Baby's First Visit New Patient Visit

Since the number one predictor of future cavities is how early and how many baby teeth had cavities, we see the infant dental exam as the foundation for cavity prevention.

A child's first visit to the dentist should occur when their primary teeth begin erupting, usually between six months and 1 year of age. The purpose of this visit is to familiarize you with many topics important for your baby's future oral health.

We are so passionate about the infant dental visit we built a room especially for babies and their moms and dads. We even have a small dental chair for the infant exam!

Early visits are a fairly new approach to cavity prevention, so we encourage our families to talk about the importance of the infant dental visit with other new parents and share the information we give them on how to provide for a baby's oral health.

Our parents also know we are here to help should their baby have an accident and bump his or her teeth. We have the after hours emergency number for just these times.

New Patient Visit

Thank you for considering our practice. Whether you are new to the area or simply looking for a different provider, we are delighted you found out about us and look forward to your call. Most likely we can see your child within 72 hours, because we reserve time for new patients daily. Our new patients often tell us they appreciate the short wait time.

When you come for your child's first visit, you will find that not only is our office an exciting place for you and your children, the doctors and staff provide excellent dentistry and caring service.

After 30 years of practice at our Kingsley Avenue location, we are delighted to serve patients in our new modern, cutting-edge facility, completed in the spring of 2007. Our innovative dental office features:

• Digital X-rays for decreased radiation
• 3-D X-ray technology for better, faster orthodontic results
• TVs for patient comfort
• PS3s for waiting family members
• Calm and soothing, kid-friendly decor for atmosphere
• Life-size boat for young children
• Internet access and wi-fi for busy parents
• Dedicated infant care room for a great start
• Toddler potties for fast, easy access

We spend the first visit getting to know you, discovering together what needs to be done to protect your child's smile. A doctor's exam, along with conversation with you and your child, will give us a better idea of what your child needs. If your child has not had X-rays in the past 6-12 months, we may recommend them at the first appointment, because cavities form very quickly in children and are difficult to detect without X-ray technology.

If your child's oral health is excellent, we will likely clean your child's teeth the first visit. If decay is present, we like to develop a plan to eliminate it before cleaning the teeth. The hygiene appointment is most effective when decay is under control, and polishing extensive cavities provides little value to your child.

Depending on your child's oral health, we may ask you to return for a follow-up consult. For children with increased risk for cavities, we set aside longer time for coaching and communication, and we want to respect your child's limitations. For the convenience of patients traveling a greater distance, we may arrange a phone consult for this communication and coaching.

If you have any other questions concerning our new patient visits, please call us at 505-2010. We will happily answer your questions!

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At the infant visit we may cover some of the following:

• Preventing Cavity-Causing Bacterial Infection
• Alleviating Teething Pain
• Dietary Concerns
• Proper Sippy Cup Usage
• Swallowing Patterns
• Brushing Tips and Hints
• Breastfeeding Safely
• Fluoride Use