First Visit

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 prevent dental problems as well as provide a resource in case of a dental emergency.

Your child’s first visit to the dentist can be enjoyable and positive. You should inform your child about his/her trip to visit the dentist. You can leave the rest up to us! Our staff is very skilled at helping children through their first visit and tailoring the appointment to each child’s comfort level. We will explain procedures and answer any questions for you and your child. Should you have any specific concerns for your child, please inform our team and we will do our best to meet your expectations.

For children who are too young or nervous to sit in our dental chair, we do an evaluation and cleaning while the child is lying on a parent’s lap. This is a routine method used for infants and toddlers. We are also prepared to adapt the appointment for children with special needs.

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 more than welcome to accompany your child to the treatment room. 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.

We strive to make each and every visit to our office a fun one!

For your convenience prior to visiting our office, please click on the link below to print the New Patient Health History Form, complete the information and bring it with you to your first visit.

Dear Parent/Guardian:

In an effort to give your child a positive experience in our office, we are selective in our use of words. We try to avoid words that might worry the child due to previous experiences. Please support us by NOT USING negative words. Use positive words when talking about your child’s appointment.

This will also help you understand our terminology when using our behavior guidance technique of “tell, show, do” with your child during the appointment.

Our intention is not to “fool” the child, but rather to create an experience that is positive. We appreciate your help!