Finding a dental home for your family is always a tough decision, especially for a young child who has never experienced the sights and sounds of a dental office…

Common First Questions

When is the best time for my child’s first dental visit? What is the right age?

We believe around the age of 2-3 years old is a great time for your youngster to have their first visit. Here is why…

By two years old most children will have a full complement of primary (baby) teeth. A visit around this age gives our staff a chance to go over proper oral hygiene techniques and begin an initial evaluation of your child’s growth, development and risk of dental decay. It is vital to establish the proper routine in their young minds and to anticipate future interventions as needed. Many times you can tell early on if your child will need braces, space maintainers, or sealants to prevent early childhood dental decay. The earlier you determine the course of action the more efficient and beneficial treatment will be for your child.

“If my child’s first set of teeth are going to fall out anyway, why are they important to care for?”

As soon as your child’s baby teeth begin to erupt (from 6 months old to about 3 years of age), their adult teeth start to develop in the jawbone below. From that point on until they start losing their baby teeth, they act as natural space maintainers for when the adult teeth begin to come in. It is vital that between the age of 3 and 6 years old that your child’s baby teeth remain as healthy as possible, because if the baby teeth have extensive decay the bacteria can actually have a detrimental effect on their permanent teeth. Maintenance and decay prevention of baby teeth also reduces the future possibility of needing braces to correct mal-alignments.

 

“My First Dental Home”

Won’t their first visit be overwhelming for them at that age?

Here at Hallmark Dental we have created a program for pediatric patients called My First Dental Home. We believe this program will encourage them to feel comfortable, have a fun experience and help find their dental home (as well as be an educational tool to set the stage for great future oral health).

Around the age of 2-3 years old you can schedule a Welcome Visit for your child. This appointment will be no more than 30 minutes. We will invite you and your child for a tour of the office, provide some educational tools, count your child’s teeth with them and allow them to experience some of the instruments and sounds that they may experience in the future. We believe this visit sets the stage for their comfort. The sooner they can become accustomed to this environment, the more acclimated and at ease they will be in the future.

Children are generally visual learners, so giving them the chance to see our office and touch some dental-related items will give them confidence that there is no reason to be fearful of pain and discomfort. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry has promoted this and termed it the Tell Show Do Method.

Finally, we hope that by creating this program we will develop a rapport with your family and child and a level of trust that will bolster a long term relationship. Our goal is to provide a unique experience and unmatched oral health care in the most comfortable environment possible.

 

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