Child's First Visit

We are excited about meeting you and your child at our dental offices. Our goal at Specialist Kids Dentist is to make your family’s visit a pleasant and informative experience. We recommend establishing a “Dental Home” for your child by their first birthday.

Children who have a Paediatric dentist they see regularly are more likely to receive the best routine preventative oral health care and enjoy a future of confident healthy smiles as they grow!

Your Child's First Visit To Our Dental Office

At Specialist Kids dentist, we focus on providing the highest quality paediatric dental care possible. It’s completely normal for a child to be unsure or nervous about their first dental visit, but they don’t have to be! Our practice is designed to make your child comfortable and excited to visit the dentist from arcade games to Ipads to entertain them. Your little ones can even watch cartoons during his/her appointment to relieve any anxiety!

Our Goals For Your Child's First Visit

  • Paediatric dental exam – if you have an infant or small toddler we may do a “lap to lap” examination of your childs teeth
  • Complete digital dental x-rays
  • Professional teeth cleaning if required
  • Discussion of home care instructions
  • Discussion of dietary trends and oral habits
  • Anticipatory guidance until your child’s next dental check up
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What will happen at the first visit?

It is our primary goal to make each visit pleasant and comfortable and our entire staff is dedicated to making your child’s visit fun. We will spend quality time getting to know you and your child. Treatment is not performed at this initial visit as a general rule. Following a thorough review of your child’s medical and dental history your child’s first appointment will consist of a thorough examination. A visual check up can help determine if any cavities are present. For more information, digital x-rays can be taken to determine the extent of the decay and to see if it has spread to the underlying structures. We may recommend digital x-rays to check for extra or missing teeth, position and location of unerupted teeth or any other abnormalities. We will examine the erupted teeth for decay lesions that need repair and also those that might be arrested without repair by the use of a preventive home care program, topical fluorides and preventive sealants. We will evaluate facial growth and development patterns of your child, note any tongue, lip, cheek or thumb habits that may influence the development of attractive teeth and determine if there is a need for any orthodontic treatment. Your child’s personalities, anxiety levels and coping skills will also be assessed as these are extremely important factors to consider when planning your child’s treatment. Remember, children are not just small adults. They are not always able to be patient and cooperative during dental procedures.

Following this, a tailored treatment plan will be formulated for your child’s needs. We will discuss any issues or concerns before proceeding with the best treatment plan for your child. Treatment is then undertaken at subsequent appointment.

Patient Forms

For your convenience… we have provided the following form for you to complete and bring with you on your first visit to our office:

New Patient Form

Can the need for braces be determined during the comprehensive exam?

When our specialist paediatric dentists takes a look at your child’s x-rays and bite, they can determine if there is a need for orthodontic treatment. Orthodontic treatment, or braces, may be indicated for facilitating the alignment of teeth, improving the bite, closing the gaps between teeth, and correcting the proportions between the teeth and the child’s overall facial features.

What if treatment is necessary?

If your child has cavities that require treatment, the dentist will determine the most effective way to put the child at ease. In addition to local anesthesia to numb the tooth, some younger children do best when under sedation. For larger cases and younger children, putting the child to sleep completely may be the best option. Alternatively, oral sedation can be used to make the child calm, but leave them awake during treatment. The best course of action for your child can be determined during the comprehensive oral exam.

How can I prepare my child for their first dental appointment?

You 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 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, pull, drill or hurt. We will explain all procedures to children in terms they can understand by using pleasant and non-frightening words and demonstrate the equipment in a fun and imaginative way. Every possible effort will be made to make the visit psychologically pleasant. Please do not be upset if your child cries. Crying is a normal reaction to fear. Children may be afraid of anything new and strange to them. Kindness is the greatest contribution for overcoming fear and it must be our united objective to eliminate dental fears. Each child is different and we will treat your child according to their individual needs and with input from their parents.

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