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 Can Trust Us with Your Children
We invite you to stay with your child during the initial visit. For all future visits, if your child is over the age of 3, we ask that you allow them to accompany our staff through the dental experience while you wait in the reception area. Separation anxiety is not uncommon in children, so please try not to be concerned if your child exhibits some negative behavior. This is normal and will soon diminish. We are all specifically trained in helping young children overcome anxiety. Our experience has 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. Our purpose is to gain your child’s confidence and trust and we typically can establish a closer relationship with your child when you are not present.
For the safety and privacy of all patients, other children who are not being treated should remain in the reception area with a supervising adult.