The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Recommends…
The first “regular” dental visit should be no later than your child’s first birthday. It is important that your child’s newly-erupted teeth (erupting at six to 12 months of age) receive proper dental care right from the beginning.
Preparing for the first visit
- If your child is prescribed medications, you may choose to bring the prescription with you to show it to the doctor.
- Bring dental and medical insurance cards with you to your appointment.
- When transferring from another dental practice, we will request all prior dental records be sent to us for your approval.
- We encourage you to make visiting the dentist an adventure. At home, please avoid phrases such as “it is not going to hurt”, “you will not get a shot” etc. Research shows that sometimes these phrases may create stress prior to appointments and may cause unnecessary apprehension. Instead, you may say that the “dentist may take special pictures of your teeth using x-ray vision like a super hero” or “the dentist will count how many teeth you have” or “the dentist will brush your teeth”
The first visit to our office is very important and our goal is to make it a memorable first impression!
For young children (4 years or younger), it is HIGHLY recommended the visit take place in the morning time. Children are more rested and more cooperative as opposed to later in the day, particularly young children who take a midday nap. We have seen this makes a huge difference in your child’s ability to cooperate. We are happy to provide excuse forms for work and school to accommodate this schedule.
Upon entering the office, you will be greeted immediately by our friendly staff. Our specialized dental assistants will walk you and your child to their dental chair, and introduce the child to the dental equipment. We will begin by gaining and establishing trust with your child using behavior management strategies.
After a rapport is established with your child, we will clean your child’s teeth and take x-rays if needed. Dr. Arya Davoody will then meet the child and the parent to perform a thorough examination. We will spend sufficient time with you and your child reviewing the cavity process, diet, hygiene, thumb-sucking, pacifier use, fluoride exposure and much more! We will also review if we found any cavities, discuss a treatment plan, and review all options available to provide an enjoyable patient experience.
