Ideally, your child shall get an early start with
regular dental care, as it is an important step on
the road of teaching your child healthy life long
habits. According to the American Academy of
Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD )We suggest that the
initial dentist visit occur by your child’s first
birthday We are dedicated in improving the oral
health of your child. Our goal is to provide
thorough and high quality care while promoting a
positive attitude towards dentistry.
We can make the first visit to the dentist
enjoyable and positive. Your child should be
informed of the visit and told that the dentist and
their staff will explain all procedures and answer
any questions Why are Primary Teeth so
important? It is very important to maintain
the health of the primary teeth. Neglected cavities
can and frequently do lead to problems which affect
developing permanent teeth. Primary teeth or baby
teeth are important for:
- Proper chewing and eating
- Providing space for the permanent teeth and
guiding them into the exact position
- Permitting normal development of the jaw
bones and muscles.
Primary teeth also affect the development of
speech and add to an attractive appearance.
While the front 4 teeth last until 6-7 years of
age, the back teeth (cuspids and molars) aren’t
replaced until age 10-13. What Should I
Tell my Child before the First Visit?
You can explain to your child that the
dentist wants to be a friend and help care for
his or her teeth. “At the first visit the
dentist will count your teeth, clean them with a
special tickling toothbrush, and take some
pictures of your mouth.” Never tell a child
that the dentist will not hurt, as this may
never have entered the child’s mind, but rather,
that the dentist will be very gentle. It is
best if you refrain from using words around your
child that might cause unnecessary fear, such as
needle, pull, drill, or hurt.
Pediatric dentists practice using words that
convey the same message, but are pleasant and
non-frightening to the child. My child is
too scared to visit the dentist. Children
are not born with fear of the dentist. A
"learning process" has to take place to create
this negative emotion. We are experienced and
trained to assess children's behavior and
determine which treatment approach is in the
best interest of your child. We will be happy to
discuss all options available to your child. One
good way to avoid problems is early prophylactic
visits rather than waiting until severe
toothaches develop.
Your Child’s First Dental Visit The
child’s first visit is important for several
reasons. In many in-stances, it is the child’s
first experience with dentistry; in some cases,
the child has had a previous unpleasant
experience. Emergency problems will be dealt
with first; if your child is in pain we will do
our best to alleviate it.
If there are no emergency problems, we will
examine your child’s mouth, lips, cheeks,
tongue, floor of the mouth, tonsil area, check
the teeth and gums. The child will receive a
thorough cleaning, topical fluoride treatment
and we will take such x-ray films as are
necessary. We will evaluate any tongue, lip,
cheek or thumb habit that may influence the
development of attractive teeth. We will also
examine your child to see how active his or her
organized bacteria are at producing dental
disease. We will be most happy to answer any
of your questions at this time.
Because this first visit is easy and
enjoyable your child becomes acquainted with
dentistry in a pleasant manner. |
