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 realize each new experience in a young child’s life can bring with it some anxious feelings. Some children’s personalities may be easy going toward new experiences while other’s may feel some trepidation or uncertainty. As well-trained pediatric specialists, we want you to feel assured that we understand and can help each child work through these worrisome feelings. The dental visit can actually be a fun adventure for them with picking out prizes, a new toothbrush, stickers and showing off their shiny smile! Preparing a young child for their first visit can include reading a book about visiting the dentist ( Dora, Curious George, Berenstain Bears ) and explaining to them what will be done ( “counting and shining teeth, taking pictures/xrays, applying vitamins”). We welcome you to accompany your child throughout the visit and encourage and reassure them during the process. We ask that if you have dental anxiety ( probably because you weren't fortunate enough to come to a cool office like ours! ) please try your best to hide it from them and approach the visit(s) with enthusiasm and positivity. It will surely help them feel more relaxed. As they become more at ease with each visit you may able to enjoy a few moments of relaxed time in our reception room while they are being seen. Our door is always open but we do encourage older children's independence during their visits so that we can communicate with them about taking good care of their teeth!
Please also know that there are other patients being seen so we ask you to respect their comfort and privacy by not taking photographs or videos in the treatment area. And for the safety and privacy of all our patients, we ask that other children who are not being treated either remain in the reception room or be supervised by an accompanying adult.
We strive to make each and every visit to our office a fun one!
Patient Forms
Consent for Use and Disclosure of Health Information
Motivational Charts
Your child will enjoy healthy dental habits when they use these Motivational Charts. Encourage regular brushing or help them break the thumbsucking habit.
