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.
New parents have plenty to worry about: making sure their baby is healthy and happy, re-arranging their lives around hectic schedules and lost sleep, and figuring out what to do in all sorts of novel situations. When it comes to your child’s oral health, though, there’s plenty of help available. It all begins at our office, when you bring your youngster in for his or her first visit to the dentist.
Our office as well as the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, recommend a child’s first checkup occur by age one. Even though there may only be a few baby teeth visible at that age, there are plenty of things we can start working on — including the development of healthy habits that will make future visits to the dentist far more pleasurable.
Unfortunately, some kids develop tooth decay at an early age. We will be on the lookout for cavities — but that’s only one reason for an early visit to our office. Equally important is reviewing the proper ways to care for a young child’s mouth, going over your child’s developmental milestones, and discussing the importance of good oral hygiene.
We recognize that many adults have had or still have ‘dental anxieties’ and that sometimes those anxieties may be inadvertently or subconsciously conveyed to your child so, if you’re nervous about going to the dentist yourself, try not to let it show.
Generally, during the first visit we’ll simply be talking to you and your child, looking in his or her mouth, and making oral health assessments. It’s best to tell your child what to expect beforehand, without making too big a fuss about it. You could even build some excitement by helping them get ready for “the big day.” We’ve outlined some pre-planning tips you as the parent can do to help both you and your child have a great experience at our office.
Most of our treatment spaces are in open rooms that make it easy for parents to be present while their child is being examined and to interact with the doctors and staff. We explain everything in an age appropriate manner so your child learns while having fun.If you accompany your child, your presence is greatly enhanced if you play a supporting role on our team. By allowing us to lead the communication, we can accurately assess your child’s abilities and set age appropriate goals. During this assessment, If more than one person is speaking to the child at the same time, they may become confused about who’s directions to follow. By allowing us to direct the interaction, we can build trust. These positive interactions lead to cooperation and a positive experience for your child.
When you and your child are comfortably seated in the office, we’ll spend a few minutes getting to know each other and explaining what we will be doing. We will review your child’s health history and then, we’ll perform a gentle examination of the mouth. We will conduct a thorough clinical examination of the palate, gums, tongue and teeth. Radiographs (x-rays) are taken only as they are indicated. .We will be looking for any early signs of dental problems such as tooth decay. Your child’s risk for developing dental caries will be assessed and a prevention plan will be established. Often, this kind of risk assessment can help us prevent — and even reverse — the early stages of tooth decay, without any drilling. We will then discuss our findings with you and answer any questions you may have.
Finally, we will suggest various ways to keep your child’s oral health in top condition. For instance, we may talk about how diet, eating habits and oral hygiene practices can help prevent tooth decay, the most common chronic disease of childhood. That’s an important subject for everyone — even more so if your child is at greater risk. If any treatments (such as fluoride) are needed, we will explain what they are and why we recommend them. We will also review tips on cleaning and brushing effectively, and we’ll schedule a follow-up visit as required.
Many habits are developed early in life. That’s why it’s important to “get it done by age one.” So when it’s time for your child’s first visit… don’t hesitate! You’ll be glad you came in.
