Your Child's First Dental Visit
At your very first visit to Woodland Pediatric Dentistry in East Cobb, your child will receive a thorough examination by Dr. Sheh. Dental X-rays are taken if necessary, and cleaning and polishing of your child's teeth followed by a fluoride application will be done. Oral hygiene instructions will be reviewed with you and your child to ensure proper and continuous oral health practices at home. Dr. Sheh will offer guidance as to what to expect as your child grows and develops in the coming months and years, as well as nutritional counseling, habit discussions, and orthodontic needs. This is a visit for parents to get to know our team, establish a dental home for their children, and address all concerns and questions they may have regarding their children’s oral health. We encourage both parents to be present for the very first visit for a more productive appointment. If your child needs any preventive or restorative dental treatment, then subsequent appointments may be scheduled.
For optimal communication, Dr. Sheh will explain each of our procedures in terms your child can understand. We want to make your child’s first dental appointment a positive one in order to set the tone for future appointments. Please allow us the opportunity to provide your child/children with such an experience as opposed to trying to explain everything to them beforehand. Sometimes this causes unnecessary anxiety and feelings of fear that could have been easily avoided.
Establishing a Dental Home
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends the first dental visit should be within 6 months when the first primary tooth erupts and no later than 12 months of age. A dental home is a place to bring your child for their routine dental checkup and to make sure they are on the right track with their oral health care. This is a place to turn to in cases of concerns, questions, or dental emergencies. It is always better to make an appointment before your child has any dental problems. By starting dental visits at an early age, future dental problems can be minimized or even avoided. In some cases, if tooth decay is detected early enough, there are options available that can be used to reverse or minimize the decay, therefore eliminating extensive procedures. Furthermore, by introducing your child to the dentist at a young age, they will develop a more positive attitude toward dentistry, and they will have a much easier transition into adult dentistry.
How Parents Can Help
As a parent, you have an essential role in shaping your child’s first impression of visiting the dentist.
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”. Woodland Pediatric Dentistry makes a practice of using words that are pleasant and non-frightening to the child. Please never allow the dentist or performing dental procedures to be your child’s punishment. We trust our parents to help their children receive the best oral health care possible in a relaxed and kid-friendly environment. Children are not born with a fear of visiting the dentist; however, they do have a fear of the unknown. Therefore, it is very important to describe the first dental visit as a fun and engaging experience for a young child. If old enough, your child should be informed of the visit and told that Dr. Sheh and her staff will explain all procedures and answer any questions. As a rule of thumb, the less to do concerning the visit, the better.
3300 School Forms
The Georgia 3300 Form is required for all new pre-K, kindergarten, and 1st-grade students and all students that are new to the state of Georgia, as well as students switching from private to public school. Please contact us to schedule your dental examination if you need to have this form completed.
