloring Book
Your child will love having their own personalized coloring book from the dentist, and they can use it for years to come or you can preserve it in their scrapbook or baby book. It is fun and easy to use, try it yourself by clicking on one of the coloring books below.