Your child’s first dental visit
PARENT GUIDE
We provide the best pediatric dental care for your child in a fun and comfortable environment. We’re excited for your family to join ours!
Before their first pediatric dental visit
How should I prepare for my child’s first dentist appointment?
Breathe. You’ve got this.
We strongly recommend that your child’s first dental visit occurs when their first tooth appears or by their 1st birthday. This practice is backed by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry who plainly state that, “the sooner a child is seen by a dentist, the less treatment needs they are likely to have in the future.”
There are positive, helpful ways of talking to your child about their upcoming visit and then there are also negative ones. Families are encouraged to be forthcoming about their child’s first dentist visit with our pediatric dentists in Staten Island. Let them know that they’re going to have their teeth counted and cleaned and maybe even have some photos taken, too!
Refraining from discussing your own dental anxiety or negative dental experiences is generally considered to be best practice. Also, words with scary or negative connotations can implant bad thoughts in your child’s mind. Try to avoid words like pain, hurt, shot, needle, injection, etc. and you can help our office tremendously.
After their first pediatric dental visit
Breathe again. You did it!
But don’t let up. Your child needs your help now more than ever when it comes to their oral health. Make sure that you are staying consistent with your own dental routine at home so that your child has behavior to model their own after.
They will also need consistent dental exams with our pediatric dentist in Staten Island. Experts agree that twice a year is a good goal to shoot for when it comes to staying on top of your child’s dental health. Early tooth development can occur quickly and problems can begin seemingly out of the blue.
Regular dental checkups are the key to keeping your child’s teeth monitored, strong, healthy, and properly aligned. They can also help with speech development, overall health, and a child’s self-confidence.
What happens after my child’s first dentist appointment?
During their first pediatric dental visit
What can I expect from my child’s first dentist appointment?
A family-wide smile. Seriously.
During a first visit we like to familiarize your child with our office, friendly staff included! This easing-in process, along with our fun-filled layout all plays a part in melting away any anxiety your child may have.
Once properly introduced, we perform a general examination of your child’s oral health that may also include x-rays and a cleaning depending on their unique needs. Any concerns you have will be addressed and if necessary a treatment plan will be created.
Above all, we prioritize your child’s comfort, health, and safety. That means not only keeping our Staten Island based orthodontist office fun and light-hearted, but also exceptionally clean. We completely sterilize and ultrasonically clean after each patient’s visit, and our staff stays covered with gloves and masks during any dental work.
