Our office, as well as 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 age one. Children who have a dental home are more likely to receive appropriate preventive and routine oral care.

Your child’s first dental visit will vary according to age and the child’s acceptance. For young children, an exam can be done using the “knee to knee” method, where the parent will sit on a stool with the child and lean the child’s head back into the dentist's lap. This method helps younger children feel more secure as mom or dad is still holding the child. Another option is for the child to sit on their parent’s lap in the dental chair.

Here at Pediatric Dentistry we let the parent decide which option they feel will make their child most comfortable. Our goal is to make the first visit, and every visit that follows, a positive one.

For the older child, each step of the visit will be reviewed with them beforehand. The child will be allowed to touch, feel, and “practice” with the toothbrush and suction before the exam begins. After age four, our staff will work with your child to determine when he/she is ready to take radiographs. However, this varies with each child. This procedure will also be reviewed beforehand, and our staff will work with your child to determine whether your child is ready to take radiographs.