We, at Northeast Children’s Dentistry, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), the American Dental Association (ADA) as well as our friends at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) all recommend the establishment a “Dental Home” for your child by at least their first birthday.
Children who have a dental home are more likely to receive routine oral care including regular checkups and preventive care.
The Dental Home is meant to provide a place for patients other than the Emergency Room.
You can make the first visit to the dentist enjoyable and positive. If old enough, your child should be informed of the visit and told that the dentist and their 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”, “shot”, “pull”, “drill” or “hurt”. The office makes a practice of using words that convey the same message, but are pleasant and non-frightening to the child.
We invite you to stay with your child during the initial examination. We allow parents in the treatment rooms of our offices, unless we are performing laser surgeries. If your child is to be treated under general anesthesia at an outpatient surgery center, it is their policy to not allow you in the treatment room. For the safety and privacy of all patients, other children who are not being treated should remain in the reception room with a supervising adult.
We strive to make each and every visit to our office a fun one!